Vertical Jumping Program

How To Do Box Jumps

Box jumps can yield tremendous results for those who are looking to add inches to their vertical. They are simple and relatively easy to do. However you should concentrate and focus on the movements so as to avoid injury.

The benefits of doing box jumps include:

Increased strength as well as muscle tone.
Greater ability to jump higher and further.
Improved leaping ability for various sports activities.
Development of more explosiveness.
A fun and easy routine for weight loss.

Box jumps should be done with plyometric boxes that are at least 6inches or higher. If you are not able to use plyo boxes then stairs or a bench can be used to provide the same desired results. The boxes are relatively inexpensive so if you can afford them it would be a great investment that pays for itself in the form of yielding positive gains in your jumping height.

First set your box up. You want to make sure that you keep a couple of feet of clearance on each side of the box. Leave your self room to explode when you step up and also allow yourself room to step back down again.

Next you want to warm up. You will be exerting a great amount of muscle contraction and explosive power from your legs and lower body. When you warm up first you get the blood flowing to all of your lower extremities and back .This increases your flexibility and helps you get limber in order to absorb shock when you land from your jumps. You will want to take about ten minutes or so to stretch and so some low intensity cardiovascular exercises. That should get you nice and loose.

Begin by standing in front of the box with your hands by your sides. Keeping your feet about shoulder width apart, jump with both feet up onto the box. Then hold that position at the top of the box for a second before you jump back down to the floor again.

Don’t just plop back down. Focus and concentrate on landing softly before you explode back up on the top of the box. You should land on both feet at the same time so listen to be sure you hear the tap of both feet making one sound. In order to have a soft landing focus on landing on your toes instead of your heels.

Also be sure to contract your abs and keep them tight during the explosive stage of your jumps.

You will want to do six to ten repetitions starting out and then move on up to eight to twelve reps for measurably improved results.

Box jumps give your body a near total workout, regardless of your physical fitness level. By making use of this basic piece of equipment you can work the large muscles of your lower body intensely. The simplicity of this routine lets you easily work out on a regular basis thereby increasing your jumping ability and improving your endurance and explosion capacity at the same time.