Box jumps make for a flashy, and challenging exercise, but are they really benefiting you? The answer is probably no, because you have more to gain by focusing your efforts on elsewhere.
Box Jumps Are For Power
Box jumps are used to develop power, which is defined as work divided by time (power = work / time). In other words, it is about applying the strength of your muscles quickly. A box jump is a powerful squat which propels you up onto the box. So, what you need to know is that before you worry about power, you need to have strength.
Strength Before Power
There are two reasons to focus on strength before power. The first is injury prevention. There are significant forces involved in the take off and landing in box jumps. You must have the strength to control that force’s effect on your body. A basic rule of thumb is that you should be capable of squatting 1.5 times your body weight before attempting to train for power.1 That’s already plenty of a challenge!
You Will Gain Lots By Focusing On Strength
The second reason to train strength before power is that, as with so many things in life, the basics make the master. Building strength adds and maintains muscle, supports good metabolism, promotes bone density, and keeps hormones balanced, all of which keeps you feeling and looking fit. It also improves your overall movement patterns, which is important for maintaining health and fitness in daily life. Maximize this potential before you move ahead to more advanced forms of training such as box jumps.
Conclusion
In short, there is already much to be gained by focusing on strength, rather than skipping ahead to power. Put your efforts towards building basic strength and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
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