Box jumps: how to do them and why runners should

Box jumps are a test of how fast your legs can produce force, which is why they're also the most abused exercise on social media. Somebody jumps onto a box as tall as their shoulders, lands in a full squat, and calls it a vertical jump. It isn't. It's a demonstration of hip mobility.

Done properly, box jumps are short, explosive, low-rep work: jump up, land softly, step down, rest. That trains the springy side of your legs, which heavy squats and lunges don't fully cover. Here's box jumps how to, step by step, how high to go, the variations worth doing (lateral box jumps, one leg box jumps, box depth jumps), and why runners should bother, whether you program it yourself or use a smarter alternative to Fitbod.

What box jumps are (and why runners should do them)

A box jump is a plyometric exercise: you jump from the floor onto a box, landing with both feet. Plyometrics use the stretch-shortening cycle, the quick load-and-release of muscle and tendon you also use every time your foot hits the ground during a run.

That's the running link. Heavy lifting builds force; plyometric box jumps train producing it fast. Most good programs include both, which is why jumps usually open the lower-body day in a twice-a-week strength plan for runners.

Box jumps are also one of the gentler ways to start plyometrics. The box reduces how far you fall on the landing, because you land at the top of the jump instead of coming back down to the floor. Step down rather than jumping down, and the impact stays low.

They sit alongside the strength side of a lower-body program, not instead of it. The heavy single-leg side starts with this breakdown of bulgarian split squat.

What the research says about plyometrics and running

Plyometric training for runners has been studied for decades, and the results are reasonably encouraging, with caveats.

• ›In a 9-week study in highly trained distance runners, adding three 30-minute plyometric sessions a week improved running economy at 18 km/h by 4.1% compared with controls, but not at the slower speeds tested. VO2max didn't change.
• ›In a 6-week study of male runners, plyometric training improved 3 km time by 2.7%, along with running economy and lower-leg stiffness, with no change in VO2max or lactate threshold.
• ›A 2024 meta-analysis on runners found plyometric training improved running economy at speeds up to 12 km/h, while high-load strength training improved it across a wider range, especially at higher speeds. Combining methods produced the largest effect.
• ›A 2022 meta-analysis comparing heavy resistance and plyometric training in long-distance runners found heavy resistance training had a larger effect on running economy and time-trial performance than plyometrics alone.

The honest reading: jumps help, heavy lifting probably helps more, and the two together look best. Box jumps don't replace a heavy squat. They complement it.

Box jumps how to: step by step

1. Pick the right box

Start lower than you think. A box you can land on in the same quarter-squat position you jumped from is the right height. If you land in a deep squat, the box is too tall.

Soft plyometric boxes are friendlier to shins than wooden or metal ones when you miss.

2. Set up

Stand about a foot from the box, feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides.

3. Load

Swing your arms back and dip into a quick quarter-squat: hips back, knees bent, chest up. Don't pause at the bottom. The quick dip is the whole point.

4. Jump

Swing the arms forward and up, and drive through the whole foot, extending hips, knees and ankles together. Pull the knees up toward the box.

5. Land softly

Land with both feet fully on the box, in a quarter-squat, knees tracking over the toes. Quiet landing. If it sounds like a dropped dumbbell, the box is too high or you're not absorbing the landing.

6. Stand, then step down

Stand up tall on the box, then step down one foot at a time. Jumping down adds landing impact without adding much benefit. Reset fully before the next rep.

Common box jump mistakes

Variations

Lateral box jumps

Stand side-on to a low box and jump sideways onto it, landing on both feet. Lateral box jumps train side-to-side power and landing control, the plane that most leg training ignores. Use a lower box than for front-facing jumps. Pair them with lateral lunges if you want a full side-to-side session.

One leg box jumps

Take off from one leg, land on the same leg or both. One leg box jumps are much harder, so use a low box, few reps, and only once double-leg jumps feel easy. They're closer to the single-leg demands of running.

Box depth jumps

Step off a low box, land on the floor, and jump up immediately with as little ground contact time as possible. Box depth jumps are a more intense plyometric, because you absorb a bigger landing before you jump. They're for people who are already strong and comfortable with regular jumps, not a starting point. Start with a very low box.

Seated box jumps and step-ups

A seated box jump starts sitting on a bench, which removes the countermovement and forces a powerful start. Step-ups are the non-jumping alternative if jumps aren't for you yet.

Prepare with strength first

Jumping well needs a base of strength. If a bodyweight squat or lunge still wobbles, start there. A goblet squat kettlebell session is the easiest way to build that base, and the lunges vs squats question mostly comes down to doing both. Single-leg work like lunges and split squats prepares you for one-leg jumps and landings; the split squat vs reverse lunge choice decides how much load you can use.

Bodyweight squats for runners are a good warm-up but run out of usefulness as a strength builder quickly, so hold something. Once you're lifting heavier, the barbell takes over. Back squats form explained in a line: bar on the upper back, brace, sit down between your heels, stand up. Heavy squats and box jumps work best together.

The same applies to single-leg work. The bench version of the split squat adds range and difficulty, which is the short version of a guide to split squat vs bulgarian split squat.

How to program box jumps

Coaching conventions, not commandments.

Three rules:

1. ›First in the session. Jumps go before heavy lifting, while you're fresh.
2. ›Low reps, full effort. Every rep should be fast and crisp. When reps slow down or landings get loud, stop.
3. ›Not for time. Box jumps in a circuit "for time" are conditioning with a trip hazard. Fine for the occasional workout, not for building power.

Where box jumps fit a running week

• ›Pair them with your lifting. Put three to five sets at the start of a lower-body session.
• ›Keep them away from the day before intervals or the long run.
• ›Start in a base phase, with low volume, and keep a small dose through a race build.
• ›Count them as running-adjacent load. Jumps are impact. On a high-mileage week, cut a set.

A systematic review of strength training in distance runners covered heavy, explosive and plyometric training, found good evidence that strength training improves running economy and time-trial performance, though not in every study, and suggested two to three sessions a week using a variety of methods. That's the case for one plan that includes both jumps and heavy lifting.

How exrsz handles box jumps

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, so if you have a box, jumps go at the start of your lower-body day. It balances that work against your runs in one plan, adapts each week to how you actually trained, and reshuffles sessions you miss.

FAQ

Are box jumps good for runners?

Yes, in small doses. A 2024 meta-analysis found plyometric training improved running economy at slower speeds, and combining it with heavy strength training produced the biggest effect.

How high should my box be for box jumps?

Low enough that you land in the same quarter-squat you jumped from. If you land in a deep squat, the box is too high.

What are lateral box jumps good for?

They train side-to-side power and landing control, which most leg training ignores. Use a lower box than for regular box jumps.

Are box depth jumps safe for beginners?

They're a more intense plyometric, so they're better saved until you're strong and comfortable with regular box jumps. Start with a very low box and few reps.

Should I jump down from the box?

No. Step down. Jumping down adds landing impact without adding much benefit, and it turns a power exercise into a fatigue exercise.