Should I Perform Box Jumps? Ask a PT

In last week’s blog we talked about deloads, and I explained why I think they are worth integrating into your program. This week, we’re answering the question “Should I perform box jumps?”.

Should I Perform Box Jumps?

Question: My PT keeps getting me to perform Box Jumps, but I really don’t like them. Is it worth doing them? My goal is to burn fat and improve my fitness. 

Answer: When I was a PT I used to get some of my clients to perform box jumps. They were a lot of fun, really tired my clients out, and they were easy to add into circuits. But, after a while, I realised that box jumps were not a great exercise for 90% of my clients.

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That’s because box jumps are designed for increasing power and athleticism. They belong to a form of training known as plyometrics, which is also known as jump training.

The goal of jump training is to increase explosive power, and it is very popular with sports coaches. Most of the athletes that you will see at the Olympics (or at Euro 2024) will perform plyometrics as part of their training.

The benefits are well known. But unless you are training to improve your explosive power, and very few people who hire a PT are, then box jumps are probably not suitable.

What is a reasonable timeframe for fat loss?

Why is that?

• Partly because they take up time and energy that could be better used elsewhere.
• But mostly because they fall the wrong side of the risk/reward ratio. Something I talked about a few weeks ago.

Box jumps can be dangerous. You can crack your shins against the box, the box can slip, you can fall off the box, or you can injure your joints or muscles if you aren’t quite prepared for the exercise.

There are better ways to burn fat, and there are also better ways to improve your fitness. That doesn’t mean to say that you can’t perform box jumps. If you like them (which the person asking the question does not) then weigh up the risks vs the reward and make your own decision.

If you play basketball, football, athletics, or a high-contact sport such as American football or rugby, then box jumps are a great idea. Because they can improve your power and reduce your risk of injury in that sport.

I don’t think that I was a bad trainer for teaching some of my clients the box jump. I was misguided, but I taught them it safely and didn’t overuse it. But would I add it into programs today? No, unless the client could benefit from them.

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