This involves doing a shrug and slight jump with the trap bar as you’re pulling it up off the floor If you’re looking to working on increasing your speed, reactivity, and power output, there are plenty of variations to try, including the following: Trap bar power shrug There are lots of ways to make the trap-bar deadlift more explosive, too. Need to buy a trap bar? Read our guide here. Learn more: Hex Bar Deadlift: Benefits, Muscle Worked & How-To They target the hamstrings, glutes, and quads, all of which are used when jumping onto a box. Trap bar (or hex bar) deadlifts are an incredible exercise for strengthening the lower body. Looking for a jump box? Read our guide here. Over time, you can add weight and/or raise the height of the box to increase the difficulty of this exercise. Move slowly to avoid losing your balance (this also helps you work on your ankle stabilization, which will come in handy when it’s time to move on to box jumps. Start with a very low box or step and only your bodyweight. They’re very functional, too (how many times do you step up onto something or climb stairs throughout the day?). Step-ups help you get comfortable with being on a box, but they’re not as scary (or as difficult) as box jumps. If you’re ready to elevate your lower body exercises and move beyond squats and lunges, consider starting with step-ups. When you’re lunging (in any direction), aim to keep your knee in line with your toes and don’t let it extend forward past your ankle. Master these lunges using only your bodyweight, then move on to adding dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell to make them harder. ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Walking lunges.” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Forward lunges (stepping forward into a lunge position).” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Reverse lunges (stepping backward into a lunge position).” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Static lunges (or split squats):.Work on the following types of lunges (in order from easiest to most challenging): Lunges are a highly functional exercise that strengthens the muscles of the legs along with the core muscles (the same muscles you use in a box jump).Īnother great thing about lunges is that there are lots of ways you can mix them up to challenge yourself and improve your overall fitness. In addition to squats, it’s also a good idea for you to master variations of the lunge before taking on box jumps. This could be in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell. Once you can do a bodyweight squat properly, you can progress to adding weight to it. Knees bend, so hips are at least parallel with the floor, if not lower.

Chest stays lifted and back remains flat.Feet stay flat on the floor (toes and heels do not rise up).Toes face forward or slightly turned out.Some basic tenets of a good squat include the following: Before you even think about trying to jump onto a box, you ought to be able to perform a bodyweight squat (or air squat) with good form. If you’re a beginner, one of the best exercises that makes a great alternative to box jumps is a basic squat. Whether you’re looking for substitutes to box jumps at home or the gym, these are good options to consider: 1. The following are some excellent box jump alternatives that you can add to your next workout. That doesn’t mean you can’t still work on your strength and explosiveness, though. If you struggle with these exercises, or if you lack strength and stability in your ankles or knees, you’re probably not ready for box jumps yet. The following are some of the most important exercises to learn to do with good form before you tackle box jumps: Are You Ready for a Box Jump?īefore you can try a box jump, it’s important that you’ve first mastered some prerequisites.

Improved vertical jump and coordinationīox jumps are also a good cross-training exercise if you’re involved in sports, especially those like basketball or volleyball, that require a lot of jumping.

More explosiveness and better power output.

Improved endurance and cardiovascular health.

Increased strength in the lower body and core.

The following are some of the primary reasons why people practice box jumps: Before we dive into some box jump substitute options, let’s briefly go over why you might want to include box jumps in your workouts.

Jumping line as work out