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Fundamentals

Box Jump

Jump from the floor onto a stable box, land on both feet with the knees bent, stand up and come back down. It is an exercise from strength-and-conditioning guides, not a competition skill, and the sources disagree on how to come down.

Four separate positions of one jump, and nothing is drawn between them: a blend of two poses is not what a body does in the air. The positions are this page's model, the box is a stable block of an unstated height and the height is not a recommendation. The stepping down, the speed and the force of the landing are not drawn. From the side you cannot see whether both feet land level or how wide apart they are, so the picture cannot show an even landing, and the sources give no measured depth for the dip (Physitrack says a quarter squat, the study let the participants choose), so the depth in the picture is a drawing choice. Where the arms should be at the landing is not settled by these sources either; the picture draws them forward.
Difficulty
Intermediate
editorial estimate
Steps to it
2 steps
Beginner → Intermediate
Usually done on
Floor
Start with the first stepHow it is done

Prepared by Calisthenics Balkan. Not yet reviewed by a qualified coach. 5 sources

The road at a glance

A short overview with links. Every step is explained in full under Progressions.

Helps to have first

This skill

Box Jump

Leads towards

No movement in the Atlas builds directly on this one yet.

01

What it is

A box jump is a jump from the floor onto a stable box. From standing, the body dips and the arms swing back, then the legs push off and the arms swing up so that the body rises up and forward, and the jump ends with a landing on the box on both feet. The study this page uses (dos Santos and colleagues, 2024) describes it as typically a countermovement jump that takes the body up and forward and lands on the box with both feet. Three exercise libraries (NASM, Catalyst Athletics and Physitrack) describe a similar order: a dip with the arms swung back (Catalyst and Physitrack; NASM starts from a ready position), a push-off with the arms swinging up (NASM and Physitrack: extending the hips, knees and ankles) and a landing on the box (NASM and Physitrack: on both feet). None of them describes standing up on the box; that position is this page's own, the end of the jump in the picture. The box is a block of a height this page does not state.1234

It is a strength-and-conditioning exercise, not a competition skill. The research behind this page found it in exercise libraries, a magazine article and one study, not in competition rulebooks, so it has no scoring definition here. NASM's library calls it an advanced plyometric exercise. NASM's box jump page lists Tuck Jump, Squat Jump and Lunge Jump as variations without describing them; this page does not describe them either. The 'box' step on the squat page is a different thing again: sitting lightly down onto a box or chair behind you and standing up, with no jump.1

The libraries overlap on some points. NASM and Catalyst have the feet about hip-width apart in front of the box (Physitrack says shoulder-width), NASM and Catalyst have the trunk braced, all three have the arms swinging up with the push-off, Catalyst says to bend at the hips in the air so the feet reach the box, and Physitrack has the landing on the box with bent knees and the feet together. In the study's protocol the participants jumped as high as they could from standing, the arm swing was required, the knees were not tucked on the way up, and only jumps that met the technique were analysed. The study measured the push-off on force plates; it did not analyse the landing and does not say how the participants came down.1234

The sources do not agree on how to come down. NASM says to step down, not jump. Physitrack's FAQ answer on safety precautions says to step down, while its FAQ answer on proper form says to step or jump back down. Breaking Muscle, in an article about the rebound form, says that anyone who jumps onto a box before they meet the squat standard in its rule 2 should step down. None of them measured a difference in injuries, so this page shows the disagreement and does not settle it. Jumping down is not drawn.135

They disagree on level too. NASM calls the exercise advanced, yet its FAQ gives a starting box height for beginners. Catalyst gives no level. Physitrack's FAQ says beginners should start with a lower height and does not call the exercise advanced. None of them calls it a beginner exercise. Breaking Muscle's rebound-form warning is about the general population who only want to lose weight or get in shape (see the rebound variation). The difficulty shown here, intermediate, is an editorial estimate, not a certified scale, and the lower-box step is labelled beginner only as a step of this page, not as a claim that the exercise suits beginners.1235

The evidence is thin. The one peer-reviewed source is a small study of recreationally active students that measured the push-off in a single session. The technique comes from three exercise libraries with no references, none of which shows a date or names who wrote the entry. No source tests a landing or counts injuries. The pictures and the sources are about a stable box; none of them tests a park bench, a wall or a step, so this page does not say that any of those is suitable. NASM's page also claims better jumping and sport performance, with no evidence on the page, and this page does not repeat that.12345

Dip with the arms back, push off and swing the arms up, bring the feet up to the box, land on both feet with the knees bent, then stand on the box and step down (NASM and Physitrack's safety answer say to step down).

02

How it is done

  1. Set up in front of a stable box

    Put a box that does not move in front of you, with clear space around it, and stand with the feet about hip-width apart and the trunk braced. Physitrack asks for a stable box and free space; NASM and Catalyst give the hip-width stance (Physitrack says shoulder-width), and NASM and Catalyst ask for a braced trunk; NASM also asks for a height you can control. The sources describe boxes made for the exercise, and this page says nothing about other surfaces.123

    CueUse a box that does not move, with space around it.3

  2. Dip with the arms swung back

    Bend the hips and the knees and swing the arms back. Catalyst describes this countermovement with the arms going back and then up, and Physitrack describes a short squat with the arms back. The study let the participants choose their own depth, and NASM and Catalyst give no depth. The picture is one position of a model: the knees and hips bent and the arms back, on the floor in front of the box. The push that follows is not drawn.23

  3. Push off and swing the arms up

    Push the floor away, extending through the hips, the knees and the ankles, and let the arms swing up. NASM, Catalyst and Physitrack all have the arms swinging up with the push-off, and Physitrack names the extension of the hips, knees and ankles. The sources differ on how high: Catalyst, Physitrack's steps and the study say as high as possible, NASM says 'as high as needed to clear the box' and Physitrack's safety point says not to jump too high. The study's participants were asked to jump as high as they could and the arm swing was required. This stage is a movement between positions, so it is not drawn.1234

    CuePush the floor away and swing the arms up.12

  4. Bring the feet up to the box

    Catalyst says, as a general tip, to bend at the hips in the air so the feet reach the box, and to think about jumping as high as you can rather than about lifting the feet. Physitrack has the arms going forward and up. The picture shows one moment in the air: the feet off the floor and clear of the corner of the box, and the arms forward and up. It does not show how high or how far the jump goes. The study did not allow the knees to be tucked on the way up; the picture is a model position, not a measured one.23

  5. Land on both feet with the knees bent

    Land on the box on both feet with the knees and hips bent so that the legs take up the landing. The sources name the knees; the picture also draws the hips bent. Physitrack describes the landing on the box with bent knees and the feet together, and NASM lists a landing with straight knees and an uneven landing as mistakes. The picture shows the knees and hips bent and the arms forward. Whether the feet land level and how wide apart they are cannot be seen from the side.13

    CueLand on both feet with the knees bent.13

  6. Stand up, then step down

    Stand on the box, then come down. NASM says to step down carefully, not jump; Physitrack's FAQ answer on safety precautions says to step down, and its FAQ answer on proper form allows stepping or jumping down; Breaking Muscle says to step down if you jump onto a box before you meet the squat standard in its rule 2. No source describes standing up first: that is this page's own position, the end of the jump in the picture, where the step down starts; the step itself is not drawn.135

    CueStand up, then step down.1

03

Progressions

These steps let you record the version you do now. Their order is editorial: NASM says to start with a lower box and go higher as power and landing mechanics improve, Physitrack as you become more comfortable with the exercise, and Catalyst says to use a box well under what you can jump onto, but none of them prescribes these steps. NASM's FAQ gives a starting height for beginners and a number of sets and repetitions; this page does not use them and gives no height. They are not unlocks or a training plan.

What to have first

  • A squat helps to have first (one source), a height you can control

    Breaking Muscle's rule 1 says to be able to do a competent bodyweight squat before trying a box jump of any height; the exercise libraries list no prerequisite skill. NASM asks for a box height you can control, and Physitrack says to raise the box as you become more comfortable with the exercise. That is one magazine's rule and two libraries' advice, not a test. The Atlas lists the Squat as a movement that helps to have first, not as a requirement, and this page does not turn the rule into a minimum.135

  • A stable box and free space

    Physitrack asks for a box that does not move and clear space around it. The sources speak of boxes (the study used plyometric boxes); no source tests a bench, a wall or a step.3

  1. Step 1Beginner

    A lower box

    The same jump onto a lower stable box. NASM says to start with a lower box and go higher as power and landing mechanics improve, Physitrack says to start low and raise the height as you become more comfortable with the exercise, and Catalyst says to use a box well under what you can jump onto so that the attention stays on the jump.

    Technical note: The picture shows take-off, the air and the landing on a lower box. Beginner is this page's label for the step, not a claim that the exercise suits beginners: NASM calls the exercise advanced. The three positions play once and start again; that is not a rebound.123

  2. Step 2IntermediateGoal

    A box you can land on in control

    The same jump onto a box you can land on in control, on both feet with the knees bent, and then stand up on. NASM asks for a height you can control, and Physitrack says to raise the box gradually as you become more comfortable with the exercise.

    Technical note: Full means a box you can land on in control, never a height. The picture shows the four positions of the hero; the stepping down and the height of the box are not drawn.13

04

Community

2reached it
0working on it
0tips

Who is at which step

  1. 1. A lower box0 athletes
  2. 2. A box you can land on in control0 athletes

Only public profiles of adult athletes are counted. The numbers grow as people add skills to their profile.

Tips from the community

Tips are personal experience, not medical advice or a training plan.

There are no tips for this movement yet.

05

Common mistakes

  • A box that is too high

    NASM lists a box that is too high as a common mistake, and Catalyst says to use a box well below your maximum jump. The authors of the 2024 study say that a higher box may call for more hip range and might raise the risk of injury; they did not measure injuries.124

  • Landing with straight knees

    NASM lists a landing with straight knees as a mistake, and Physitrack describes the landing with bent knees. This is advice from two exercise libraries, not a measurement.13

  • Landing unevenly or out of control

    NASM lists an uneven landing and a landing without control as mistakes, and Physitrack's safety points say to keep your feet together and always on the box.13

  • Jumping down from the box

    NASM says to step down, not jump, and so does Physitrack's FAQ answer on safety precautions, but its FAQ answer on proper form allows stepping or jumping down. Breaking Muscle, in an article about the rebound form, says the landing matters more than the jump and not to jump down from anything you cannot land on smoothly and with confidence, or that you could not jump onto. No source measured a difference in injuries, so this page does not call jumping down wrong in every case.135

  • Training when tired or to failure

    NASM says never to perform plyometrics to failure, because fatigue compromises the landing. Breaking Muscle says to respect the difficulty of jumps when you are already tired. Neither says how tired is too tired.15

  • A tip on the feet in the air

    Catalyst says it is generally a good idea to focus on jumping as high as possible and on coming down onto the box rather than on reaching the feet up, and to bend at the hips in the air so the feet reach the box. This is one coach's tip, not a measured fault.2

  • A box that moves or too little space

    Physitrack's safety points ask for a stable box and clear space around it.3

06

Variations and related skills

  • Box height

    Range

    The height of the box is the main thing that changes. NASM says to start with a lower box and go higher as power and landing mechanics improve, Physitrack says to raise it as you become more comfortable with the exercise, and Catalyst says to use a box well under what you can jump onto. The 2024 study set five heights, from the floor (0 percent) to 80 percent of each person's own maximum box jump, and found no significant difference in all but one of its push-off measures (peak force at 80 percent, in women only); its authors say heights can be varied while learning the landing without losing the push-off, and that a higher box may call for more hip range and might raise the risk of injury, which they did not measure. That says something about the push-off, not about the landing or about safety. This page gives no height.1234

  • Hands at the chest

    Catalyst describes a variant with the hands held lightly at the chest, which it says puts more load on the legs and hips than the version with the arm swing. The study required the arm swing, so it says nothing about this variant. The picture shows the arm swing.24

  • Jumping down

    Coming down by jumping instead of stepping. NASM says not to do it because of the impact stress on the joints; Physitrack's FAQ answer on safety precautions says to step down, but its FAQ answer on proper form says you can step or jump back down. Breaking Muscle says not to jump off something you could not jump onto or cannot land from smoothly and with confidence. No source measured a difference in injuries, and this page does not call jumping down wrong in every case. It is not drawn.135

  • Rebound box jump

    Jumping onto the box again at once, with no pause between jumps (this page's description; the article does not define it). Breaking Muscle's article on this form says the danger of box jumps is twofold: a miss can give skinned, deeply bruised shins, and the Achilles tendon can be torn or strained at take-off or landing. The author says rebound jumps and high volumes of plyometrics should not be done by the general population who only want to lose weight or get in shape. This is one magazine article's view. It is not drawn and is not a step on this page.5

  • Squat jump (listed by NASM)

    NASM's box jump page lists Tuck Jump, Squat Jump and Lunge Jump as variations without describing them. This page does not describe them and does not say whether the squat jump goes onto a box.1

Related skillsLungeClap Push-Up

On Calisthenics Balkan

07

Sources

5 sources

What this page relies on. Titles and publishers are written as published.

The small numbers in the text point to the entries below

  1. Box JumpsNational Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) · exercise library page, no author or date shown; read 23 Oct 2026; the four steps, the common mistakes, the list of variations and the FAQ on box height; a certification body's page with a commercial context and no references; it calls the exercise advanced yet gives a starting height in its FAQ; its heights, sets and repetitions and its claims about better jumping are not used (research N5A-B1)
  2. Box JumpCatalyst Athletics (weightlifting coaching site; Greg Everett) · exercise library entry, no date shown; read 23 Oct 2026; the set-up, the take-off, the landing, the remark on box height and the variant with the hands at the chest; a very short entry with no references, no stated level and no detail on the landing or on coming down; its remark about minimal impact is unsourced and not used (research N5A-B2)
  3. Step-by-step guide to the box jumps exercisePhysitrack (software company for physiotherapists) · exercise library page, no author or date shown; read 23 Oct 2026; the steps, the safety points and the FAQ; generic text with no references; its two FAQ answers differ on jumping down; its frequency advice is not used (research N5A-B3)
  4. Does Box Height Matter? A Comparative Analysis of Box Height on Box Jump Performance in Men and Womendos Santos ML, Shields J, Berton R, Dinyer-McNeely T, Trevino M, Anderson O, Dawes JJ · International Journal of Exercise Science 17(1):720-729, 2024 · peer-reviewed, open access; read 23 Oct 2026; 14 men and 17 women, recreationally active students; box heights set relative to each person's own maximum jump; the push-off measured on force plates in one session; it did not analyse the landing or injuries and does not say how the participants came down; the heights it tested, the figures it reports and the height it suggests are not used (research N5A-B4)
  5. Is the Rebound Box Jump Suitable for Everyone?Jeff Kuhland · Breaking Muscle, last updated 22 Nov 2021 · fitness magazine article about the rebound form; read 23 Oct 2026; the rule that the landing matters more than the jump, the advice to step down and the author's view of who the rebound form is not for; the foot-contact numbers it attributes to the NSCA come through a citation that was not verified and a competition anecdote has no source, so neither is used (research N5A-B5)

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