Are higher box jumps less effective for power development?

[Emily Mattes]

I heard from a trainer on another forum that the ideal box jump height is 12''-18''. At higher than that, you're simply training yourself to pull your knees to your chest quicker and start losing full jump extension, thus training yourself to jump incorrectly.

Can anyone else weigh in on this? Should I aim for lower box jumps during training and metcons?

[glennpendlay]

Emily,

I totally disagree with that.

glenn

[Robert Callahan]

Too me that same logic could be used to say:

You should never lift really heavy in Olympic lifts because when it gets heavy you have to pull yourself under the bar much more which means you are getting used to "cheating" and not getting the bar up as high as you could.

This of course is silly, just like that trainers ideas on how box jumps should be programed.

[Patrick Yeung]

So having a higher box jump would be less than ideal?

Besides, isnt that why people train their vertical jump as well?

[Gant Grimes]

Originally Posted by Emily Mattes

I heard from a trainer on another forum that the ideal box jump height is 12''-18''. At higher than that, you're simply training yourself to pull your knees to your chest quicker and start losing full jump extension, thus training yourself to jump incorrectly.

Can anyone else weigh in on this? Should I aim for lower box jumps during training and metcons?

Was he talking about doing box jumps in aerobic circuits or doing singles and doubles?

[Garrett Smith]

Well, if one's goal was to jump to clear something, then training a jump while tucking the knees would be the "correct" way to jump.

Also, I've never seen anyone who can do high box jumps that seemed to have problems with "regular" jumping (ie. I don't see them doing vertical jumps and still tucking their knees).

[Alex Bond]

Originally Posted by Robert Callahan

Too me that same logic could be used to say:

You should never lift really heavy in Olympic lifts because when it gets heavy you have to pull yourself under the bar much more which means you are getting used to "cheating" and not getting the bar up as high as you could.

This of course is silly, just like that trainers ideas on how box jumps should be programed.

Well, some s&c coaches in sports programs just program the power lifts and never the full version and offer this reason.

[Daniel Olmstead]

As long as your hips are coming to full extension at the top, I can't see how higher isn't better.

[Greg Everett]

I think it's really the middle-height jumps that are suspect. To get onto a BAB (Big Ass Box), of course you have to tuck and lift your feet - but you also have to jump. No one jumps to stomach or chest height with a great tuck alone.

With shorter boxes, you can limit the tuck intentionally, but with those mid-range jumps (especially in a CF-type metCon when all people are thinking about is banging out reps), you can get lazy and just lift the feet up without much of a drive.

To make a blanket statement like that trainer (I think I know who we're talking about here, actually) is a pretty good indication that you've never actually had athletes do legitimately high box jumps - as in ones that threaten to kill them if they miss. I assure you there is a jump involved.

I actually had this conversation with one of our lifters the other day - by and large, S&C in the professional sports arena is babysitting and making sure no one gets hurt in the gym. Those athletes are so talented and physically dominant already, you can appear successful doing just about anything.

[Chris Forbis]

Originally Posted by Greg Everett

To make a blanket statement like that trainer (I think I know who we're talking about here, actually) is a pretty good indication that you've never actually had athletes do legitimately high box jumps - as in ones that threaten to kill them if they miss.

No shit on this. Really high box jumps are f'n scary.