Why Box Jumps are Awesome! – Reasons Why You Should Start Doing Them Today
Training in the gym can get a little repetitive if you happen to be following the same routines and exercises every single session week in and week out, which is why it’s so beneficial to mix things up every once in a while and to try new things.
If you’re looking for new exercises and movements to incorporate into your weekly training routine, why not consider box jumps? Box jumps are pretty much exactly as they sound, you take a specially designed box, one designed to be able to hold the weight of a person, and then you jump on it, often from a standing position.
Still not sold on the idea? Here are a few reasons why they’re so awesome and why you should start doing them today.
They strengthen your legs
When you perform box jumps, your legs perform a good percentage of the work, and as a result the muscles in your legs get strengthened and toned, far greater than you may have previously realised.
The higher the box jump is, the more fast-twitch muscle fibres in the muscles in your legs will be activated, and the more these muscles will benefit as a result.
They’re great for general athleticism
Another reason why you may want to consider incorporating box jumps into your workout is the fact that these exercises will help prepare you for other sports and will just generally help to improve overall athleticism on the whole.
Box jumps will of course increase your vertical leap, they will strengthen your legs, they work your core, and they even increase flexibility.
They’re also fantastic for increasing general coordination.
They’re great for burning fat
One of the main reasons we go to the gym and exercise for hours every single week is to help us burn fat and/or maintain our current bodyweight.
Rather than sweating on the treadmill for 45 – 60 minutes at a time, staring at the same four walls just waiting for your workout to be over, if it’s fat loss you’re looking for, box jumps will have you covered.
As so many muscle groups are incorporated and activated as you jump, your body burns far more calories as it requires far more energy than when performing general aerobic activity.
For example, at a steady pace, a one hour session on a treadmill may burn 300 – 500 calories on average, depending on how hard you work.
When jumping, the body burns an average of 800 – 1000 calories an hour! So, even though you’d struggle to box jump for one hour straight, just a simple 10 – 15 minute box jump workout will burn hundreds of calories and help to strengthen and tone muscles all over your body.
You don’t need any real equipment
Another great benefit of box jumps is the fact that they can be performed almost anywhere and don’t require any real gym equipment.
Obviously you need a box that you know is sturdy, secure, and will hold your weight, and some general fitness clothing and footwear but other than that, you’re good to go.
That means no having to queue up for machines at the gym, no overcrowding, and no having to rush through your sets as people are waiting for you to finish.
Simply find a relatively open space, take your box, and go burn some calories.