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Are you doing box jumps right?

How to do box jumps. Photo: Getty Images.

TRX squat jumps? Nailed it. Battle ropes? Too easy. Box jumps? Not so much.

For some reason jumping at the mercy of a steel box is tough. Unlike most things that are out of your comfort zone (hello, public speaking), it’s mind over matter.

But when you’re attempting to clear a box, the fear of creating a permanent zipper down your shins is real. According to Andrew Stowe from CrossFit Coogee, the biggest tip to overcome box jumps is scaling the height to start with.

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“Work at a lower height where you’re comfortable. Once you succeed and feel you can master the movement, then progress up in height until you’re confident.”

The first step: ditch the jump and step up onto the box so you can get a feel for the height. Progress to a step up and jump down so you’re doing the second part of the movement to see what it feels like in motion.

Thirdly, draw a chalk line in the middle of the box and focus on jumping over that line instead of the edge. “If we shift the focus to jumping over the chalk line then you’ll forget about the edge,” says Stowe.

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Lastly, build confidence progressively. Success means hitting reps at a height you are confident with first. Rushing will do your shins no favours.

“Be successful in all the stages before you go for a full height box jump. You might hit all the stages in one session and have the confidence to punch them out at will or it might take you a bit longer to get there. Patience is key.”

Your 7-day box jump plan:
1. Try your hand at a small box or stack of two weight plates first.
2. Add one plate or 5-10cms in height each session.
3. Step up and step down at a height you’re comfortable with.
4. Take that same height and try stepping up then jumping down.
5. Pick a height you feel confident with and draw a line in chalk and aim to jump over it.