As we continue with our benchmark WODs from the start of our Nutritional Challenge, I thought it would be helpful to re-post some box jump tips for today’s max height box jumps.  Max height box jumps tend to strike fear in me.  It’s that fear of missing the box and scraping your shin or exploding and miscalculating the angle forcing you to overshoot the jump.  However, the last time we did max height box jumps, I cleared my head of my fears and returned to my childhood when I would jump over anything that got in between me and my target victim in a game of tag, including retainer walls.  Maybe it’s because the retainer walls I imagined in my head had nice “cushions” of plants to break my fall, whatever it was, it worked and I PR’d my jump.  If this strikes a chord with you, try it out.  If not, here are some helpful tips to achieve your max height box jumps today.

Some tips from American Parkour:

1.) Stand in front of the box. Your feet should be directly below your hips.
2.) Crouch down, bending at your hips and knees into a partial squat, swinging your arms behind you.
3.) Explode upwards, coordinating the swing of your arms with the extension of the hip to maximize momentum. This should be a function of your hips and calves more than your quads.
4.) Tuck your knees and hips. Fully extend the hips at the top.
5.) Jump backwards slightly, making sure to clear the edge with your shins and knees, but minimizing the height you gain off of the box.
6.) Land with soft knees, absorb with your toes first, flexing at the ankles.
** If you have a history of overuse injuries in your knees/lower legs, or you are relatively new to training, a step off the box into a powerful jump would be more appropriate. **

WOD 05.24.2013

- Max height box jumps

- Max dubs in 2 min

Followed by “Helen”

• 400m run
• 21 kettlebell swings (53#/35#)
• 12 pullups