Yeah, that’s insane.

No, you’re not expected to jump that high when you first start.

Box Jumps are an excellent plyometric exercise that works heavily on the lower body. Because of the explosive power and muscle contraction requred from that part of the body you’ll build strength fairly quickly and see an increase in jumping ability i.e. height.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit my vertical isn’t great. I can’t use the standard boxes that are set up at the facility I use, even if its only by an inch or two. Instead, I stack a few weights up until they reach a slightly lower height and I’ve been working from there. That’s one of the best things about Box Jumps, though. They require no specialized equipment and can be done almost anywhere, at massive benefit.

Steps are as follows:

-Set up a box. If you don’t have a box handy, stack up a few weights, aerobics steps, or use a sturdy chair/bench. Work within your means and abilities.
-Stand in front of the box, feet shoulder-width apart.
-Jump on top of the box, planting both feet firmly on the surface.
-Hold for roughly a second, then jump down, bending your knees as you land.
-Repeat explosive movement as necessary.

If you’re finding your jumps too easy, don’t forget you can add more height, carry weights while you jump, and/or try other variants, like Box Jump Burpees, for a more gainful and intense exercise. I highly recommend trying Box Jumps out if you haven’t already.

Having recently started CrossFit, I can safely say I’m getting a good workout every session. To celebrate this, each week I’d like to introduce one of the various exercises we… endure. And where better to start than the classic burpee?

Origins according to Wikipedia: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American psychologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee test. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to measure agility and coordination. It is not clear whether the exercise itself was invented by Burpee, or if his test merely popularized it.

I can’t personally confirm the statement above (it is Wikipedia, the encyclopedia anyone can edit after all), but I think it goes without saying that whoever developed the burpee was obviously more machine than man. For those not in the know: you start in a squat position, hands on the floor in front of you. Next, you kick your feet back to a pushup position, then immediately return to the squat position. From there, you leap into the air, as high as you can. Repeat as necessary.

Basically, done right burpees are one of the best, most exhausting exercises anyone can do. Plus, with all the variations available, such as one-handed burpees and pull-up burpees, there’s potentially no part of your body burpees can’t work out. Give them a shot if you haven’t already. The results may surprise you.