Box Skip
Also works: Abductors · Adductors · Calves · Glutes · Quadriceps
A travelling single-leg bound over a line of low boxes spaced a couple of metres apart. Unlike jumps that go straight up, this one asks each leg on its own to project the hips up and forward, which is the pattern that actually shows up in sprinting and in the last stride before a change of direction.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Line up three or four low boxes, 20-40 cm high, roughly 2.5 m apart on a non-slip floor.
- Give yourself a clear run-out beyond the last box so you can decelerate over several strides.
- Stand a stride in front of the first box with one foot slightly behind the other.
- Pick which leg drives first, and plan to run the drill again leading with the other leg.
- Free your arms — this is a single-arm-drive movement, so nothing in your hands.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — Breathe in before the pass, then exhale sharply on each take-off; do not hold your breath down the line. The float phase should feel long and the ground contact short — if that ratio flips, the pass is over.
Before you load it
- Single-leg landings from height are a calf and Achilles load. Build up over weeks with low boxes before adding height, especially if you have had an Achilles issue.
- Do it on a surface with grip and give — a slipping foot on a box edge during a single-leg landing is the injury this drill produces.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Bodyweight only; no vest, no ankle weights. Start with 20 cm boxes at 2 m spacing and take a single bound at a time from a standing start before you chain them. Progress by widening the spacing 20-30 cm at a time while keeping the same rhythm, then by raising the boxes to 40 cm. If your last pass covers less ground than your first, you have already done enough.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Move the boxes 30-50 cm closer together until you land on them naturally, and cue 'knee up' rather than 'foot out' on every take-off.
Slow the drill down and exaggerate the hang time on each bound. If you cannot feel a distinct float phase, space the boxes wider and take one bound at a time from a standstill.
Run an equal number of passes leading each leg, and note when the weak side bounds noticeably lower — that gap is the reason to do the drill at all.
Cap it at three to five passes and walk back to the start between them. The bound has to look the same on the last pass as the first, or the session is producing fatigue instead of speed.
Why bother
Running is a series of single-leg take-offs, and two-footed jumping never exposes which leg is doing the work. Skipping over boxes puts one leg under the whole task at a time, so a side-to-side difference in power shows up immediately as a shorter, flatter bound on one side.
The boxes are there to set the rhythm and give the drill a target, not to add height. Because you drive off the floor, land on a box, then drive again to land beyond it, each cycle forces a genuine hip extension rather than the knee-tuck cheat that low hurdles invite.
Where it fits
Warm-up first, then this early in a speed or lower-body session, before anything heavy. Three to five passes down a line of three or four boxes, walking back between passes for a minute or two of rest. It is skill work with a power stimulus: as soon as your rhythm breaks or you start reaching for the next box with your foot, stop for the day.
If this one isn't it
No kit, too hard, or too easy — here's where to go instead.
Same job, different kit
Start here instead
Asked and answered
How far apart should the boxes be?
Start at about 2 m and adjust so that you land on each box comfortably without stretching for it. The spacing is the difficulty dial: further apart demands more horizontal force, which is the point of the drill. If your foot is reaching, bring them in.
Do I need boxes at all?
No. The same pattern works as a plain single-leg bound down a field, and that is a fair substitute if you train outdoors. The boxes just give you consistent spacing and a target so you can compare one session to the next, and they add a small amount of drop to each landing.
Will this make me faster?
It improves the single-leg power that sprinting draws on, which is a real but modest contributor. Doing it fresh, in low volume, alongside actual sprinting and heavy lower-body strength work is what makes it pay. On its own, done tired, it just accumulates contacts.
My calves are wrecked the next day. Is that normal?
The first couple of sessions, yes — single-leg landings load the calf and Achilles far more than two-footed jumping. If it persists past the third session, cut the box height, halve the number of passes, and build back up over a month.