Lateral Box Jump
Also works: Abductors · Calves · Glutes · Hamstrings · Quadriceps
A two-footed jump sideways onto a low box, then down the far side, working back and forth across it. The box turns a flat sideways hop into a movement with real vertical clearance, so the adductors and glute medius have to push you up and across at the same time.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Use a stable box 30-45 cm high with a non-slip top, positioned so you have clear floor on both sides.
- Stand side-on beside the box with your feet hip-width apart, weight over the mid-foot.
- Start close enough that you are jumping up and across, not making a long horizontal leap.
- Keep your shoulders square to the front — the whole movement is sideways, with no rotation.
- Check the far side is clear before you start; you will be moving that direction blind.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — One breath per crossing: inhale as you set beside the box, exhale sharply as you leave the ground. Fast off the floor, and quiet on both the box and the far side.
Before you load it
- Use a box with a grippy or soft top. A sideways landing on a slick wooden lid slides in a way a forward landing does not.
- Step down rather than hopping down if you are tired, new to the drill, or working on a hard floor.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Bodyweight only. Start with a 20-30 cm box or even a low aerobic step, and add height only in 5-10 cm increments once every landing lands both feet flat in the centre. Once you are comfortable at 45 cm, progress by reducing the pause between crossings rather than by going taller.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Drop to a lower box and start closer to it. Cue pulling the near knee up rather than jumping further sideways — clearance comes from the knee lift, not from the distance.
Slow the whole drill down and reset between every rep until both feet contact simultaneously. Uneven landings mean the push-off is uneven too.
Stay at 30-45 cm and progress by cutting your ground contact time or shortening the reset instead. Box height is a poor measure of a lateral jump.
Cap it at four to six crossings and rest a full minute. Once your landings get loud or your feet start scraping the box, the set is finished.
Why bother
A standard box jump is a straight-ahead movement — hips and knees extend, you land facing the same way you started. Adding a sideways vector changes which muscles do the work: the trailing-side adductors pull you across the box, and the leading hip has to abduct hard enough to get the foot planted on top of it.
Keep the box low, 30-45 cm. A tall box is the wrong progression here. The height that matters for a lateral jump is the height you can clear while still travelling sideways with control, and once the box gets high enough that you have to tuck your knees to your chest, you have stopped jumping sideways and started climbing.
Where it fits
Early in a session, once or twice a week, three to five sets of four to six crossings. This is a low-volume quality drill, not conditioning — the sideways hop back down under fatigue is where ankles get rolled. Pair it with straight-ahead jumping in the same block, never with it as a finisher.
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
When this gets easy
Asked and answered
Can I do these off one leg?
Eventually, and it is the natural progression, but earn it. Single-leg lateral jumping onto a box means one adductor and one ankle absorb the whole landing on a raised surface with an edge to catch — that combination is unforgiving. Land 20 clean two-footed crossings in a session first, then try single-leg at 20-30 cm before you touch your normal box height.
Should I jump down or step down?
Hopping down the far side is the point of the drill — it is what makes it continuous. But keep the box low and the landings quiet. If you are working on concrete, are new to plyometrics, or the box is above 45 cm, step down and reset instead; the up-jump is where the adaptation is.
Is this better than a lateral bound?
It is easier and safer, not better. The box jump is two-footed, so neither adductor takes the full deceleration on its own. The bound is single-leg and much more demanding. Use the box jump to build the pattern and the bound once you can land it cleanly.
How many should I do in a week?
One or two sessions of three to five sets is plenty. Total foot contacts across all your jumping work is the number to watch — somewhere around 60 to 100 per session is a sensible ceiling for most people, and lateral work should be a slice of that, not all of it.