What's the difference between this and a regular box jump?

Both use a two-foot takeoff, but a standard Box Jump lands on both feet while this one lands on a single leg, which asks for far more unilateral balance and knee control on the way down.

How high should the box be?

Lower than you'd use for a two-footed box jump. Start at shin to low-knee height so you can land solidly on one leg with a soft knee and stick it, and raise the height only once landings are consistently controlled.

Should the trailing leg swing forward or stay behind me?

It stays behind you as a counterbalance. Swinging the free leg out in front on landing is a different drill, the Box Jump (Pistol Landing), which changes the landing mechanics.

Do I need to alternate legs each rep?

Either works. Alternate legs every rep or complete a full set on one leg before switching, as long as both sides get equal landing practice over a session.

Am I ready for this if I'm new to plyometrics?

No. Build a controlled double-leg Box Jump and a slow single-leg landing off the floor first, since this exercise combines both skills on an elevated surface.

Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing)

What Is the Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing)?

Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing) is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps and also engages the glutes, hamstrings and calves. It is an advanced-level plyometric movement in which both feet drive off the ground together but only one foot touches down on the box, so the landing leg alone has to absorb the full impact of the jump.

The drill sits between the standard two-footed Box Jump and the fully unilateral Single-Leg Box Jump, which also takes off from one leg. Coaches use it to build the deceleration strength and balance that sports with frequent single-leg landings demand, such as basketball, soccer and volleyball, and to expose a left-right imbalance that a two-footed landing can hide.

Most of the work falls on the landing leg's quadriceps and glutes, which contract eccentrically to stop the downward momentum, while the gluteus medius and hip rotators work to keep the knee tracking over the toes instead of caving inward on a single base of support. Letting the free leg trail behind on landing, rather than swinging it out in front as in the Box Jump (Pistol Landing), keeps the torso more upright at touchdown, which is part of why the two variations are coached differently.

This exercise is best added once a lifter already lands a regular Box Jump with a quiet, controlled touchdown and can stick a slow single-leg landing on a low box or the floor without the knee drifting inward. Anyone still working on those basics should build up with the two-footed version and simple single-leg balance work first rather than adding the single-leg landing straight onto an elevated box.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Gluteus Maximus: High
Gluteus Medius: High
Rectus Femoris: High
Biceps Femoris: Medium
Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): Medium
Semitendinosus: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Low
Soleus: Low

Instructions

Stand facing the box with your feet hip-width apart, a short stride away from it.
Brace your core and dip into a quick countermovement, bending your knees and swinging your arms back.
Reverse direction explosively, swinging your arms forward and driving through both feet to jump off the ground together.
In the air, bring one leg forward toward the box while letting the other trail behind you.
Reach your arms forward as you land, and touch down on the box with only one foot.
Land with the knee soft and tracking over the toes, absorbing the impact by bending the hip and knee.
Let the free leg stay trailing behind you in the air to help hold your balance on the landing leg.
Stand up tall on the box once you've stuck the landing, then step back down.
Reset fully before the next rep, alternating the landing leg or completing the set on one side before switching.

Common Mistakes

Landing stiff-legged
Not bending the knee and hip enough on touchdown drives the impact straight into the joint instead of absorbing it.
Knee caving inward
Letting the landing knee drift toward the midline instead of tracking over the toes raises stress on the knee ligaments.
Landing on the box edge
Misjudging the jump and landing with only part of the foot on the box risks a roll or a fall.
Choosing too high a box
Using a box height beyond what can be landed on one leg with control, instead of building up gradually from a low box.
Skipping the double-leg progression
Attempting the single-leg landing before a standard Box Jump and a slow single-leg landing off the floor are both solid.
Rushing the reset
Stepping off and resetting without pausing to control balance on the box before the next rep.

Injuries

Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing) is a high risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The landing knee takes the concentrated load, and the hip's frontal-plane stabilizers have to fire hard to keep it from drifting toward the midline. A biomechanics study comparing single-leg and double-leg landings in recreational athletes found the knee moved through more frontal-plane range, with a larger frontal-plane moment and more energy absorbed, when landing on one leg, and concluded this likely raises the risk of non-contact ACL injury compared with landing on two feet. Missing the box or landing on its edge also risks an ankle roll or a fall.

Start with a low box, shin to low-knee height, and don't raise it until landings are consistently quiet and controlled. Make sure a standard Box Jump and a slow single-leg landing off the floor are both solid before adding the elevated single-leg version, bend the knee and hip to absorb the impact rather than landing stiff-legged, and aim the foot for the middle of the box rather than its edge.

Stop the set as soon as a landing feels unstable or sloppy, since fatigue is one of the biggest drivers of poor landing mechanics in plyometric work, and come off the exercise entirely if the knee or ankle produces any sharp or new pain.

Overview

Primary Focus: Quads
Equipment: Body weight and plyo box
Modality: Plyometrics
Difficulty: Advanced

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing)

The Box Jump (Single-Leg Landing) is also known as:

2 to 1 Box Jump

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between this and a regular box jump?: Both use a two-foot takeoff, but a standard Box Jump lands on both feet while this one lands on a single leg, which asks for far more unilateral balance and knee control on the way down.
Q: How high should the box be?: Lower than you'd use for a two-footed box jump. Start at shin to low-knee height so you can land solidly on one leg with a soft knee and stick it, and raise the height only once landings are consistently controlled.
Q: Should the trailing leg swing forward or stay behind me?: It stays behind you as a counterbalance. Swinging the free leg out in front on landing is a different drill, the Box Jump (Pistol Landing), which changes the landing mechanics.
Q: Do I need to alternate legs each rep?: Either works. Alternate legs every rep or complete a full set on one leg before switching, as long as both sides get equal landing practice over a session.
Q: Am I ready for this if I'm new to plyometrics?: No. Build a controlled double-leg Box Jump and a slow single-leg landing off the floor first, since this exercise combines both skills on an elevated surface.