Lateral Box Jump
What Is the Lateral Box Jump?
Lateral Box Jump is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, hamstrings, and hip abductors. It is an intermediate-level movement that builds explosive power in the frontal plane, the sideways direction that straight-line training like squats, deadlifts, and a standard forward Box Jump mostly leaves untrained.
Most sport does not happen in a straight line. Basketball, tennis, soccer, and hockey all demand quick sideways cuts and changes of direction, and the lateral box jump trains the hip and leg power behind that movement more directly than vertical jumping does. It has no standardized testing or competition role, but many strength and conditioning programs use it as a staple of lower-body plyometric work in-season and off.
Compared to a straight-ahead box jump, the sideways takeoff and landing ask more of the gluteus medius and the adductors, which control the hip and knee against the sideways momentum, on top of the quad-driven extension that powers the jump itself. Switching the takeoff and landing side evenly trains both legs and corrects side-to-side imbalances that forward jumping can hide.
This exercise suits trainees who already move well through a bodyweight squat and a standard Box Jump. Those newer to lateral plyometrics should build frontal-plane control with the Lateral Box Shuffle first, since jumping sideways before that control is in place is where landing mechanics tend to break down.
Muscles Worked
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Biceps Femoris
- Medium
- Gluteus Medius
- Medium
- Rectus Abdominis
- Minimal
Instructions
- Stand beside the box with your feet shoulder-width apart, the box at arm's length to one side.
- Sit your hips back into a quarter squat and swing your arms behind you to load the jump.
- Drive explosively through both feet, swing your arms forward and up, and jump up and sideways onto the box.
- Tuck your knees slightly in the air to clear the box edge as you travel sideways.
- Land on the box with both feet at the same time, absorbing the impact by bending your hips and knees.
- Stand tall for a moment on the box to reset your balance.
- Load into a quarter squat on the box and jump up and sideways off the far side, continuing in the same direction.
- Land softly on the floor with both feet at the same time, bending your hips and knees to absorb the impact.
- Reset your stance, then repeat in the opposite direction so both sides get equal reps.
Common Mistakes
Landing stiff-legged
Catching the landing with straight knees sends the impact into the joints instead of the muscles, raising strain on the knees and ankles.
Choosing a box that's too high
A box sized for a straight-ahead box jump is often too tall for the sideways version, which costs balance and control in the air and on landing.
Letting the knee cave inward on landing
Dropping a knee toward the midline under the sideways momentum adds strain to the knee joint and is a common precursor to injury.
Misjudging the lateral distance
Starting too close catches the lead foot on the box edge; starting too far throws off the landing base on top of the box.
Jumping down off the box with straight legs
Dropping back to the floor without bending the hips and knees on the way down turns a controlled rep into a hard landing.
Injuries
Lateral Box Jump is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The sideways takeoff and landing put extra shear and rotational demand on the ankles and knees compared with a straight-ahead jump, and a poor landing can also round the lower back.
Use a box that is lower than you would choose for a vertical Box Jump - something you can stick with both feet and bent knees without wobbling - and land with the feet together, knees tracking in line with the toes rather than caving inward under the sideways momentum. Absorb every landing, on the box and back on the floor, by bending the hips and knees instead of catching the impact with stiff legs.
Trainees new to lateral plyometrics should master the Box Jump and the Lateral Box Shuffle before adding this exercise, and can progress toward a Single-Leg Box Jump once the double-leg landing is reliable and quiet.
Stop the set if the landing starts to wobble, if a knee drifts inward on contact, or if there is any ankle or knee pain - jumping on a tired or unstable landing is how minor instability turns into a sprain or worse.
- Primary Focus
- Quads
- Equipment
- Body weight and plyo box
- Modality
- Plyometrics
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How high should the box be for a lateral box jump?
Use a lower box than you would for a straight-ahead box jump, something you can land on with both feet and bent knees without wobbling. Most trainees start around 12 to 18 inches and only add height once the landing is controlled and quiet.
- Q: Do I have to jump down off the far side?
The full exercise jumps off the far side of the box, so each rep has two landings. Early in training, or on a taller box, stepping down off the far side instead is a reasonable way to cut the impact per rep.
- Q: How is this different from a Skater Jump?
A lateral box jump drives off both feet and lands on an elevated box. A Skater Jump is a single-leg bound performed side to side on the floor, with no box involved.
- Q: I'm new to plyometrics. Where should I start?
Build frontal-plane control first with the Lateral Box Shuffle, and make sure a standard Box Jump feels solid, before adding the sideways jump onto a box.
- Q: How many reps and sets should I do?
This is a high-intensity plyometric movement, so keep the volume low and the quality high: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps with full recovery between sets works well for most trainees.