Box jumps are a challenging exercise that can be effective to build the major muscles throughout your legs, core, and back, while also boosting your cardiovascular fitness. This is an exercise that gets more challenging as you attempt to jump to higher boxes, but you can also increase the difficulty of your box jumps by wearing an adjustable weighted belt. By effectively increasing your body weight, you're making each jump more challenging, and this can pay dividends in terms of building your body. Here are some keys to performing proper weighted box jumps.

Don't Stand Too Close

Many novices will prepare to perform box jumps by standing too closely to the box. It's important to remember that you need to jump upward and if you're close to the box during this part of the exercise, it's easy to make contact with it. It's far better to take a small step back before you begin the activity. The box might seem far away, but jumping up and out toward it is the right approach to take. Not only will this setup increase the physical challenge of the exercise, but you'll also avoid perhaps making contact with the box with your shins and hurting yourself.

Aim For A Soft Landing

You don't want to land with a hard impact on the top of the box, as doing so will be detrimental to your knees over time. One of the important fundamentals of performing box jumps, especially with a weighted belt, is to aim for a soft landing. As you jump upward and begin to position your feet to land on the top of the box, be prepared to bend your knees so that you come down gently. If the box is hard, try to keep your landings quiet — the quieter you are, the softer each landing will be.

Know Your Limit

If you're performing your box jumps at the gym, you may see other members taking part in this exercise. Some people, with experience, can perform impressively high box jumps. This can make you feel compelled to push yourself too hard, which can be detrimental. This is especially true if you're wearing a weighted belt because you're already adding a challenge to the exercise. Don't be afraid to start with a box at a shorter height. You want to get your fundamentals under control before you begin to aim for higher jumps.

For more information about weight belts, boxes, and other fitness equipment, contact a fitness equipment supply store.