It's gonig to be difficult to describe. But to build confidence what you can have someone do well actually you are going to need 2 ppl. Have one stand on each side of you facing you while you face them and the box. Have them put a hand out palm up. You place your hand on their hands palm down. Like you're being sworn in and kind of push off of their hands. They have to keep their hands steady and strong. It won't help much but it usually gives enough to help ppl try a new height. I hope you understand.

Just do what you know you can do without getting injured, and don't worry about it if someone else is jumping higher. Maybe they didn't have the same experiences you had with jumping on something that fell with you or hurting your legs while jumping.

We do some box jumps in the boot camp I'm in, and if I am getting tired towards the end of the class and am not sure I can make the jump to one of the higher boxes I've jumped in the past, I just jump on a lower one instead. It's better to be safe than have sore, scraped legs!

It's gonig to be difficult to describe. But to build confidence what you can have someone do well actually you are going to need 2 ppl. Have one stand on each side of you facing you while you face them and the box. Have them put a hand out palm up. You place your hand on their hands palm down. Like you're being sworn in and kind of push off of their hands. They have to keep their hands steady and strong. It won't help much but it usually gives enough to help ppl try a new height. I hope you understand.

I really like this idea. I think I will use it.

My advice on the matter is when you feel ready to jump on the higher boxes, you will. And when that time comes, it will no longer feel as intimidating as it did before.

But if you try to force yourself to do it before you are mentally ready, it could lead to a leg scrape accident that will make box jumping even more intimidating in the future.

So if anyone is putting pressure on you to jump on a higher box, just tell them it will happen when it feels right.

My advice:

1) Just do it. The likely worst that happens if you miss is scraped shins. Does it hurt? Sure...but it isn't *that* bad.
2) If #1 doesn't work for you (and I will openly acknowledge that it may not), then just *don't* do it...yet. Continued use of the shorter boxes should build your confidence until you are able to try the taller boxes.
3) I like the idea of someone "holding your hands" in that it gives you something to lean on to keep your balance in case you miss it. That said, it will also decrease your ability to jump higher.
4) Maybe something that might help...(or might not)...would be something we did as part of our warmup where we jumped *over* boxes of increasing (and then decreasing height). The middle/tallest box was 24". Scaled option was to jump on and then over the boxes. I initially commented that I would be doing that on the tallest box...and then I decided to give it a shot. Cleared it easily...and felt damn good about it too.

Best of luck to you...and remember, if all else fails, patience and persistence has a way of accomplishing things we never thought were possible. Stick with what you can do until you are confident that you're ready to do more.


ETA: Proud father moment: My 8 yo son joined me for a family WOD on July 4th...he and I were partners on a fairly substantial WOD. He not only did his half of all of the movements, but on a couple of them, did more than half...and on overhead walking lunges, did *all* of them (with a 10 pound plate). It was awesome. My favorite moment was the box jumps. Men's rx was 24", women's 20". We tested his ability and he said he could do the 24" box. I figured he would do 3 or 4 and then I'd have to knock out the rest. Wrong. He did 25 straight before reluctantly letting me do the remaining 25. They got a picture of him and the woman next to us mid-WOD...a remarkably fit competitive athlete level woman standing atop her rx 20" box...with my son next to her skying above ready to stick his landing on the 24" box.

ETAM: I overlooked OP's comment about things other than box jumps...and can relate to the handstands especially. I still get butterflies when I kick up onto the wall...or even just tripod without the wall. Not sure what my fear is...if I overshoot, I just bump the wall...or if in the open, I just land on my heels. It isn't particularly dangerous, but there's just something unnerving about being upside down. For me, that is. For my son, he can hang out in a handstand with zero worries. *jealous*

My son's advice is, "just do this: http://img23.imageshack.us/i/4bez.jpg/ "

Not particularly helpful...much like his advice to me on getting more T2B: "just do it how I do it...bend your knees and kick the bar. It isn't that hard." (At least on those, even he couldn't do his 25 unbroken. Wait, did I say he did 25? Whoops...because I'm pretty sure he did at least 35 of the 50 total we did.)

One of our coaches suggested doing box kicks to the top of the box. Basically just stand and jump/tap your foot to the top of the box. She said it not only is a great exercise, but it kind of prepares your brain to not fear the height. If you can easily box kick a 20" then you aren't too far from being ready to just jump up on it.

Go Ceffy Go!

We did box jumps yesterday. Girl from the box had to go and get stitches in her shin after a particularly gory fall!. I am soooo gonna wear shin pads for any max height box jump test. I dont care if it makes me look feeble. I like my shin flesh attached where it should be!

We did box jumps yesterday. Girl from the box had to go and get stitches in her shin after a particularly gory fall!. I am soooo gonna wear shin pads for any max height box jump test. I dont care if it makes me look feeble. I like my shin flesh attached where it should be!

Agree. We have one fold-out pad that lays over the box perfectly and really helps remove that fear. Very useful for testing your max jump.

One other thing I've seen that I thought was a good idea. Get the box to where you want and then lay a PVC pipe or broom handle across the top. stand to the side of the box and try to jump OVER the PVC. If you kick it it will just go flying and you'll land fine.

If you can do it you'll build confidence for doing them on the box.

I smoked my shin on box jump overs last night, not the first time but definitely the worst time. That being said, I have seen MUCH worse on other people so I suppose I am somewhat lucky.

ascrit wrote: »

I smoked my shin on box jump overs last night, not the first time but definitely the worst time. That being said, I have seen MUCH worse on other people so I suppose I am somewhat lucky.

Ouch!