Having a Crossfit plyo box is great if your goal is to get stronger and more explosive legs. You will be able to sprint faster, outkick your competitors, and run circles around other players. You can jump higher and defend better as a result. You can score over people and get a better view of the court. This is an advantage that is sought-after in different sports. Just make sure that you are training correctly because jumping is hard on the knees. You could easily overdo things if you are not careful. Below are some tips on using the plyo box:
Start with the Lowest Height
If you are using a plyo box with three different heights, the start with the lowest setting. No matter how strong you might think your legs are, you cannot go wrong with mastering the basics before moving forward. Allow your body to master the movements from take off to landing at this low height to reduce the likelihood of accident and injuries. There will be plenty of time to increase your vertical. Set your ego aside and build strength around your joints so that you can be ready for the pounding ahead. Let the body adapt to the new stimuli.
Land as Softly as Possible
Pay attention to your form. It would be nice if you could take pointers from your trainer but you could also look up training videos online to see how it’s done. Most will focus on nailing the take off so that they can go as high as possible. However, it is equally important to get the landing right. This is when the forces acting on your joints is at their highest. Keep your feet apart and bend your knees to absorb the impact without incurring too much damage on the bones and muscles.
Get Enough Rest between Sessions
One Crossfit plyo box session a week is plenty for novices. You should make this a small part of your general routine instead of being the focus. It is far too intense to do plyo every single day. That is a recipe of injuries. Build leg strength using bodyweight with squats and jumping rope as well. Do resistance training on other leg days. Get enough rest between sessions so that the soreness is gone before doing another. You could work on your core and upper body while the legs rest. This gives microtears in the muscles a chance to heal, allowing you to get stronger instead of breaking down.
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