Bench Jump

How to perform

1. 01Begin with a box or bench 1-2 feet in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position.
2. 02Perform a short squat in preparation for the jump; swing your arms behind you.
3. 03Rebound out of this position, extending through the hips, knees, and ankles to jump as high as possible. Swing your arms forward and up.
4. 04Jump over the bench, landing with the knees bent, absorbing the impact through the legs.
5. 05Turn around and face the opposite direction, then jump back over the bench.

Form cues

• —Brace your core before the first rep and keep it braced.
• —Drive through the full range — do not cut the lockout short.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.
• —Adding weight before the movement pattern is clean.