Plyometric drills are generally used to increase power and explosiveness in a specific movement. When executed properly, depth jumps can help to improve everything from jumping ability to sprint speed.

There are many variations of the depth jump drill. The following instructions are written for the depth jump to a second box:

Stand on the top edge of a box. Step off the box to land on the floor with both feet. Do not jump off the box. As soon as your feet hit the floor, jump up to the second box. You should aim to land with a slight bend in the knees to cushion the impact. Be sure to incorporate the use of arm swings to generate momentum as you jump up.

Important considerations:

*Plyometrics should be thought of as power training, as opposed to cardiovascular conditioning.

*Always begin with a low box height and then progress to higher boxes. This applies to both the box you are stepping from and jumping to.

*Minimize time on the ground. This means you should jump quickly upon ground contact.

*Typically a box height of no more than 18 inches is used to step from. The box you are jumping to can be considerably higher.