The STACK Exercise of the Week helps you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility.

The Exercise

Depth Box Jumps

Who Does It

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat guard

Sports Performance Benefits

This plyometric exercise helps you become a more explosive athlete. It teaches your muscles to store elastic energy when you make contact with the ground and then quickly release that energy in a jump. The less time you spend on the ground, the faster you will be on the court or field. And it will help you jump higher.

How To

• Stand on a knee-high box with your feet hip-width apart. Position a second box of equal height 3 to 4 feet in front.
• Hop off the box and land softly on the ground between the boxes.
• Immediately explode up and onto the second box, landing with your knees slightly bent.
• Step off the box, return to the first box and repeat for the specified number of reps.

Sets/Reps: 3×1-6

Coaching Points

• Superset with a glute/hip stretch.
• Start with a low box height and progress higher when comfortable.
• To increase max power, perform after your dynamic warm-up
• To develop explosiveness when fatigued, perform at the end of your workout.
• Perform this exercise only after you have mastered Depth Drops (hopping off a box and landing) and Box Jumps.