Dear CrossFit, Box Jumps and Step Ups Are Different Exercises

Yes they both get your heart going, and yes I step down from both, but they are fundamentally different exercises.  A box jump requires an explosive movement that is co-ordinated from both feet through the entire body.  A step up requires a walking and pressing movement similar to what we do all day every day when we are walking.  A box jump requires us to exit our comfort zone and enter the “I could miss this and bark my shins” zone.  A step up allows us to stay in our comfort zone of walking up stairs.  A box jump requires us to swing both arms at the same time to generate momentum.  A step up is performed with one arm moving at a time.  A box jump can be missed, a step up is rarely missed.  Step ups are hard for me because I’m old, obese, immobile and have some replacement parts.  Box jumps are really hard for the same reason, and even harder because I am actually afraid that I will miss one.

So what do we do?  I think we do both.  Step ups are an excellent cardio exercise, an excellent mobility exercise, especially as the box gets higher, and an excellent strength exercise if we really focus on pressing.  Box jumps are an excellent way to develop explosive power, and to to work on being quick.  At my age things slow down in a hurry (kinda like when Brandon Weeden enters the Browns huddle).  Double unders, clapping drills, and box jumps held me maintain and even develop some speed in my hands and feet.  Speed in the hands and feet is really important at my age.  A slip and fall is a dangerous thing, especially if it’ll cause a prosthetic to dislocate.  So, today, in the box, when it said box jumps, I picked out the right sized box for me (12″ today) and did box jumps with step downs.  I was scared on every one, but I’m glad I did it.

I wonder what tomorrow’s WOD will be…