The Burpee Plyo Box Workout: Get More Gains and Build Power

The Burpee Plyo Box Workout: Get More Gains and Build Power

Build strength, stamina, stability, and power with our Spartan-approved quick-hit Workout of the Day, NEW each week. Our SGX coaches share their favorite go-to exercises and workout gear to blast your bod and improve performance — without fail. Click here to view our complete workout database.

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If you’ve never tried plyo box burpees, prepare yourself. They’re going to be awesome.

More WODs This Week: 6 SGX-Coach-Approved Steps to Master the Burpee Once and For All

Featured Gear: Spartan Foam Plyo Box

SPARTAN Foam Plyobox SPARTAN Foam Plyobox SPARTAN Foam Plyobox SPARTAN Foam Plyobox SPARTAN Foam Plyobox SPARTAN FOAM PLYOBOX

This WOD features the Spartan Foam Plyo Box. Available in five different heights (and stackable!), they bring a whole new level of versatility to bodyweight and plyometric exercises. Each foam box is covered with durable vinyl to withstand the toughest training sessions.

2 Ways to Amp Up Your Burpees With a Foam Plyo Box

“The foam box is great for helping people with their burpee gains,” says Spartan SGX L2 coach and obstacle specialist Ryan Boubelik. Exactly how depends on how you use the box:

  • Jump onto the box: If burpees are just too easy (you can perform 15 strict burpees without resting!), jumping onto or over the plyo box at the end of each rep is a phenomenal way to increase your lower-body explosive power.
  • Place your hands on the box: Lowering your chest toward the edge of the box, rather than straight to the floor, lets you train your chest from new angles while upping recruitment of the shoulders. Plus, for anyone just getting started with burpees or prone to dizziness with drastic up-down motions, this can make the exercise much more accessible and beneficial.

The Ultimate Burpee Plyo Box Workout

Box Low Pushup

This ladder workout, courtesy of Boubelik, takes advantage of both strategies:

First, do one burpee in which, at the end, you jump not just up, but also forward to land on the box in a soft squat. Then, step down from the box and perform another burpee, this time with your hands on the edge of the box and springing straight up (not onto the box!) at the end of the rep. Repeat the cycle by performing two reps of each burpee, increasing each round until you perform five reps of each burpee back to back. 

Rest for two minutes, then repeat for a total of three rounds.

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