Box Jump Anxiety

[courtney_gray]

Hey guys

 

I recently started a strength plan with a personal trainer - and its been really awesome!  I am having a problem with the box jumps in my routine. She started me on a really high box, to which my brain went HOLY HELL, but she reassured me that I could do it. With her coaxing, I gave it a shot - and I definitely CAN do it - its a perfect level of challenge physically so it was a good call on my trainers fault. I can complete my reps and its hard - but I can do it. 

 

My issue is in doing the workout when my trainer isn't around - I start getting really freaked out and nervous about doing the box jump. Even though I've done it a bunch now - sometimes I'll even do a few, then stop and stare at the box, my brain going what the hell do you think you are doing, you can't possibly do that.  It gets to the point where I start getting really nervous and feel like I just out ran a bear or something after I finish every jump. 

 

Long story short - I can do the move fine when my trainer is there coaxing me on, but its really hard to do alone. Does anyone have any tips for handling this kind of work out anxiety?

 

 

 

[Dilnad]

One small suggestion that may or may not help is not to look at the box. You should look and aim to jump above the box

[ladymorella]

Box jumps mess with my head. I don't hate them, I think they are pretty useful, but they mess with my head. I'll do the same thing I'll look at the box sometimes and that little voice kicks in "what are you doing? You can't clear that." What helps me is to focus on pacing. I try to have a regular timing for each part. Sometimes still that voice kicks in and messes with my head. What helps me is to step back, turn around, maybe pause one beat, then turn back to it, approach the box, set up, and jump back into it. It is slow, but if the voice persists for me it can lead to false starts and bailing out on jumps which is even slower. I learned this re-approach concept when I was trying to improve my pool game. I found it works well. Here is the principal of it. https://youtu.be/HP5hLNkWjdoYou only have to watch the few couple minutes.

 

A tip a couple of my coaches give is to take your pause/rest on top of the box. So once you step down you go immediately into the jump. The pause/rest isn't a  breather, but majority of people have one part of the complete jump that has a small pause. It doesn't work for me, but I know it works for some.

[IslandGirl_Becks]

I have major box jump anxiety. It was so bad that my first month at CrossFit that my coach gave me one of those aerobics step-up benches to jump on. Even when I worked up to a height as high as the box, it was weeks before I could jump on the plywood structure instead of the plastic boxes.

 

My method is slow progress - start with what you can hop up on (a curb beside the road?) and work up from there. Also, face it every day if you can. Some days you're not going to hit the 30" box without psyching yourself out. Lower the bar and make sure you succeed. Now to get my mountain bike over the tall stuff...

 

Also, if you watch someone not make the jump, you'll realize they don't die. Usually there's an awkward kinda fall and they catch themselves on the way down.