DIY Plyo Box

How much do you DIY?
When I started my garage gym, I had very little cash, so I built almost everything.

10+ years later, and economies of scale have prevailed. It's cheaper to buy most things than it is to build these days. But we still have many people in our community who have made racks, boxes, etc.

Today, I present the DIY Plyometric Box - One of my first DIY projects. It's one project that will still save a fair amount of money over having one shipped to your house. And, this thing is ROCK SOLID!

This is one of the easiest DIY Garage Gym builds I have completed and one of the most important.

I know many guys like to build their boxes in a slant (kind of like a pyramid with a flat top), but I prefer to keep my DIY projects easy.

People build it that way, so you don't catch your shins on the box, and for plyometric purposes. That does make sense, but I jump higher than the box and land on top. I do not jump at an angle forward and barely make it to the top…and neither should you. A rectangular box is a good practice for keeping good form for a box jump.

Jump. Land. Full hip extension. Land.

Building it my way not only saves you a geometric-math-problem headache but also gives you a 3 in 1 box!

Building a rectangular prism will give you three different sides to jump on that will be three different heights. This is great for different workouts and overall functionality.

Materials Needed:
1 Piece of Plywood (I got the cheap plywood for flooring because it is tough. Get any plywood you want, so long as it is 3/4″ x 4ft x 8ft)
1 box of screws
1 Bottle of Gorilla Wood Glue

First, you must answer this question:

What kind of box do YOU want/need?? I built mine with these dimensions:

L= 30″
W=20″
H=24″

I wish I made the length more like 40″ because I like to do high box jumps sometimes. That is why you need to determine what you can handle and what you would want. You can make it as tall or as short as you want.

How to Build a Plyometric Box, Step 1: Let's start Cutting

You will need the following dimensions cut2x 30″ x 22.5″
2x 30″ x 20″
The trickiest part of the project2x 18.5″ x 22.5″ (this cut will be the sides and will fit within the other pieces to make a streamlined box.)

How to Build a Plyometric Box, Step 2: Gluing and Screwing, what all DIY Projects need.

Now, you have all your pieces, just put them together. (Refer to the pic of the box above, it is pretty self-explanatory.)

Anywhere wood will be touching wood, put a thin line of Gorilla Wood Glue.

I recommend starting with the base and two sides, all touching. This will give it immediate stability, and you can let it dry as needed.

I would put a screw spaced about every 2-3 inches around the entire box while putting it together. I tend to overkill things when building, but hey, if it falls apart, you can only blame yourself, so make it STURDY. Mine has withstood a lot of jumping, and I have even used it as an apparatus for floor press with 250lbs. resting on it. Now you have built an item to add to your garage arsenal.