Box Jumps and Jump exercises are NOT plyometrics!!!

Plyometrics were discovered and created in the former Soviet Union by Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky. He termed it 'SHOCK METHOD'. There are several fitness and strength coaches employing box jumps are jumps and calling them Plyometrics.

'SHOCK METHOD' or Plyometrics
True shock training is the training one undergoes to create explosive power! The use of jumps are used. However, not all jumps are plyometrics. The key is to jump, land and reverse direction as fast as possible. The time between landing and pushing off is termed the 'amortization' phase. It's the transition from the eccentric to concentric phase. In order to create more explosion which is the point of this type of training is to take energy from the shock of landing and transfer that energy into the upward jump phase of the movement. That energy from the shock of landing is stored in the connective tissues and muscles and then released when reversing direction upwards.

Box jumps
Simply jumping onto a box is not an expression of plyometrics because there is no potential energy being released on the landing. After landing on the box the athlete simply absorbs all the energy of landing and then comes down the box. That is NOT plyometrics. Jumps in place with a rapid jump after landing is an expression of plyometrics. A standing long jump is not a plyometric.

Rapid Recoil
In order for any jump to be Plyometric or 'SHOCK METHOD' any eccentric landing of the jump must be converted to rapid fast concentric jump where all the energy from the landing is released in the eccentric phase. When you jump and land with no re coil the energy from impact is dissipated. Usually, it's lost as heat.

Below is a video explaining proper plyometrics from Dr. Yessis.