Finally. I finally decided to build some plyometric boxes for my home gym. I’ve used these boxes years ago at hockey training camps and at a few gyms since then. They are a killer workout for the legs; just what I need to extend my hours on the slopes snowboarding.
I was planning to build only a 24″ box, but when I started laying out the measurements on a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood I discovered that I could make a 12″ box as well. So out of a single sheet I got two boxes; nice.
I based the plans off the boxes described in the Crossfit Journal from Sept 2006 on Plyo Box with Slanted Sides. I created a spreadsheet to make scaling the boxes easier, then for these I decided to only use one layer of plywood for the tops.
Like any construction project measure, measure, measure, then cut. I determined the measurements with my spreadsheet, then drew them out on paper just to check the layout before mapping them onto the plywood. The sides have 10 degree angle cuts on the top and bottom, while the corner joints are cut square. Be careful about which cuts need the angle and which do not.
Home Depot had some rubber mat for outdoor use. For $7 this seemed like it might work great for the top padding. I only bought one so I could try it out. I discovered that my circular saw doesn’t like cutting the rubber mat; although it did try burning through it. I had to revert to using a utility knife to cut it down to size.
Here is a video of the process from raw material to assembled boxes.
I still have some finishing work to do. I sanded down the sides, cut some holes for carrying the boxes, painted with primer, then a coat of paint. I’ll post finished pics later.
The boxes are stackable so I can hide the 12″ box underneath the 24″ box. These are going to be a great addition to my home gym.
What’s in your gym?
About Troy Pesola
Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside fo work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Good job!
Thanks. It was fun to build and better to use.
[...] with negatives. A pull-up or chin-up negative is jumping up into the top-most position (I used my plyo box) then holding the position and slowly lowering yourself down. This movement will build the [...]
Here is a direct link to the spreadsheet for dimensions http://www.pesola.us/docs/PlyoBox-Dimensions.xlsx
Hi, Troy
That’s pretty cool to make plyo boxes your self, cause they can be super expensive.
I have a question, how do you get your video to be such great quality. I kept trying to make mine a good quality and I’ve tried everything I could find, but it still looked the same.
The boxes work great and yes, they were much cheaper to build than buy.
My videos are all shot with my Kodak PlaySport. It is an HD720 camera. Other than that I’m not doing anything special.
Ohh, I love the music by the way
.
thanks. CCMixter has been great for finding music to legally use. Creative Commons is wonderful. It takes some time but I’ve managed to find a handful of tunes that seem to fit the videos.
What kind of plywood did you use? Maple, Birch, Pine?
Tyler,
Man that’s a great pop-quiz question. I am trying to remember. Digging through the cobwebs of my mind has not been all that helpful. Do know that I let HomeDepot help by limiting my selection. I remember that they didn’t have many options for 4×8 sheets of 3/4″ plywood. Skipping the particle board was an easy choice. After that I can’t honestly remember, but my guess would be that I opted for the cheapest version.
The plywood I used was definitely not high enough quality to make cabinets out of there were surface blemishes that I patched with wood putty before painting. I glued and screwed all the joints and have not had any issues and don’t see any signs of “trouble”. So far, so good.
I know that isn’t a crystal clear answer, but I hope it helps.
-Troy
Cool stuff
Plyometric Jumping is one of my favourite exercises and I found the knees react quite well to it.
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Jacob, Watch the surface that you use. If your knees are “questionable” find something with some give. Grass, carpet, fitness matt, etc. I’d also add in some Bulgarian Split squats and OF course you’d use the plyometric box for raising your back leg, right!?
Hi, did you use a polyurethane finish? Do you think it’s necessary? What about the rubber matting–I see the ones AgainFaster sells don’t have the rubber matting on top, do you think it’s a necessity? And if my gym’s floor is concrete and not rubber mats, would it be smart to put rubber matting on the bottom of the box as well?
I didn’t use a polyurethane finish – just paint that I had around the house. (primer and paint – several coats of paint)
The rubber mat has been nice. I wouldn’t say it is necessary, but it does dampen the landing and give it a bit of “stiction” or grip when landing.
I use mine in the garage on concrete. Something would be nice to keep it from slipping (minor) and dampen the noise. Not sure how well it would work to try to attach something to the bottom ridge of the walls. What might work better is having a section of floor padding to set the box on when you want to use it.
Let’s hear what you end up doing.
I tried the link to the .xlsx file and it is just a zip file with a bunch of xml docs inside. I was expecting a microsoft excel document.
Herb,
I’ll go take a look – that’s not good. Watch for an email from me as well.
-Troy
Herb,
What version of Excel (or Open Office) are you using? The .xlsx file extension is Microsoft’s extension for a spreadsheet saved in xml format.
More details on their supported formats and file extensions is located here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel#Office_Open_XML
Let me know if you want, or need, it saved in a different format.
-Troy
Hello
My name is Tim Smith, i send this inquiry to your company in regards to order some (Plyo Box) i will like to know the pricing on the Height 24″ Top & Base 28″ x 28″ Steel Plyo Box.
Immediate responds is require and advise on payment method.
With Kind Regards
Tim Smith
Tim,
I am not setup, nor do I want to be, setup to manufacture boxes. Glad to help answer questions if you want to build your own.
To purchase a box, I would highly recommend RogueFitness. They have an excellent reputation and sell boxes very similar to the two I made in this post.
Check there wood plyboxes out here: http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-wood-plyoboxes.php (not an affiliate link – maybe it should be)
I hope that helps.
-Troy
Your directions were spot on as I needed only a 24″ box. My plywood ran me about $20 for a first quality 3/4″ sheet and my nephew and I set out putting it together. Total investment including screws and Liquid Nail was about $28 and the box is rock solid. Thanks for saving us quite a few bucks, helping him learn a craft and adding to my home gym.
That is great to hear. I’d love to see some photos! Let’s see your box and you home gym setup.
Troy,
Great site and nice work on the spreadsheet. In my never ending desire to maximize functionality and minimize space, I’ve drawn up plans to build a plyo box that is 24x20x16. Rogue and AgainFaster sell similar boxes that are 30x24x20 but as I’m working on getting my wife and kids more involved in my CF workouts I want a 16″ side. Did you consider building one of these “puzzle” boxes while you were working on yours? If so, any insight? thanks for your time.
-stefan
Stefan, Thanks. I have only built the two boxes in the video. But the spreadsheet could easily scale to other heights. I’ve been thinking of making another midway between the two I have.
Let me know if you have questions. I’m glad to help however I can.
Let’s see some photos when you’re done!
I just have a question about the angle cuts.Do you only angle cut the top and bottoms of the sides by setting the blade on the table saw on a 10 degree angle? Thanks.
Jording,
Yes – only the top and bottoms of the sides need the angle. The corners overlap and are at 90 degrees where the two faces meet. The angle on top of the sides creates a flat surface to attach the top and the angles at the bottom create a wider surface area on ground all the way around.
Worked great thanks. I scaled the measurements to make a 15″ box. For those of you that are not able to haul a 4X8 piece of plywood, I was able to use 2 pieces of 2×4 plywood ( Home Depot calls them handy panels) and still come in around $20.
Awesome. Can you hear the chanting,or is it just in my head? pictures, pictures, pictures