Exercises
If you have done a little research on the subject, I’m pretty sure you already know that there’s a ton of material out there that gives free tips on how to jump higher. You need to be careful in using those information, especially those that provide exercises to jump higher, because most of them were written by copy writers trying trying to sell training programs for increasing vertical jump. Those articles did not necessarily come from expert trainers so you need a little caution if you are planning to apply those into your vertical jump training.
Get a Trainer
If you really want to achieve the maximum effect of increasing your vertical jump with the shortest possible amount of time, then I suggest that you get a professional trainer. Each person has different training capacities and capabilities and you need someone to assess those capacities and capabilities to be able to optimize a training program tailor fit for each individual. A written article enumerating a bunch of exercises just won’t cut it if you are trying to optimize your training.
Furthermore, your training will also depend on the sport that you do. A basketball player should have exercises that have distinction from those that volleyball players or cheerleaders should do. After all, they do entirely different things in the performance of their sports.
With that said, below are some of the exercises that you will most probably find out there in vertical jump training articles. They basically tackle similar things but please remember that there are other facets of your vertical jump training that you should consider besides an exercise regimen. Knowing the exercises doesn’t mean you know everything you need to know. You need a tailor-made training regimen that incorporates all aspects to increase your chances of maximizing your gains within the shortest possible amount of time.
WARNING: The following exercises have been known to improve physical fitness and increase vertical jump. If you feel any pain in doing them or if you currently have any injury or health problems, STOP what you’re doing and consult a doctor first.
Exercises to Jump Higher
Naturally, all training programs that aim to improve your vertical jump height will involve highly physical exercises that will target the muscles involved in the jumping process. Below are some of those exercises. Please remember that this is not an actual regimen and they are in no particular order. This page is merely presenting and defining these exercises that help in increasing vertical jump to give you an idea of what the training programs will entail.
- Begin every session with appropriate warm up exercises. Leg stretches are essential to this step because you will be targeting muscle fibers (particularly the fast twitch muscle fibers) that are utilized for explosive activities such as jumping.
- Squats are needed because it involves the big muscle groups that you need to help you transfer the maximum amount of energy from your legs to the floor during a jump. Make sure that you are in proper form when you do squats and follow through with it with an explosive action.
- Work out your toes with toe raises. The toes are critical because they are the last ones to leave the ground when you jump. They add power and energy to that jumping action that propels you off the ground. Giving your toes more strength will give you that extra push. Curling and uncurling your toes repeatedly and pushing up on your tip toes, holding it for 8 to 12 seconds are two good exercises for your toes.
- One of the best exercises to jump higher is to, well, jump! First thing to do here is establish your baseline jump height. You can do that by jumping 5 times from a standing position. Have someone measure the height of each jump and take note of the highest and the lowest jumps. These will serve as the range of your jump baseline height. Do this exercise 3 to 4 times a week with 3 sets and 10 repetitions per set. Do not count a repetition that fails to clear the lower limit of your baseline jump. Remember that you have to be explosive in each jump so give it all you’ve got without injuring yourself.
- To improve your cardiovascular conditioning and dexterity do some jump rope exercises. Do a few sessions per week with about 20 to 30 minutes per session.
-Plyometrics are training methods aimed at increasing your explosiveness as well as strength. All the strength training that you do for improving your jump will be for naught if you are unable to transfer that strength to boost you off the floor. Plyometric exercises help you in that regard by improving the neuromuscular junction between your brain and muscles. Some of the most popular exercises are box jumps, jump rope, squat jumps, etc. This website suggests that “For optimum gains, perform sets with no more than 75-100 reps. If the exercise is very difficult, you should only be doing between 10-20 reps.”
- Do not forget about your core conditioning. Work out your core as the final part of your routine jump exercise sessions. Core workouts are designed to improve the strength of your mid section. This is key to every jump athlete’s success because it provides you the stability you need when you those explosive jumps. More stability means more efficient transfer of power from your body to the ground which will results in that high vertical leap. Examples of core exercises include sit ups, back extensions, crunches and reverse crunches.
