Core Strength Training
Although it does not seem to be an intuitive notion, this aspect of the jump higher training is perhaps one of the most important aspect because of the principle that every movement of the limbs, or the arms and legs, is rooted to the center of the human locomotion: the core muscles.
The core muscles isn’t made up of only the abdominal muscles only. The core muscles are those that provide support for the pelvis, shoulders, back; basically the entire trunk or torso.
Every movement of the arms and legs are anchored on the strength of these muscles and before you can make any rapid and stronger movements in your extremities, your entire spine must first be efficiently stabilized by the core muscles.
Another benefit of a well-conditioned core area will be a robust resistance to injuries of the back, neck and shoulders, and even the extremities because they are given the benefit of a solid base. Also, remember that part of your regimen will be some plyometric exercises which are considered as high-impact exercises that involve rapid movements that aim to improve strength and speed in the legs. Your core muscles will play a crucial role in these exercises.
Furthermore, it will also allow you to have perfect control of your form when you do those vertical jumps. Your jumping form is an important ingredient to a better jumping technique and doing regular core strength training will allow you the flexibility of adopting a better technique if necessary. For more info on the importance of core strengthening, kindly check out About.com’s Sports Medicine page.
Core Training Exercises
There are a number of core exercises that you can include into your jump higher workouts. There are those that require equipment and there are those that require no equipment. It is really up to your preference which one you will choose but most athletes and trainers still prefer the no-equipment core training exercises. Below are some of those exercises:
- Abdominal Bracing
- Plank Exercise
- Side Plank Exercise
- The Basic Push Up
- V-sits
- Push Ups
- Squats
- Back Bridge
- Hip Lift
- Russian Twists
- Lunges
- Side Lunges
- Back Extensions
