Channel Button

There are 8 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #1 by Helium's members.

Sports & Recreation   >

Training & Equipment

Get a Widget for this title

The best and fastest ways to increase your vertical jump

The athletes who need vertical jump most frequently are basketball and volleyball players. Athletes who can achieve a high vertical leap as a result of training are sprinters and soccer players. The most astounding high jumpers are heavy weight lifters. They commonly weigh well over 200 pounds and have vertical leaps over 40 inches!



Let s look at the best and fastest ways to improve vertical jumping using the techniques common to these athletes.


Note that the following exercises are extremely hard on muscles and connective tissue (especially tendons).
Keep track of your foot contacts for each workout, limiting them to the 150-180 range, and always give yourself at least 48 hours between sessions. Consult a trainer about the proper mechanics of these exercises.

Some common basketball and volleyball training drills to improve vertical leap fall under the category of plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises where the muscle is stretched (i.e. loaded) before it is contracted. A good example is a set of push-ups with a clap in-between each. Your pectoral muscles are elongated and loaded by the downward force of your body, then immediately contracted to push you back up. Some common plyometrics are:

Explosive step-ups: http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/str ength/exp_step_up.htm

Jump tucks: http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/str ength/jump_tuck.htm

Ankle hops: http://www.pponline.co.uk/vide o/barbell-two-footed-ankle-hop -38146
Russian freezes: http://magazine.stack.com/Exer cises/2116/Russian_Freezes.asp x

Certain sprinting drills affect high jumping ability directly. These develop the fast twitch muscle and give you explosive power. Gradually increase the height of the platform/box/obstacle you use for these exercises over many weeks:

Box jumps: http://www.exrx.net/Plyometric s/BoxJumps.html

The box jump march: http://www.exrx.net/Plyometric s/BoxJumpMarch.html

Stair jumps: http://www.exrx.net/Plyometric s/StairJumps.html

Hurdle jumps: http://www.exrx.net/Plyometric s/HurdleJumps.html

Olympic lifers have some of the highest vertical leaps ever measured. The explosive lifts develop the explosive strength required for vertical leaping. The squat and power clean may be the best indicators of vertical leap potential. Go to the following links for techniques:

Hang pull: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExer cises/OlympicLifts/HangPull.ht ml

Push Press: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExer cises/OlympicLifts/PushPress.h tml

Snatch: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExer cises/OlympicLifts/Snatch.html

For the best vertical leap possible, you have to coordinate your whole body to exert a downward force on the ground whose reaction is to propel you into the air.
This means a stiff torso frame, arms extended fully upward in the direction you are jumping, and bringing up the knees to raise your center of gravity at the peak of the jump. The jump power comes from the quadriceps.
The explosiveness of the force off the floor comes from the calves. The best jumpers are very strong.

Learn more about this author, Stephanie Sublett.
Contact this writer Click here to send this author comments or questions.


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

The best and fastest ways to increase your vertical jump

  • 1 of 8

    by Stephanie Sublett

    The athletes who need vertical jump most frequently are basketball and volleyball players. Athletes who can achieve a high

    read more

  • 2 of 8

    by Bella Cooper

    The best and fastest ways to increase your vertical jump

    Some of the greatest basketball players are not tall. For example,

    read more

  • 3 of 8

    by Steve S.

    Learn how to jump higher quickly by improving your form. It doesn't sound like much, but you wouldn't believe what a difference

    read more

  • 4 of 8

    by Olaniyi Olaleye

    SPORT'S EQUIPMENT COMPONENT'S

    The first sports equipment can be traced all the way back to the first Olympics. For this article

    read more

  • 5 of 8

    by Liu Nicholas

    Before we can address how to increase your vertical jump, we need to know what causes a vertical jump, therefore we are going

    read more

View All Articles on:
The best and fastest ways to increase your vertical jump

Add your voice

Know something about The best and fastest ways to increase your vertical jump?
We want to hear your view. Write_penWrite now!

Helium Debate

Cast your vote!

NWA: Can the Traditional System survive?

Click for your side.

170382

Featured Partner

International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)

International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has partnered with Helium, giving you the chance to write for a cause. Br...more

What is Helium? | Buy Web Content | Contact Us | Privacy | User agreement | DMCA | User Tools | Help | Community | Helium’s Official Blog | Link to Helium

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA