How to Jump Higher Faster!
The purpose of this blog is to help those who want to jump higher faster. Regardless of whether you're just trying to be a monster on the court, get respect on the playground, or maybe even take you're game to the next level, you have to train the right way in order to reach your goals. Just be sure to read this article in it's entirety in order not to miss out on all the helpful tips.
Getting Started
First things first, if you are trying to increase your vertical, there are many things to take into consideration. However first you need to address where your current jumping ability is at now. You can't move on to the next level of expertise as far as physical jumping ability is concerned without knowing exactly where you stand to begin with. Why? Because everyone is different.
If you are not in good shape to begin with then you will have to do some strength training until you are strong enough to perform all of the exercises that will help you to reach maximum results.
Additionally if you are overweight then you must get yourself down to a normal weight level before trying to increase your vertical leaping ability.
Sequential Movements
How many basketball players do you know don't practice at all? Probably none right? Bottom line is if you want to jump higher then you have to practice jumping and have some patience. This is where sequential movements come along. There are a certain series of events that help to thrust you into the air. Without getting into to much detail in regards to how they work, I've listed a few exercises (also known as beginners plyo’s) that can help you improve this process by strengthening the key muscles involved in these sequential movements.
NOTE: If you play basketball everyday or every other day then you may be able to start trying these exercises right away, but if you're just getting back into the swing of things, you may want to consider adding a weight lifting routine to you training to get into better training shape first. Weight lifting can also increase your vertical leap even more (if you are lifting at the right weight level). In addition always consult with a doctor to make sure that you are able to perform any exercise routine before attempting any workout, including ones in this article.
Exaggerated Skipping - Skip as you would normally only exaggerate your movements and jump as high as you can with every leap. As soon as you hit the ground, start the next skip. This is also known as power skipping. 3 or 4 sets of about 30 to 35 yards with 2 to 3 days a week is Ideal.
But Kicks - You will simulate a run in place movement but, you will exaggerate the upward movement of your run, touching the heel of your sneakers to your gluts. 3 or 4 sets of about 10 to 20 yards with 2 to 3 days a week is Ideal.
Knee Raises/High Knees - In a standing position you will run in place lifting the knees as high as possible. You can do 3 sets from around 15 to 20 seconds each set 2 to 3 days a week. You can also do this in a running movement. 3 or 4 sets of about 10 to 20 yards with 2 to 3 days a week is Ideal.
Calve Raises - This should probably be done only once or twice a week at most in combination with the other exercises. Calve Raises are not considered beginners plyos, but can help dramatically with your vertical leap. You shouldn't do calve raises more than 2 times a week. There best done with one leg, and for beginners you can do 3 or 4 sets (maximum amount you can do each leg) once or twice a week. Advanced athletes will go for heavier weight and lower reps.
Standing Rim Jumps - At a complete standstill stand directly in front of the basketball rim and jump as high as you possibly can, with the ultimate goal of trying to touch the rim from a standing position. This can be done 2 to 3 times a week in 3 sets of 10 jumps.
Note: Adding a weight lifting routing can help increase gains significantly.
The funny thing is, I used to see these exercises posted all over the internet, but I never tried them because I thought it was all hype. But after trying program after program with no results, I finally tried them for few weeks I saw pretty significant gains - and you can too.
I usually do some beginners plyos with weight training to get my hops. When I played basketball back in high school I didn't really need any training because I was always playing basketball and staying active. Now that I'm older and have a family I can only limit myself to the amount of time that I have to play. So I train as much as I can during the week.
I've tried all the programs that you can think of. I bought the jump shoes, which worked well for speed, but I was training when I was injured so I didn't see much gains so I returned them. I've used the Jump Attack book, which was good as well. I've also used the jump soles which were good too, but again I was injured so didn't see the gains that I wanted. I've even used Air Alert as well but I didn't have to time to complete the whole program. Anyway, not too long ago I've came across the Vertical Jump Development Bible. It's helped me the most out of all the training programs I've tried and is the most comprehensive jump program of all that I've seen so far. There are over 30 separate programs from beginners to advanced. These are not just workouts. They are full programs. Don't let the ugly website fool you when you get there, this program packs a powerful punch. If you're serious about increasing your vertical leap, I'd suggest taking the next 5 minutes to look at the website to see for yourself. It's the only jump training program you'll ever need. Trust me you won't be disappointed. There's some great information at the beginning of the book if you want to know every little detail about jumping, but I'd start at the "how to train" section and then go from there to get started immediately. From there you'll learn how to determine the best program for you and then you can start your training.
To learn more about the Vertical Jump Development Bible program click here.
