Correct practices to increase your vertical leap is very COUNTER INTUITIVE.

Vertical jumping is an explosive act caused by the sudden contraction of fast twitch muscle fibers.  Because of this, training to improve jumping should be “anaerobic.”  Too many athletes train in a way that that is mostly “aerobic”.

What is the difference in training?

Basketball players have been told that running cross country would increase their vertical. That is big mistake. Running long distances like that can cause your vertical leap to plummet.

Sprinting, like jumping is a more anerobic event.  How often do you see [a sprinter distance running to train for sprinting? NEVER! Then why so often do vertical jump programs make us PACING ourselves during our vertical jump training workouts?

NEVER NEVER NEVER PACE YOURSELF DURING YOUR VERTICAL JUMP TRAINING!

Maybe you have also seen these before. Athletes running up and down stairs or dog tired from doing speed ladder drills. Or perhaps you jump rope for 20 minutes and you are worn out.. you are going to say to yourself, “Now that was tough, certainly that will improve my vertical.”

These are not examples of training explosively, so they are NOT going to be able to improve explosive actions. I guarantee you, they will not be satisfied. You have to train for explosion and not endurance to increase your vertical jump.

“Explosive” training will not feel right to start with.  You won’t get the same burn as training aerobically.  In a few ways training explosion is easier, it just requires a great deal more focus and short term energy.

Your vertical jump training can improve incredibly soley by decreasing repetition and increasing intensity.

Doesn’t working out less to get better results sound like the best of both worlds?

To get the most out of your vertical jumping exercises, you should consider a vertical jump training program. Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to check which are rated the best and to find more information on How To Jump Higher.

Warm Ups
Prior to beginning the exercises, you should warm your muscles up. Try jogging around for ten minutes or run up and down s few sets of stairs. It is also a sound idea to stretch your muscles prior to beginning your exercises. Warming up before doing exercises helps you improve muscle fibers that are used for jumping.

Skipping Rope
Jumping rope is an exercise that is often overlooked, and shouldn’t be, as it will contribute to improving the strength of your legs. It also helps maintain excellent overall physical condition. Do this exercise for 15 to thirty minutes regularly.

Knee Raises
Hold an overhead bar securely, with your arms straight overhead. Hang from the overhead bar, with your arms fully extended and knees bent slightly. Hold this position and slowly raise your knees towards your chest. Concentrate on contracting your stomach muscles during this process. Maintain this position for several seconds, before lowering your legs back down. Repeat this 5 times.

Knee Bends
One of the top ways to improve the strength of your legs is with knee bends (also called squats). Stand upright – straight, with chest out and with your back straight. Proceed to bend your knees slowly, keeping the back straight. Squat, in a slow movement, as far down as possible. Repeat this process 20 times.

Toe Touches
Stand straight. Bend at the waist while keeping your legs straight. Continue bending down as far as you can go and try to touch your toes with your fingers. Sustain this position for a couple seconds. This exercise should be done slowly and avoid “bouncing” while trying to reach your toes. Repeat this thirty times.

Sit-Ups
Sit-ups can help improve your vertical jump. Begin this exercise laying with your back flat on the floor, with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor. Place you hands behind your head. Now, lift the shoulders off the floor, in a slow motion. Continue to sit up. Do not “pull” on the back of your head with your hands. Concentrate on your stomach doing the work. Exercises for your midsection are important for all physical activity as your ultimate all around strength and flexibility start here. Repeat this exercise 10-20 times.

To get the most out of your vertical jumping exercises, you should think about a vertical jump training program. Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to check which are rated the best and to find more information on How To Jump Higher.

Here are the five things to watch for when reviewing vertical jump programs.

1. Easy to follow instructions
It’s important that you can grasp what the creator of the program is talking about. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a professional, the program should be simple for anyone to use without a bunch of difficult terms.

2. Plyometrics and weighlifting workout routines
Programs that include plyo and weight workouts are more beneficial. If a product doesn’t have these things, there is no way it can help you get the best results. Plyometrics involves explosive exercises, which is something you’ll need when you try and dunk.

3. Customizable workouts
All athletes are at different stages, and what may work for one person may not work for someone else. This is why it is extremely essential that a vertical leap program has enough variation – for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. That way, if you’re really good at plyometrics workouts, but you’re a beginner to lifting weights, you can create a special workout made up of the precise exercises that are most needed.

4. Increases overall strength and speed
The program should not only help you jump higher, it should enable you to become stronger and faster as well. So, if you’re only able to jump an inch or two higher, the workout system you have is probably not helping you get stronger or faster.

5. Be Affordable
You should not have to spend an arm and a leg just to jump high! (After all, how high can you jump with just one leg (ha ha)? There are some workouts out there that are worth the money, but none of them should cost five times what the others charge.

If you can find all 5 of these items in the program you are considering, it is probably a good one, and one that should be worth it.

To get the most out of your vertical jumping exercises, you ought to consider a vertical jump training program. Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to check which are rated the best and to get more information on Improving Your Vertical Jump.

You may assume the only muscles you need to work on throughout your vertical jumping workouts are your leg muscles, but that’s not the case. The muscles in the back and waist are also very vital. The erector muscles are the strongest muscles in the back and take on the most work. Your plan should include exercises for the back and waist areas as well. Which brings us to our opening exercise.

Dead Lifts

A good exercise to start with is the dead lift. To start the exercise, grab the barbell, bend your knees, and arch your back. Come to an upright position while holding the bar. Slowly return the barbell back to the initial position on the floor. The first 3 sets of 6-8 reps should be done quickly but steadily to avoid injury. Take a brief rest after these first 3 sets. Perform one extra set taking your time and being more intentional.

Leg Presses

Another good exercise is leg presses. Pick a weight on the leg press machine that is near the upper end of your range, but not the most you can lift. Set your feet about shoulder width apart. Bring the plate down slowly until your knees bend to your chest, and then rapidly push it away. It’s not about the slow and steady here. Jumping is an explosive move, so you need to do this exercise in an explosive manner. Do 5 sets of 6 reps. Take a brief break between each set.

Medicine Ball

For our last exercise we will utilize a medicine ball instead of a basketball. Pretending that you are doing a dunk, grasp the medicine ball and leap up as high as you can. Make certain to stretch your reach and try to get the ball as high as you can. Doing this exercise will develop all the muscles that you will use when you really are able to dunk. As with the leg presses, make certain to be explosive when you perform this exercise.

While these are just three exercises, they can be a good start to increasing your vertical leap. Mix these with additional jumping exercises. Make certain you do them properly, though.