Developing your Vertical Leap

In basketball today, players want to run fast, play strong, and most importantly, jump high. How does one improve the height of his or her vertical leap, you ask? There's a simple answer. Weight training.

The two most important muscles for jumping "out of the gym" are the calf and quadriceps muscles. The power in your jump will come from the quad muscle in the front of your thigh. The explosion that lifts you off of the floor to begin with? That starts with having strong calf muscles.

There are different ways to strengthen those muscles. For your quads, it is smart to perform the leg press workout on a leg press machine, pushing weight outwards or upwards while controlling your body. Leg extensions, where one sits flat and lifts weight upward with both legs, is another way to strengthen the quads. A favorite is the wall sit. This requires less equipment and uses the weight of your own body to build strength. Sit on a wall, dropping your rear end until you quads are at a 90 degree angle and parallel to the ground. Sit there for a while, even adding a weight to your lap, until the muscle starts to burn.

As for the calf muscles, there are a few things one can do to strengthen them. Toe raises are effective. Stand against a wall to keep your balance. Then, on one foot, push your body up and down, keeping the weight on the front balls of your feet. Repeat this any number of times until there is a nice burn in the muscle. Running sprints will also help to develop the calf muscle.

If you can use weight training to strengthen these muscles, you will be well on your way to jumping higher and even running faster. The world's best athletes win their championships in the weight room. There's no reason why you can't join them!

Jump! Jump!

There are many complicated programs and new-fangled gadgets to help increase vertical jump, but sometimes the classics are the best.

One easy way to work on your ups is to practice jumping back and forth over a two-foot bench. You may have to start slowly, but eventually you'll be able to hop back and forth without stopping, which will help increase both your vertical jump and quickness.

Add this to a regimen of strength training and rope jumping and you will be on your way - UP!

Build Your Jumping

In order to better your jumping, you need to increase your leg strength and stamina. A great way to do this is by doing a consecutive jumping drill. Begin by jumping as high as you can off both feet. Your hands should be above your head and rotating to help you jump high. As soon as you land, go right back up. Repeat this twenty-five times. Next, jump twenty-five times off your right foot, then twenty-five times off your left. Keep your hands up and go up as quickly as you can after landing. Next, jump twenty-five times bringing your knees to your chest. You can now bring your arms down in order to maintain balance, but continue jumping as quickly as possible. Then jump twenty-five times trying to kick your heals into your rear end. Finally, perform twenty-five Jerry Wests. A Jerry West is a jump in which you bend forward at the waist extending your arms at forty-five degree angles. Try to touch your fingertips to your toes.

Flexibility - The Key to Jumping Higher

Often overlooked as a factor in leaping ability is a player's flexibility. Jumping high is based on the elasticity of your muscles and tendons. Without extreme flexibility, you will never jump as high as you could with proper training. Be sure that before you practice you employ a series of stretching drills to help with your flexibility. Basic hamstring and quadricep stretches can be done in just a few minutes either standing or seated on the floor. There are also many basketball training accessories now available to provide you with a stringent warm-up routine for flexibility. Take advantage of these to increase your flexibility and increase your jump.

Tricking Your Muscles to Make You Jump Higher

Only two things keep us grounded on the earth; resistance from gravity and from our own muscles. There is not much we can do about gravity, but your muscles do not need to know that. New training accessories have been developed that can help you in your battle against gravity and trick your muscles into helping you jump higher. Among the most reliable of of these new tools is a weighted belt. These have been around for a while, but the new incarnations of this classic utility are made for more comfort and effectiveness. By weighing yourself down as you practice, your muscles think you have more weight to propel on your body. When you are done using the belt, your body will remember that extra weight and you will move quicker and jump higher as a result.

Tall - But That's Not All

Sometimes younger players who mature early struggle waiting for their coordination to catch up with their height. But don't worry - with practice and confidence, your skills can catch up with your stature!



To work on your jump shot, have someone rebound for you while you practice, practice, practice! Aim for the squares on the backboard as you shoot bank shots - from one block to the other.



And be confident! If you have the desire and drive - you will get there!

Methods to Jump Higher

Jumping has become as much what basketball is about as dribbling is. Everyone wants to increase their vertical leap so they can make airborne moves to the hoop. If you really want to increase your vertical jump, try these tips. Have you thought about the jump shoes? I know, you never see people playing in these, but that is because you are not supposed to. These shoes with the 'high-toe' as opposed to 'high heel' are made for training and doing specific drills. These drills are the fastest way to build your calves, quads, and hamstrings. These are the muscles that will make you jump higher, fast. If you want to jump high and are willing to use the training, the jump shoes are the way to go for the results you are looking for.

Plyometrics

Speed and strength are integral components of basketball. Simply put, the combination of speed and strength is power. For many years, coaches and players have sought to improve power in order to enhance performance. Increased power helps in your jumping and quickness to be a better rebounder, defender, or finish moves around the basket. Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance basketball performance. In recent years, this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. This describes the method of training, which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid contractions.

A Great Drill to Help You Jump Higher

If you want to jump higher, here is a great drill for you. All you need is a medicine ball or overweighted basketball. Hold the ball against your chest as if you were curling with freeweights. Try to touch your knuckles to your chin when holding the ball. Crouch down low like you were doing a leap frog. In a fixed position, begin bouncing at the knees to propel yourself upwards. Bounce with more force each time until you are coming off of the ground as high as you can. After many reps, bring the ball over your head and repeat the reps. Doing this exercise will not only increase your jump, but will provide you with a great warm-up for any game

Jump Shoes - Increase Your Vertical Jump With Ease

By now, you have surely seen those shoes that look like high-heels tuned inside out. Jump Shoes have been in the marketplace for over a decade now and their effectiveness has been proven over and over again. Many people see these shoes and do not understand their benefit. It is simple, these shoes raise your heels off of the ground as you walk, forcing you to use your calves and quadriceps in all of your motion. These are the muscles that aid in you jumping higher, and if you wear the jump shoes for just 10 minutes of a workout, you won't have any more doubts about their effectiveness. When it comes to accessories that can help you jump higher, there are none more proven that these unique pieces of footwear.

Jump Soles

The new frontal platform shoes (Jump Soles) have been shown to dramatically improve the efficiency of plyometric exercises. Training in frontal platform shoes is increasingly becoming the method of choice for serious sprinters and jumpers. No other method develops as quickly, the specific muscle groups and neural connections essential for running speed and jumping height.

Don´t over do it

Platform shoes keep you off your heels, allowing a wider range of movement for your calf. Each jump is therefore more effective and can help you reach new heights. Many training programs will tell you to jump every day, hundreds or even thousands of times. This causes wear and tear on your body, especially your knees and back. Jumping fewer times with more effectiveness is the way to go, which is why platform shoes have been used for decades with great success. Because of this, our training program recommends only one to three workouts a week, depending on the season of your sport!

Basketball Before the Age of Jump

Many young basketball fans wouldn't even know that before the late 1970's there was no "slam dunk". There were no "alley oop's". There were certainly no slam dunk contests. Julius Erving changed how airborne jumping impacted the game of basketball when he showed the world what jumping really was. Before then, basketball was a game of set offenses and passing, passing, passing. Only a few truly dominant players like Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul Jabbar played "above the rim" until this time. Since then, players continue to change the game by astonishing crowds with jumps that seem to always get higher. To keep up with players today, get out the jump shoes and train away.

Increase Your Game by Increasing Your Jump

Many basketball players wonder how they can move their game to the next level. Today, more than ever, basketball is a game played 'above the rim'. This means that the most important feet movement is how high they can propel you in the air. If you want to increase your game, increase your jump. Point guards will look to you more if they think you can get to the ball. Increasing your jump will also make you quicker all-around, which will give you the edge when chasing a loose ball down the court. Take advantage of the tools that have been developed just to help increase your jump and you will be happier with your game