Explode Your Vertical Jump

If you’re looking to improve your basketball skills and want to jump higher or even dunk, vertical jump programs can help you out. Which jump programs actually deliver the goods though? There are so many different ones out there, and most of them make claims that they can’t back up. If gaining 15 inches to your vertical without was really as easy as some programs make you think, wouldn’t everybody be dunking by now? So how can you find a really good vertical program?

Here are the 5 things you should look for in a vertical jump program.

1. Uncomplicated instructions
It’s important that you can understand 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 easy for anybody to start doing without a glossary of complicated terms and words.

2. Plyometrics and weighlifting workout routines
Only programs that have plyo and weight workouts are helpful. If the product you’re looking at doesn’t have these things, there’s no way it can help you jump higher. Plyometrics is all about explosive movements, which is something you’ll need when you try and dunk.

3. Customizable workouts
All athletes are at different stages, and what might work for you probably wouldn’t work for someone else. This is why it’s very important that a program has enough workouts for beginners, intermediate and advanced ballers. That way, if you’re really good at plyometrics workouts, but you’ve never lifted weights in your life, you can create a special workout made up of the exact programs that you need.

4. Improves overall strength and speed
If you can jump higher, you should automatically be stronger and faster, 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 shouldn’t have to spend an arm and a leg just to jump high! There are some workouts out there that are worth the money, but very few of them actually are.

If you can find all five of these things in a vertical jump program, it’s a good one, and you should try it out.

Let’s face, whether you’re a professional athlete or someone who simply likes to play basketball at the local courts, increasing your vertical leap will not only make you a better player but will allow you to excel at whatever game you play. It’s not uncommon for people to be able to increase their vertical leap by as much as 10 inches. Imagine how that extra height can propel your skills to a whole new level.

It’s important to remember that you won’t increase your vertical leap overnight. It takes at the very least weeks of training and…training the right way. You can, however, expect to be able to jump higher within a couple of weeks if you follow the right program and put in the hard work. It’s not rocket science to be able to increase your vertical leaping abilities but it does come down to science none the less.

Joining a gym is a good idea as you’ll have access to weights and machines that you can use to strengthen your legs but, it all can start at home simply by stretching your leg mucles. It’s important to have flexibility and stretching can help your muscles relax. Lifting weights with exercises such as squats or cleans can make your muscles tight so stretching helps keep them relaxed and flexible.

Calf raises is also another thing you can do at the gym or at home. Placing the balls of your feet on a step and raising your body weight, or holding dumb bells at the same time, will strengthen your calf muscles which is an important muscle group when it comes to increasing your vertical leap. Also, calf raises helps stretch your calf muscles helping them not only grow but become flexible at the same time.

Jumping rope is another great exercise for your legs and can easily be done at home. No need for equipment or lots of room and it’s easy to simply get started. Practicing jumping in your house or back yard is also a good idea to help your muscles become attuned to the exercise of jumping.

So, while strength conditioning at the gym is recommended, there are lots of ways you can work your leg muscles from the comfort of your own home. The important thing is to have a good program to follow and to remain diligent in your quest to increase your vertical leaping abilities.

Your vertical jump is basically your ability to jump as high as possible off the ground. The height from the bottom of your feet to the ground is calculated as your vertical jump height. Most of the time it’s measured in inches but may be centimeters too. Having a high vertical jump is important in sports, particularly basketball, volleyball, even athletic events such as high jumping. Being able to jump high is often a pre-requisite for certain professional athletes but can also increase the pleasure of even the most casual of sports men and women.

Stretching your leg muscles is important as well as building up strength and power too. One way to test how high you can jump is to approach a wall and with a piece of chalk in hand to jump as high as you can and make a horizontal line on the wall. As you begin specific exercises to increase your vertical jump, you can guage your progress simply by jumping against the same wall and marking a line to see if you’re vertical jump has increased.

It’s important to remember that once you begin training on increasing your vertical jump that you probably won’t see progress overnight. Training and exercising specific muscles over the course of as little as two weeks can dramatically increase your ability to jump high. Having a good manual or program is vital to knowing which muscles to strengthen so make sure you have the right training before commencing exercises.

At home you can jump rope or do jump squats where you bend down and jump as high as you can. Stand on a step with the balls of your feet and your heel hanging off in the back yard and do calf raises. Over time, you can hold a dumb bell or add some sort of resistence to help strengthen your calf muscles.

In the gym you can perform squats and other leg strengthening exercises with free weigths and machines. It’s a good idea to always stretch before and after exercises as you want to keep your muscles flexible as often as possible.

Increasing your vertical jump does take work and dedication but there are specific routines you can use to help you jump higher than before.

Solid Vertical Jump Exercises That Work

If you’re tired of not being able to increase your vertical jump then this article will help you by offering techniques and exercies that work. Many products these days are claiming to increase your vertical jump by as much as 10 inches and the reality is, it’s very possible. If you focus and work on strength exercises, there’s no reason not to increase your vertical jump.

There are a few programs online that provide training on improving your vertical jump and many of those programs come from actual athletes and even advice from other trainers who are reknown for their strength training. You want to not only incorporate certain exercises but also nutrition to feed your muscles as well as kinesiology and even obtaining the right attitude.

Your training should involve not only exercising your legs, e.g. your quads and calves, but also what’s called plyometrics. You want to improve the strength of your quads and hamstrings but your calves also play an important role in increasing your vertical jump.

The intensity of your workouts should start low while gradually building up to more intense exercises over the course of a month. Resting between exercises is recommended to allow your muscles to recover but over the course of 2 weeks to a month you will want to increase reps until you feel an increase in strength and vertical jumping ability.

Finding the right program is essential as you want to learn from not only the best, but from those who actually understand the physics behind increasing your vertical jump. Stay focused and determined and follow the course and you’ll be amazed at how you can increase your vertical jump in as little as 2 weeks.

If constant practice and sheer dedication aren’t enough to improve your game, then you might as well consider acquiring some effective basketball training aids.

** Shooting

Oversized basketball – is usually 3 inches larger in diameter than your regular basketball. This is designed to improve your accuracy in shooting.

Board-less hoop – is designed to improve your shooting accuracy by making shoots without depending on the board.

Rebounding device – helps you to practice your shooting without rebounding the ball after every shot.

Shooting straps – is attached to your shooting hand to assist you in maintaining the right form while taking a shot, make the right follow through, and improve your one-handed release.

** Dribbling

Dribbling aid – is designed to help you use your fingertips in dribbling (and not your palm). It also helps improving your passing and shooting skills.

Basketball goggles – are designed to keep your head up while dribbling your ball. The goggles block your lower vision so that you practice on not looking at the ball.

** Speed

Speed parachute – uses the principle of a parachute that provides resistance during sprint. This is used when you are running which helps you improve your speed as you are being held back by the parachute. Speed parachutes are also used by sprinters and football players.

Agility ladders – helps you develop eye-foot coordination, foot quickness, and versatility. You can use your regular ladder to achieve the same result.

** Vertical jump

Jump boxes – help you improve your jumping ability and overall strength. These boxes vary in height which you can use to strengthen your leg muscles.

Weight belt – increases your strength, at the same time, improves your vertical jump – helpful during rebounding and taking perimeter shots. Also available are weights worn on the ankles.

Jump soles – are training aids that are attached to your own shoes during practice and training which helps you improve your leg strength and jumping ability.

** Stamina

Jump ropes – are the most basic and probably the cheapest basketball training aids you can have. And they are effective too. Jump ropes improve your heart. Jump ropes also improve your calf and leg muscles. For better workout results, try weighted jump ropes.

Take note that these are only aids to improve your game. They aren’t designed to automatically make you a better player. Use them correctly combined with your dedication, hard work, and love for the game to get the best results.

For almost all sports, having a solid vertical jump is very important. Obviously basketball and perhaps athletic competitions like long jumping or high jumping come to mind but even sports like Tennis or volleyball require strong vertical jumping abilities. Athletes who have a less-than satisfactory vertical jump can vastly improve their game simply by using techniques designed to increase vertical jumping.

Imagine being tall but not being able to dunk a basketball? What about some basketball players who are under six feet tall who CAN dunk? Many people simply haven’t developed the right muscles or areas of muscles to increase their vertical jump. Following a tried and tested routine to increase vertical jump would allow you to jump higher even in as little as 2 weeks.

To increase your vertical jump you need to target certain muscles but do so with a particular training regimen so you achieve the best results quickly. Strengthening your quads and hamstrings, as well as your calf mucles, can begin with simple lunges, squats, step ups and so on. Thrust ups and calf raises can help you gain strength but you also want to increase speed as well as power for an effective combination.

You want to improve the flexibility of your hip flexors, muscles, and tendons which will aid in increasing your vertical jump. Going to the gym is probably the best place to build strength. Exercises such as clean and jerks and other power lifts are also important.

So, if you’re looking to increase your vertical jump in a relatively short period of time, the two most important factors are: having a good routine to follow and doing the exercises required. Discipline and nutrition are also important. Think positive, have a solid plan, and follow through and in 2 weeks you should see dramatic increases in your vertical jump.