Important Exercises to Increase Vertical Jump
Although there are many exercises to increase vertical jump, we would like to take just a minute to talk about a few, and why they can be extra beneficial to the development of your vertical leap. Don't be confused though, just because these are some very good exercises to increase vertical jump doesn't mean that every good program out there will use them, nor does it mean that you HAVE to incorporate them into your training to reach your goals. There are many, many ways to reach the end results you desire, and more often then not it is going to take you some trial and error in order to find the best combination of programs and exercises that work for you and your body to increase vertical leap effectively.
Squats and Power Cleans-
Squats and power cleans are some of the most famous power lifts ever, and over time can develop a great source of power within you. There are many power lifters who stand under six feet tall, are very muscular and "stocky" looking, yet can blast upwards from a standing start and easily dunk a basketball with two hands. This tremendous amount of upward force can be attributed to them squat and power clean enormous amounts of weight, hence building up massive stores of power within their legs. Although you shouldn't be trying to get your squat/power clean that high if you plan to still be an athlete in a sport such as basketball or volleyball or even football, it can be and is an important excercise in a successful training regimine aimed at increasing vertical leap.Calf Raises/Hops-
The calves, although not the most important source of power within the jumping motion, are very important. The calves are your last push off from the ground, and if properly trained and conditioned, can add a significant boost to your vertical leap. Calf raises, either weighted or unweighted, consist you standing on a ledge such as stairs or a chair, with your heel hanging off. You then push up, using your calf muscle, until you have reached the furthest point of extension that your ankle will allow. Your "push upwards" should be powerful, yet controlled. You should never push off with so much force that your feet leave the surface of the ledge you are standing on. If this is the case you need to add more weight to you workout. Calf "Hops" are when you bounce up and down off of the ground in short quick hops. You should never bend your knees or hips during this exercise, only your ankle joint should be active. Your aim should be to spend as little time on the ground as possible, so when your feet touch back down, immeadiately burst back upwards.Plyometrics-
We have discussed the importance of plyometric exercise earlier on this site, if you would like to read that post click here. Basically, plyometric exercise takes the strength you build up within your legs from weight lifting and turns it into explosive power that has the ability to greatly increase your vertical jump. When thinking about a program or specific exercises to increase vertical jump, plyometrics should for no reason be excluded. Some good plyometric exercises, although not nearly all of them, include: box jumps, lateral box jumps, depth jumps, bounding, calf hops, and maximum height squat jumps.Upper Body-
Upper body, as we have stated before, is often the most overlooked aspect of training vertical leap. Two important muscles to train are the back in general, and the shoulders. The back creates an upward thrust when you quickly throw your body from a bent over position to vertical, and the shoulders fuel the upward motion of the armswing, which is an important part of obtaining maximum vertical leap.So when looking at possible excercises to increase vertical jump within a program or when trying to construct a program of your own, strongly consider these elements. They are all very important and could be the difference between you only adding a few inches, or reaching the vertical jump heights of your dreams.
If you liked this article, make sure to check out our other articles, as well our ratings of the top vertical jump programs, including our Jump Manual Review, which currently holds the number one rating on our site!