Posts Tagged ‘jump higher’

Beginning Exercises to Aid Your Vertical Jump

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Do you want to know which exercises to start with that will improve your vertical jump? There are many to select from. There are a few in particular that can enhance your ability and help you learn how to jump higher. Here are some basic ones that are an excellent point to begin your training. You need to ensure that you follow them closely. Numerous people perform the right exercises, but they don’t do them correctly. Begin with the exercises we outline below and you will have a good foundation for improving you vertical leap.

Numerous people erroneously suppose that it is only the leg muscles that need to be developed to improve your vertical jump. The muscles in the back and waist are also very important. The erector muscles are the strongest muscles in the back and take on the most work. Your plan should consist of exercises for the back and waist areas as well. Which brings us to our initial exercise.

Dead Lifts

Dead lifts are great. Arch your back, bend your knees while holding the weighted bar. Bring the barbell up until you are standing erect with the barbell hanging across your thighs. Slowly return the barbell back to the initial location on the floor. Perform three sets of 6-8 repetitions. To avoid injury, do not jerk the bar, but execute the exercise quickly and steadily. {Take a rest.|Take a brief rest after these first 3 sets.} Then do the next set, but this time take your time and sense the full range of your muscles.

Leg Presses

A subsequent exercise that can help advance your vertical leap is leg presses. Set the weight on the machine to a weight suitable for you. Spread your feet apart. Bring the plate down gradually 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. Repeat this exercise six times – and perform five sets. Take a brief pause between each set.

Medicine Ball

Lastly, use a heavy medicine ball in place of a basketball. Pretending that you are doing a dunk, grasp the medicine ball and jump up as high as you can. Make sure to stretch your reach and try to get the ball as high as you can. This will help improve all the muscles you will be using when you slam dunk for real. Doing this exercise as hard as you can will have a big effect on your vertical jump.

While these are just three exercises, they can be a good beginning to increasing your vertical jump. Mix these with additional jumping exercises. Keep in mind that correct form is just as essential as the weight and the number of reps.

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