There are many vertical jump training exercises you can do to increase how high you can jump. There are, in fact, so many exercises, programs, and products that entire books have been dedicated to the subject. In this article I will give a few easy and very fundamental examples of basic exercises you can do at home or in the gym.
- The squat may be the best lower body exercise for anything, hands down. It is definitely one of the best for increasing your vertical jump and learning how to jump higher for basketball, as well as for building all around leg strength. Squats can be performed in the gym with a rack of weights or anywhere, using just your body weight. Start in a standing position, feet spread slightly past shoulder width. Now bend at the knees until your thighs are at least parallel with the ground. The lower you can go, the better. It is important to keep your chest out and push your hips back when going down. This helps maintain the natural curve of your spine and will prevent injuries. Perhaps have someone check out your form while you are doing squats.
- Calf raises are another great way to jump higher. The calf muscle is very important when it comes to jumping. Like the squat, you can do this exercise with weights or simply use you body weight. Stand on the edge of either a step or perhaps a thick piece of wood. Make sure your heels are hanging over the edge. Next, raise yourself up onto your tiptoes as high as you can go. Hold for a few seconds, and then return to your starting position and repeat.
- Use a bench, box, or chair of some kind and do step ups. It is very simple and it is exactly what it sounds like. Stand in front of the chair or bench, place one foot on top, and then step up onto it. Now step back down, and step up onto it again using the other leg. This exercise is a great functional way to jump higher by really working the quadriceps.
These three exercises will provide a great starting point for improving your vertical jump. The best thing is that they can be done anywhere using just your body weight. There is no weight training equipment required. If you really want to see accelerated results, losing weight by following a super fat burning diet will also increase your jumping ability because you have less weight to push off the ground.
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