5 Easy Steps To An Explosive Vertical Jump

Doing vertical jumping workouts to improve your vertical jump and actually getting it right is not as easy as it sounds. Barging in and starting to do leg exercises is just not going to cut it. Without proper planning and preparation you are going to frustrate yourself, probably injure yourself and eventually give up. Like everything else in life your vertical jumping workouts need to be based on a well thought out plan with clear objectives, supported by the right mental attitude, a decent diet and enough rest.

Here is a 5 step plan you can follow to get you started on the road to jumping success.

1. Develop A Positive Mental Attitude.

The first thing you must do is determine why it is important that you need to go through the pain and exhaustion resulting from vertical jumping workouts every day. Ask yourself what is in it for you and speculate on what you will be able to achieve once you can jump higher. Be honest and practical. If you can not come up with answers that actually excite you, chomping at the bit to get started with your workouts, drop it because you are bound to fail.

2. Define Clear, Achievable Objectives.

You must be very clear on what you want to achieve with your vertical jumping workouts. Be specific and of course also realistic. When defining your objectives you should take into account aspects like your lifestyle habits, work and personal commitments as well as any other personal issues that could have an impact on a stringent workout schedule. Do not kid yourself. You will not be able to improve your vertical from 30 to 45 inches in three weeks but you might be able to increase your vertical by 1 inch every three weeks.

3. Determine Your Current Status.

This is probably the most important step and not to be skimmed over. First of all you need to measure your current vertical. This will provide you with a standard against which you can measure your progress. Secondly you must determine what type of exercises you require. Keep in mind that for an explosive vertical you not only need powerful leg muscles but also quickness and speed. Building muscle in your legs when you actually need to work on your quickness and speed or doing plyometric exercises for quickness and speed when you should actually be building muscle will be counter productive and take you on a road to nowhere. Be very clear on what you need to do.

4. Plan Your Vertical Jumping Workouts.

Once you know what type of exercises you need to focus on during your vertical jumping workouts, you can start planning your workout routine. Remember that any good workout routine has three components. It begins with warm up exercises to loosen the muscles, followed by the actual exercises you plan on doing and ends with cool down exercises. Do not do the same exercises day after day. Work in some variety to break the monotony. Do not overdo it. Work in enough rest days to give your muscles time to rest and recover.

5. Change Your Lifestyle.

When you follow a heavy daily workout routine your body needs all the help it can get. This comes in the form of proper nutrition and enough rest. Lose the junk food and go easy on the late nights. Start eating nutritious meals consisting of the right food types that your body requires to maintain a rigorous exercise routine and be sure to get enough sleep. A healthy lifestyle is of the utmost importance if you want to succeed in increasing your vertical jump.