Vertical Jump Tips

In basketball today, players want to run fast, play strong, and most importantly, jump high. How does one improve the height of his or her vertical leap, you ask? There's a simple answer. Weight training.The two most important muscles for jumping "out of the gym" are the calf and quadriceps muscles. The power in your jump will come from the quad muscle in the front of your thigh. The explosion that lifts you off of the floor to begin with? That starts with having strong calf muscles.There are different ways to strengthen those muscles. For your quads, it is smart to perform the leg press workout on a leg press machine, pushing weight outwards or upwards while controlling your body. Leg extensions, where one sits flat and lifts weight upward with both legs, is another way to strengthen the quads. A favorite is the wall sit. This requires less equipment and uses the weight of your own body to build strength. Sit on a wall, dropping your rear end until you quads are at a 90 degree angle and parallel to the ground. Sit there for a while, even adding a weight to your lap, until the muscle starts to burn.As for the calf muscles, there are a few things one can do to strengthen them. Toe raises are effective. Stand against a wall to keep your balance. Then, on one foot, push your body up and down, keeping the weight on the front balls of your feet. Repeat this any number of times until there is a nice burn in the muscle. Running sprints will also help to develop the calf muscle.If you can use weight training to strengthen these muscles, you will be well on your way to jumping higher and even running faster. The world's best athletes win their championships in the weight room. There's no reason why you can't join them!

Jump! Jump!

There are many complicated programs and new-fangled gadgets to help increase vertical jump, but sometimes the classics are the best.One easy way to work on your ups is to practice jumping back and forth over a two-foot bench. You may have to start slowly, but eventually you'll be able to hop back and forth without stopping, which will help increase both your vertical jump and quickness.Add this to a regimen of strength training and rope jumping and you will be on your way - UP!

Build Your Jumping

In order to better your jumping, you need to increase your leg strength and stamina. A great way to do this is by doing a consecutive jumping drill. Begin by jumping as high as you can off both feet. Your hands should be above your head and rotating to help you jump high. As soon as you land, go right back up. Repeat this twenty-five times. Next, jump twenty-five times off your right foot, then twenty-five times off your left. Keep your hands up and go up as quickly as you can after landing. Next, jump twenty-five times bringing your knees to your chest. You can now bring your arms down in order to maintain balance, but continue jumping as quickly as possible. Then jump twenty-five times trying to kick your heals into your rear end. Finally, perform twenty-five Jerry Wests. A Jerry West is a jump in which you bend forward at the waist extending your arms at forty-five degree angles. Try to touch your fingertips to your toes.

Flexibility - The Key to Jumping Higher

Often overlooked as a factor in leaping ability is a player's flexibility. Jumping high is based on the elasticity of your muscles and tendons. Without extreme flexibility, you will never jump as high as you could with proper training. Be sure that before you practice you employ a series of stretching drills to help with your flexibility. Basic hamstring and quadricep stretches can be done in just a few minutes either standing or seated on the floor. There are also many basketball training accessories now available to provide you with a stringent warm-up routine for flexibility. Take advantage of these to increase your flexibility and increase your jump.

Tricking Your Muscles to Make You Jump Higher

Only two things keep us grounded on the earth; resistance from gravity and from our own muscles. There is not much we can do about gravity, but your muscles do not need to know that. New training accessories have been developed that can help you in your battle against gravity and trick your muscles into helping you jump higher. Among the most reliable of of these new tools is a weighted belt. These have been around for a while, but the new incarnations of this classic utility are made for more comfort and effectiveness. By weighing yourself down as you practice, your muscles think you have more weight to propel on your body. When you are done using the belt, your body will remember that extra weight and you will move quicker and jump higher as a result.

Methods to Jump Higher

Jumping has become as much what basketball is about as dribbling is. Everyone wants to increase their vertical leap so they can make airborne moves to the hoop. If you really want to increase your vertical jump, try these tips. Have you thought about the jump shoes? I know, you never see people playing in these, but that is because you are not supposed to. These shoes with the 'high-toe' as opposed to 'high heel' are made for training and doing specific drills. These drills are the fastest way to build your calves, quads, and hamstrings. These are the muscles that will make you jump higher, fast. If you want to jump high and are willing to use the training, the jump shoes are the way to go for the results you are looking for.

Plyometrics

Speed and strength are integral components of basketball. Simply put, the combination of speed and strength is power. For many years, coaches and players have sought to improve power in order to enhance performance. Increased power helps in your jumping and quickness to be a better rebounder, defender, or finish moves around the basket. Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance basketball performance. In recent years, this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. This describes the method of training, which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid contractions.

Tall - But That's Not All

Sometimes younger players who mature early struggle waiting for their coordination to catch up with their height. But don't worry - with practice and confidence, your skills can catch up with your