Dwight Howard Dunk or How to Increase Vertical Jump

Ok, Dwight Howard won the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest with an arsenal of huge, never seen before dunks (including the sick superman-dunk).

But have you seen Dwight Howard's Kiss The Rim Dunk? What about the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached 12 ft 6 in?!

Or, did you know that the 21-year old Orlando Magic Center had the most dunks in the NBA last season (254, that are 508 out of his total 1,443 points last season, or 35 percent)?

This season (2007-2008) he is already leading the league in dunks (179 dunks till the 2008-All-Star-Break)!

Ok, by now it's clear the guy can jump - actually he has a 39-inch vertical.

So, what is his training about?

First of all, Dwight is a Rebounding Machine. And battling for rebounds takes more than great ups. You need strong lower-back muscles to explode to the ball. That's why The Beast includes back extensions or single-leg deadlifts in every workout:

Back Extension

Position yourself in a back-extension station, and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Hold your arms straight out beyond your head. Lower your torso, allowing your lower back to round slightly, until it's just short of perpendicular to the floor. Pause, then raise your upper body until it's slightly above parallel to the floor. At this point, you should have a slight arch in your back, and your shoulder blades should be pulled together. Do 10 to 15 repetitions.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Grab a light dumbbell in your right hand and stand on your left foot with your right foot off the floor. With your left knee slightly bent and your lower back naturally arched, push your hips backward to begin lowering the weight. (You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and glutes.) Continue lowering the dumbbell as far as you can while keeping your back flat. Pause, then push through your left heel to return to the starting position. Do three or four sets of six to 10 repetitions on each leg.

Besides weight training, what does the 6'11'' Center do to gain his inhuman strength?

"Every night I play a boxing video game (Fight Night Round). In between each round I do 20 to 40 push-ups." - Dwight Howard

Dwight averages about 10 matches a night, at anywhere from two rounds to 12. His estimate: 400 push-ups a night.

For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you "don't" do is more important then what you "do" do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend: