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LeBron James Dunk or How to Increase Vertical Jump

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Is LeBron done with Cleveland?

Believe it or not:

LeBron James has a 41-inch vertical!

LeBron James Dunk

Did you see LeBron James' left-handed slam on Dwight Howard in the 2009 Playoffs? What about his alley-oop-dunk against the Wizards (2008 Playoffs)? Was his elbow even higher than the rim on that one? Maybe you remeber his sick block on Rajon Rondo...Ok, he had several ones against Rondo, but I'm talking about the one where he trapped Rondo's layup against the glass - simply amazing!

Was it even more spectacular than the sick dunk over Damon Jones back in time? What about the one over Tim Duncan and the sick one over Rasheed Wallace? Nobody would doubt that LeBron has got mad hops. His head is at the rim almost every time he dunks! In fact, he has a 41-inch vertical.

But the most interesting fact about the 24 year old superstar is that although he is one of the strongest players in the league - he still manages to have such a sick vertical leap.

You ask where is the problem? Lets take a look at LeBron's body. The guy is build like a bodybuilder. The problem is, muscles are heavy (LeBron is at 250 lbs now!), muscles are even heavier then fat. By the way, that's the reason you first gain weight when you start running in order to lose some fat. You build muscles first and burn fat only later. So be patient in that case. Back to Lebron - as a matter of fact, at 250 pounds he is actually too heavy for his height (6' 8'')! The average weight of an NBA player at this height is 222 pounds. But he still gets it done, he still has a vertical that is well above (40 inch.) that of an average nba player (= 32 inches)! So, how does he do it?

"Ask me to play. I'll play.
Ask me to shoot. I'll shoot.
Ask me to pass. I'll pass.
Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate. Anything.
But it's not what you ask of me.
It's what I ask of myself."

- LeBron James

This quote gives you a hint to a point that is absolutely essential: the dedication. LeBron's work ethic is matchless (e.g. his body fat rate is 6,7 %!). Only Kobe Bryant's workout is at the same level. Lets take a look at an excerpt of LeBron's workout:

It's a 5 days a week, one hour a day workout (running and playing basketball not included, = additional 3 hours a day). Every day consists of different exercises, only certain exercises like jump rope are done every time.

Day 1 (Monday):

- Jump rope (400 jumps)
- DynaDisc foot-speed drill To develop the core, balance, and foot speed all at once, stand on the discs while holding a medicine ball. Do a small, quick hop so that your left foot is on the floor and your right foot is on the disc your left foot was just on. Hop back to your original position, then do a quick hop in the opposite direction, so that your right foot is on the floor. (20 moves in each direction)
- DynaDisc dribble drill Stand on one foot on a disc holding a basketball with both hands at chest level. (Be glad that it's not a medicine ball.) Bounce and catch it while maintaining your balance. (20 dribbles on each foot)
- Stability dribble drill Back to the medicine ball and the Core board. (20 dribbles)
- Instability push-up (right) Do 2 sets of 20 with your hands holding the Core board.
- Seated figure eight (15 in each direction)
- Leg curl (2 sets of 10)
- Seated leg extension (2 sets of 10)
- Hip abduction (2 sets of 10)
- Smith rack squat The safer squat (2 sets of 10)
- Front raise (2 sets of 10)
- Lateral raise (2 sets of 10)
- Rear deltoid raise (2 sets of 10)
- Single-arm dumbbell row (2 sets of 10)
- Elliptical machine (25 minutes)

As you may have heard, LeBron also uses belts to build stregth enhancement. Here are some examples:

- Parachute Running Chutes:

Using two small parachutes tied to a belt, LeBron does sprints using wind resistance for power and strength enhancement.

- Bungees:

Two bungee cords tied to a lifting belt. Resisted sprints-forwards and backwards, then resisted slides, also jumps.

As for the vertical jump exercises, the interesting thing is besides the common exercises like jump rope and calf raises, LeBron uses some special, very effective exercises.

Here is an example:

- Split-Squat Jumps:

Starting Position: Start in a semi-lunge position with one foot in front of the other. Movement: Jump up as high as you can, alternating foot positions in mid-air. (If you begin this exercise with your left foot forward, your left foot should be in the back of the right foot at the completion of one repetition.). Use your hands for balance, land softly and under control.

2 Sets, 10 sec (later 15, 20, 25 sec)

For the rest of the 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:

www.howtodunk.org

New Text with BIG Picture

One thing is crucial: You simply need to know how to do the exercises right! That means how many times, in what combination and when to take a break for your muscles to regenerate.

The Common Mistake:

But most people don't have a clue how to train the right way, so they start on their own, are motivated and go over the top at the beginning (they think jumping as much as they can is the best method which is simply wrong! This way you only train your jumping endurance!) So they don't get the results they want (most want to dunk in 2 weeks, which quite unrealistic; about 10-15 inches in 3-4 months are realitic) and curse all the vertical programs.

So don't risk making the same mistake and get a real vertical program, stick to it seriously and you will get real results.

But if you really don't know how to start, here are some initial tips:

First of all, you need to work on your overall fitness. You have to lose the extra pounds (if you got some, otherwise concentrate on reducing your body fat) and your legs must become strong enough to take up a vertical program.

For that, go Jogging and use the Jump Rope 3 times a week (jogging: minimum 45 min. 3 times/ week; jump rope: 100 jumps 3 times a week).

Jumping rope not only gives you explosiveness and calf strength but is also a great way to build stamina, and work on your overall leg strength.

Besides the jump rope, you have to build in the following, highly effective exercises in your workout:

Squats and Calf Raises as they train the most important muscle groups in the jumping process. Do these exercises every now and then (the days you do not run). But don't exaggerate (max. 1 set of 8 reps 2 times/ week)!
After 3-4 weeks (and a rest period of one week) your legs should be prepared for a concrete vertical program (I personally can recommend Go Up Strong: http://www.howtodunk.org but there are also other recommendable programs. Actually it's more about your will to stick to a program than which one to pick.

The other, very effective exercises are:
1) Leg Presses - 3 x 7 reps
2) Lunges - 3 sets of 8
3) Leg Curls - 3 x 10
4) Shrugs - 3 sets x 15
5) Presses - 3 x 15
When you perform these exercises you work on your strength. But since power is strength multiplied with speed, you also need to work on your quickness.

In order to improve this aspect you can try:
1) Sprints (3 x 60 m)
2) Jumping (for example rim jumps)
3) Plyometric exercises (for example Split Squat Jumps)

P.S. Don't forget to stretch before and after your workout. Stretching not only prevents injuries but also keeps your muscles flexible - a huge point in the vertical jump! Studies have shown that warming up increases the speed of nerve impulses to muscles. The result: faster reaction times. This is one reason professional athletes spend more time warming up compared to many normal athletes - they know it will prevent injuries and help them reach better results.

P.P.S. The Jump Manual is a brand-new product that really works - guaranteed: www.howtodunk.org