How to Jump High Enough to Dunk

Are you less than 6 feet tall and dream of jumping high? High enough to dunk? If so, keep reading. I'm a 5' 7" basketball enthusiast who has always dreamed of jumping high and getting enough vertical to slam the ball. The problem is that I'm 5' 7". Somehow this never got in Nate Robinson's way (2 time Sprite NBA Slam Dunk champ with a 43.5" vertical). Studies show that jumping ability is independent of body type anyway (as if Spud Webb isn't example enough). Before my research, I could barely hit rim. After doing some digging I've found some information about increasing not only my vertical jump, but also my overall jump performance. After only a few days of basic training, I'm already starting to see results, and I'll be dunking in no time flat. Let me show you what I've found.

People (myself included) tend to think of jumping as just an exercise for the legs. And that seems to make sense on the surface. But what is the main factor that drives leg strength and quickness when it comes to vertical jumping? Answer: the hips (and knees!). A study published by Isokinetics and Exercise Science found that jumping high depends upon how much strength and power a person generates at the hips and knees (1). That is, hip drive is a key component to jumping high. Knees play a role in terms of form; good form at the knees means that when you jump, you recruit muscles in the legs more effectively to power your jump.

The best exercise to develop explosive hip power while taking the form of your knees into account is the squat. I'm partial to Mark Rippetoe (one of the founders of Cross Fit) and how he explains a squat should be done properly. In his book Starting Strength, he spends 65 pages talking about how to squat properly. Here's a video that's just a tad bit shorter:

I've read (and heard) all one needs to do to develop vertical jump height is plyometrics. Plyometric training is a type of exercise training where you make fast, powerful, repetitive movements in order to train your muscles to generate as strong a contraction as possible in the least amount of time. Plyometric training is better than not training at all, but studies show plyometrics alone won't help you make the gains you need to dunk. Here's one stark example with some numbers: a six-week Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study found that the test subjects who trained plyometrics only gained on average 1.5" on their vertical (2). Six weeks for only 1.5"? No thanks!

Generally speaking, a combination of strength training with weights and plyometric training are the key to jumping high. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Plyometrics try to maximize muscle contraction in the shortest amount of time to optimize your jumping power. If your muscles are stronger, it gives plyometrics more to maximize, and you get to jump higher. Remember that Journal of Strength and Condition Research study? In that same study, test subjects who trained a combination of squats and plyometrics gained on average 4.2" That's nearly three times more vertical than plyometrics alone!

A good plyometric exercise proven to increase vertical jumping is the depth jump.

A Journal of Strength and Condition Research study suggests that this training in concert with a strength and conditioning program can potentially double your vertical jump (3)! I like to use these exercises with the squat demonstrated above from Mark Rippetoe.

t should go without saying that one of the keys to jumping high is the same as it is for general fitness. You must eat right. A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein will keep your body humming like a finely tuned machine, and keep you jumping high. I'm partial to carbs 1-3 hours before a workout for energy as carbs are easier for your body to process and are the first store of energy your body goes to when you work out. After a good workout, protein helps rebuild your muscles. A Metabolism article shows that immediate pre- and post- workout protein supplements can increase your vertical jumping ability (4). Some studies also recommend carbs after a workout in order to rebuild your energy stores. Elizabeth Quinn, exercise physiologist, has a list of pre and post exercise nutrition recommendations that will help you jump high enough to dunk:

Pre-workout

Post-workout

Read all of this and you still want to know more? Jacob Hiller's The Jump Manual is a tried and true system guaranteed to add at least 10" to your vertical. You can start seeing results in as little as 2 weeks of training. This guy will definitely put you on the path to jumping high enough to dunk. Click here to get started now!

(1) The relationship between jumping performance and isokinetic strength of hip and knee extensors and ankle plantar flexors - Tsiokanos et. al 10(2) pp 107-115. 2002.

(2) The effect of six weeks of squat, plyometric and squat-plyometric training on power production - Adams et. al 6(1) pp 36-41. 1992.

(3) A comparison of plyometric training techniques for improving vertical jump ability and energy production - Gehri et. al 12(2) pp 85-89. 1998.

(4) The effect of resistance training combined with timed ingestion of protein on muscle fiber size and strength - Lars et . al 54(2) pp 151-156. 2005.