Vertical Jumping Program to Increase Your Vertical

You always want to start your vertical leap workout by properly warming up. All you really want to do is increase blood flow to the large muscle groups in your legs, calves, and back to avoid damaging these muscles. If not properly warmed up these muscles could tear during your vertical leap exercise program. Some of the most effective low impact stretches are deep knee bend lunges, high knee skips, backwards run, and a carioca side shuffle. Low impact exercises for an explosive vertical leap include jump rope, running stairs or stadium steps, and sprinting on your toes. Try doing sets ten with these exercises to help improve your vertical jump and add low impact to your vertical jumping program.

Plyometrics, often called "plyos", are also a common way to increase vertical leap. Plyometrics are any exercise where the muscle is stretched before it is immediately contracted. A good example of this is push-ups with a clap in-between each push-up. There are numerous plyometric exercises to increase vertical leap, some are better than others. All of them use your body weight to load the muscle before contraction. The "two foot ankle hop" is done by keeping your feet together and hopping up and down while using your ankles and calves only. Focus on getting as high as possible and exploding off of the ground when you land. "Rim jumps" are done while standing under a basketball hoop. Jump up and down and touch as high as you can (rim or net) while alternating hands. Again, concentrate on getting as high as possible and exploding back up when you hit the ground. The last plyo to consider is "box to box jumps". With these two boxes that can support your weight are placed about three feet apart. Standing on top of one box step off to the ground and immediately jump back up to the opposite box. Turn around and repeat the exercise. Do not jump off the box but simply walk off. When done properly, plyometric exercises should be a vital component of your vertical jumping program.

Weight training is also a vital part of efforts to increase your vertical leap. When done properly you can see dramatic improvements in your vertical jump. Two of the most common weight training exercises for this are the "power leg press" and "dead lifts" With power leg presses you will add weight to a leg press machine until you feel a steady resistance. Put your feet apart and high on the press plate, then bring it down slowly until your knees are even with your chest. Then push the plate out with an explosive movement, and do not go slow. Try to find a weight where you can barely do 3 sets of 8 repetitions. With dead lifts we will work the lower back as well as the legs. Place a bell on the ground and stand over it. Then lower your body down and hold the bar, arching your back and keeping your knees bent. Now raise yourself up using your legs, then lower the bar back down. Find a weight where you can just barely do 3 sets of 6 reps steady but fast.