How To Increase Your Vertical Jump

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jumping skills

The next key aspect you'll need to work on is improving your jumping skills. Since the best way to improve on any skill is to practice it, you must perform a variety of jumps.

On a separate day than your strength-training day, complete a series of the following exercises two to three times a week.

No Arm Hop: Don’t use your arms so that all the force is generated from your legs. Stand tall, bend down slightly and jump off the ground, while keeping your arms glued to your sides. Upon landing, jump again so that you complete 10 continuous reps.

Split-Lunge Jump: This exercise will really get your glute muscles firing, which is key in producing force. Assume a lunge position. Drive yourself off the ground from the lunge, switch legs in the air, and land back in the lunge position. The lower the lunge, the more muscle work is required. Go as low as possible while completing 10 to 15 reps.

Box Jumps:
Box jumps improve your rebounding ability, giving you better plyometric power. Stand atop a box that's one to two feet off the ground (the higher the box, the harder the exercise will be). Once you've found your balance, jump off the box, land as quickly as you can, and rebound off the ground once again. Note that the point of this exercise is not to land in a deep knee bend, but only to bend the knees as much as needed to propel your body off the ground again. After you're finished, get on top of the box and perform the action again, repeat it 10 times.

Ankle Hop: The final exercise you'll perform is an ankle hop, and it will mostly work the Achilles tendon and calf muscle. Simply stand up straight and perform small hops off the ground without bending your knees. You may need a slight knee bend to get going, but after that, keep it to a minimum. Perform up to 20 at a time, rest and repeat the exercise 2 to 3 more times.

Once you've gone through all of these components for a few weeks to a couple of months, you should start seeing a difference in your vertical jump. It would also be a good idea to start practicing your vertical jump once or twice a week once you get the hang of these exercises.

Finally, it should be mentioned that body fat levels will play a role in your vertical jumping ability. Obviously, the less body fat you have to transport into the air, the less strength your muscles will need. If you’re currently sporting some extra body weight, slimming down might be to your advantage. To do this, add some cardio to your program, and take a thorough look at what your dietary habits are like. 

jump around

If you are willing to put the time and effort into completing the above-mentioned exercises, there is no reason why you won’t eventually see an increase in your vertical jump.


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