At 48 inches, Michael Jordan’s vertical leap was pretty impressive. It gave him a big advantage over the competition. If you step back and think about it for a minute you can easily see how a big vertical leap will help your basketball game. It makes it easier to rise above your competitors to grab rebounds, block their shots, and dunk over them. Now I am not going to tell you that I can have you throwing down dunks from the free-throw line like Michael Jordan, but I can guarantee you that if you are willing to put in a little hard work and you implement the right training program you CAN significantly improve your vertical leap.
When a person jumps, the three major muscle groups involved are the quads, hamstrings and lower back. Well, what about the calves you may be asking….they really don’t play a large part. Try this test out for yourself if you don’t believe me.
Stand in place with your feet flat on the ground. Do not bend your knees and jump up as high as you can. Alright,….well I’m guessing you didn’t jump very high. That would be because when you try to jump that way your body is only able to use the calves. Ok, repeat the test again but this time take a deep knee bend. Are you done? This time you should have jumped much higher because you are using your large muscle groups in your legs.
Believe it or not, about 80 percent of your jumping power is generated from the quads, hamstrings, and lower back. Therefore, if improving your vertical jump is your goal I would focus most of my attention on increasing the strength and power of these muscles. Here are some of the exercises I would use:
Squats – Squats are BY FAR the best overall exercise that you can do to help you improve your vertical jump. Just think about the squat motion in general. It closely resembles the motion you use when you are preparing to jump. It hits all the right muscle groups as well. So make sure you incorporate HEAVY squats into your workouts.
Sprints – Sprints are great because you don’t have to go to a gym to do them. If you run a few sets of the 50 and 100 yard dashes you will increase your speed, build your leg muscles, and improve your vertical leap. Also, if you would like a greater challenge you can mix it up and do some hill sprints.
Jumping rope – Getting proficient at jumping rope will improve your reflexes and cardiovascular system. Once you have mastered the rope, add ankle weights to increase the difficulty.
Box Jumps – Box jumps are a basic plyometric exercise that you can do to improve your vertical leap. You don’t have to have the professional boxes to perform them either. Basically anything will do. Jumping onto and off of a tall bench works well. Just remember to jump up again as soon as your feet hit the ground and EXPLODE UP as high as you can.
Heel and Toe touches – With your feet shoulder width apart, jump as high as you can and lift your heels toward your butt. Now while you are in the air touch your toes. Land, jump again and touch your heels. If you master this and want to mix it up, to increase the difficulty try to touch your toes and then your heels before you land.
An area that is commonly overlooked is the individual’s jumping form. It is easy to gain a quick 2-3 inches on your vertical just by implementing the proper jumping techniques. Trust me, I can say this from experience because I have seen it in myself.
Want to find out more about Michael Jordan’s Vertical and how you can increase your vertical leap? Then visit Brayden Fisher’s site at: www.40inchvertical.net for the best vertical leap exercises and workouts.
