Are you looking for some fundamental movements to increase your vertical jump? There are quite a few out there. There are a few in particular that can increase your ability to jump higher. Make sure that you follow the exercises properly. You can perform the correct exercises, but if you don’t do them correctly, you won’t get the results you want. Start with the exercises we outline below and you will have a good groundwork for improving you vertical jump.
Many people wrongly suppose that it is only the leg muscles that need to be developed to improve your vertical jump. The muscles in the back and waist are also very important. The erector muscles are the strongest muscles in the back and take on the most work. Your program should consist of exercises for the back and waist areas as well. Which brings us to our first exercise.
Dead Lifts
Dead lifts are great. Remembering to attempt to keep you back as vertical as possible, bend your knees and reach down and grab the barbell. Come to an standing position while holding the bar. Slowly return the barbell back to the initial location on the ground. The first 3 sets of 6-8 reps should be done swiftly but steadily to avoid injury. Take a brief rest after these first 3 sets. Then do the next set, but this time take your time and feel the full range of your muscles.
Leg Presses
Another high-quality exercise is leg presses. Choose a weight on the leg press machine that is toward the upper end of your range, but not the maximum you can lift. Spread your feet apart. Lower the weight until your thighs almost contact your chest. Then thrust the weight back up in an explosive way. It’s not about the slow and steady here. You need to practice the explosive move to get the most out of the muscles you will use when jumping. Repeat this exercise six times – and perform five sets. Allow muscles to rest between sets.
Medicine Ball
Lastly, utilize a heavy medicine ball in place of a basketball. Act as if you are going to slam dunk, but don’t actually throw the ball! Embellish the actions and reach for the rim. This will help build up all the muscles you will be using when you slam dunk for real. As with the leg presses, make sure to be explosive when you perform this exercise.
These three exercises are simply three of several that can help improve your vertical jump and learn how to jump higher. Begin with these and when you can do them well, you can proceed to other exercises. Don’t forget to use the correct form while performing these exercises. It can help you evade injury.
Tags: how to jump higher, improve vertical jump, increase vertical jump, jumping exercises