Monthly Archives: May 2011

Jumping Training: Read this before investing even $1.

Posted by on May 28, 2011 Comments Off

Jumping Training: Athletes really have one of two choices when it comes to learning to jump higher: they can either seek the right kind of jumping training or they can live with their current vertical lift.

For most athletes who want to elevate their games and their bodies to new heights, the latter option is not even worthy of consideration. Still, it is not always easy to find the right kind of training to develop this skill.

Jumping Training: Facts to Consider!

Many athletes spend innumerable hours in the gym or on an outside basketball court trying again and again to leap high enough into the air to reach that elusive rim. Unfortunately, this is not the proper way to train the body to jump higher.

In most cases, all that will be obtained as a result of this repetitious behavior is a couple of sore legs and a head full of frustration. To achieve real success, these athletes must train their bodies and minds to reach these new heights. The ability to jump high is not some innate gift buried within the genes of some special class of people.

Rather, it is the natural byproduct of muscle fibers that have been trained to produce both speed and power. These fibers provide the special kind of strength needed for any athlete to fly above the basketball court and this is really important.

Jumping Training: Defining the strength!

There are two types of strength that must be understood. The first is that raw, physical power that enables great physical exertion over long periods of time.

This strength is produced by strong slow-twitch muscle fibers, and is usually developed by resistance training or other high-endurance activities. The second type of strength is that explosive power that enables athletes to perform amazing feats like sprints and dunking a basketball.

This type of strength comes from strong fast-twitch muscle fibers.

These are the fibers that literally explode for short burst of power. The slow-twitch fibers will carry an athlete through most of his activities, often without glory or acclaim.

The fast-twitch fibers may only get called into action for truly amazing bursts of activity, but it is those activities that tend to receive all of the attention.

Jumping Training: How to build a better jump?

To improve any vertical jump, the athlete must learn to focus on the right kind of training routines. As one might expect, resistance exercises are an important part of any athlete’s overall sports fitness. They produce strong muscles that can endure repeated movements over long periods of time. Thus, squats and leg presses can strengthen the legs to enable the player to run up and down a court for an entire evening.

As necessary as that ability is, however, it will not contribute to that same athlete’s ability to rise into the air and deliver a thunderous dunk. To accomplish that, plyometric techniques must be used. These techniques are designed to stimulate the fast-twitch fibers and increase their overall strength and explosiveness. When used properly, these techniques can dramatically improve any athlete’s vertical jump.

Jumping Training: How they work!

Plyometric exercises are based on the simple principles of loading and exploding. Most of these exercises require the athlete to properly load the muscles by beginning in a position that places a great deal of stress on the quadriceps and calves. From that position, these movements require the athlete to burst into action in one way or another. This is the explosion that accompanies the loading.

Take, for example, the squat jump. The loaded part of this exercise is fulfilled when the athlete is in the squatted position with his buttocks touching his heels. This position places tremendous pressure on the muscles of the quadriceps and calves. From that position, the athlete explodes upward, jumping as high as he can. That motion causes the fast-twitch muscles to spring into action.

Jumping Training: Building a routine!

There are many plyometric exercises that can be learned by any athlete and added to his exercise regimen. To develop a successful routine, athletes can research different exercises on the internet or consult a professional coach or trainer. The latter option will provide the best results for most people, since a coach can better judge overall progress and hold an athlete accountable on a day to day basis.

When performed properly and with increased intensity over time, these movements will add inches to any athlete’s vertical leap. It can and most likely will take months to see the full results, but the time and effort involved in any jumping training routine are essential to reaching the loftiest jump goals.