Increase Jumping Ability: Add 10 Inches in ONLY 12 Weeks!

Posted by on June 17, 2011 Comments Off

Increase Jumping Ability: For athletes interested in training to increase jumping ability, there is good news. While many people often assume that athletes who can leap higher than others are able to do so due to natural genetic gifts that others do not possess, the facts tell a dramatically different tale. In fact, genetics plays only a small role in any athlete’s actual talent in this area.

Increase Jumping Ability: Facts to know!

Scientific studies and years of experience have revealed that the vast majority of any athlete’s talent comes from effort and training. Those basketball players who routinely fly through the air to slam dunk the ball are not always genetically superior to other athletes who remain much more grounded on the court. The difference between the two is often simply a difference in training style and focus.

Before athletes can learn to elevate their bodies several feet above the floor, however, they must first learn the fundamentals of jump strength, as well as the proper training methods and focus. There is a right way to learn how to jump higher, and once it is learned every athlete can find his vertical lift increasing at a dramatic rate. All that is required is effort and a commitment to continual improvement.

Identifying the jump source

The first question that needs to be asked is where the explosive power that enables these dramatic leaps actually comes from. It has long been known that strength is necessary for any jump. Commentators and others routinely talk about how strong an athlete’s legs must be to perform many of the aerial feats often seen on the basketball court and elsewhere. What these commentators never do, however, is talk about the specific kind of strength necessary for quality jumps.

After all, it is not pure brute strength that enables these jumps.

If it were, every defensive lineman in football could slam a basketball through the hoop. No, it is a specific kind of strength that is required, and that strength comes from the fast twitch muscle fibers in the quadriceps and calves. It is these fibers that must be the main focus for athletes who want to develop superior jump strength.

Increase Jumping Ability: Consider this too!

Building fast twitch fiber strength

While it is important to develop overall muscle strength through resistance training, leg presses and other traditional weightlifting exercises tend to focus on slow twitch fibers. To really maximize the strength in the fast twitch fibers, athletes need to supplement their weightlifting efforts with plyometric exercises that help to develop the type of explosive power that combines strength and speed.

The box jump

This exercise is performed by jumping onto a box, chair, or other stable surface, and then immediately jumping back down to the floor. The legs should be bent during the jump, just as they would bend immediately prior to any jump on the basketball court. The key to stimulating those fast twitch muscle fibers lies in intensity. Every single repetition must be at full speed and full intensity.

Knee tucks

This exercise is performed by leaping high into the air while raising the knees as high as possible. Again, maximum intensity is required, even though that may limit most athletes to several reps a set rather than the eight to ten repetitions they typically perform with resistance training. Be sure also to swing the arms during the motion for greater momentum.

Squat hops

This is an intense exercise that really fires up those explosive muscle fibers. Start in a squatting position and perform five or six small frog hops without leaving that position. On the next hop, extend the legs and leap as high into the air as possible. That entire process completes one set of this exercise. Start with two or three sets of this exercise and then add additional sets as needed.

Increase Jumping Ability: The rest!

Any sound routine must also focus on the rest that the athlete receives, as well as how he meets his nutritional needs. Many athletes get into a hurry as they seek to improve their jumps, and this can cause them to over-train.

Developing this muscle power takes time. That time includes plenty of rest and time away from the gym, as well as a focus on sound nutrition to ensure that tired muscles receive the nutrients they need to heal and become stronger.

It is also advisable for most athletes to consult with a qualified coach or trainer when they begin a program to develop this strength. These coaches can help to modify routines, hold athletes accountable to their goals, and ensure that the maximum results are obtained for any program designed to increase jumping ability without any side effects.