Increasing Vertical Jump Heights: Some Common Training Mistakes

As an athlete, we all know that doing anything better than your opponent is a great advantage and an instant plus in your chances of winning.

If you are a basketball player, for example, a higher jump can be a huge advantage if used properly. Imagine how much rebounds you will be able to do if you can jump higher than everybody else. Or how exciting it will be if you could jump over your opponents and dunk the ball for that last second winning score!

If you wish to improve your athletic skills, particularly that of increasing vertical jumping, you will need to undergo a training program made for such objectives.

Much has been said about such programs and about how to jump higher through training and you can easily find “how-to” guides and the many jumping programs on the Internet but there is not much information on how to do it the wrong way.

Below are a few guides to help you determine if what you are doing is wrong.

• If you are finding yourself doing countless repetitions of jump higher drills, they probably are the wrong jump higher drills. No vertical jump exercise regimen will tell you to do it in hundreds of repetitions at a time because these are regimen that go after explosive speed and strength. Always go for the maximum.


• Focusing on isolation movements is also not advisable because you need to work out the big muscle groups and not just the small muscles. You can work out the small muscle groups but only to make it stronger and more flexible. The highlight of your training should be the drills that work on the collusion of the muscle groups needed to jump--- from the core, to the thigh and calf muscles of the legs, down to the ankle and toes. Vertical exercises that promote their teamwork to achieve the objective jump height are some of the most important exercises.


• If you are not spending time on core strengthening, you are wasting a lot of your effort. The core is very important in making the movements of your arms and legs more powerful. They are the base of muscular movement and, hence, should be as solid and stable as can be. You could do a lot of core strengthening exercises with simple exercises and a few simple fitness equipments. A weight bench can easily be used as a core weight strengthening machine or you could do some effective exercises with no equipments needed.
  


• If you are losing patience in waiting for positive results, you may need to reevaluate your training attitude. Results do not come overnight. Some may see positive results faster than others but one thing is for sure, if you are doing things right and according to sound scientific principles, positive results will come. Just keep doing what you are doing and focus on maintaining high quality workouts employing the correct understanding of vertical jump mechanics.

Always remember that if there is the right way to do things, there is also the wrong way. Be sure to know them both by heart before going all out. Vertical training programs are composed of high intensity, high impact exercises that could get you into a lot of trouble and pain if done the incorrect way. Be sure that you are on the right track before jumping into it full time.

Photo credit: sheebe

Vertical Jump Mechanics: The Leg Muscles and the Jumping Action

Jumping, particularly the vertical jump, is a very explosive athletic skill. It involves the collusion of a series of muscular movements of the legs and feet through the power generated by the muscles.

It makes use of a squatting movement where you bend your legs such that the angle between your feet and your shins is decreased (also referred to as the dorsi flexion of the ankle). A very short period of rest follows the squat where your fore feet gets the initial push on the ground. Then the sudden straightening in conjunction with the very quick increase of angle between your feet and your shins (plantar fexion of the ankle). This last part right here is the act that enables you to transfer a lot of the mechanical energy generated by the muscles into a propulsion that lifts you off the ground.

There are two types of fibers that muscles are made up of: the slow twitch and the fast twitch muscle fibers. The fast twitch muscle fibers are capable of contracting around twice as fast as slow twitch and, hence, are the ones vertical jump program exercises target. Targeting the slow twitch muscles through exercises that promote endurance and not explosiveness, speed and power will not benefit your vertical jump height.

Another muscle dynamics that amateur athletes fail to recognize is the fact that most of the power generated by your extremities come from the center of the body. Also known as the core muscles, they are the ones that stabilizes the torso and the trunk before any athletic movement is executed. A solid and stable spine and torso, will translate to quicker and more powerful movements of the legs and the arms. This is why core strengthening is an essential aspect of any vertical jumping program.

Tips on Increasing Vertical Jump

Plyometric exercises, while one of the most effective methods to targeting the fast twitch muscle fibers of the legs and improve jumping height, are activities that produce a lot of impact on your body. Be sure that you know what you are doing before jumping into plyometrics. One way to mitigate the risks is to hire the services of a jump coach so you will have a quick feedback mechanism if you are doing things the right way.

To increase your robustness against injury, never neglect warm up exercises or stretching. Be sure to spend a lot of time developing your body's flexibility as this has been shown to reduce risks of injuries.

Work out that core. The core muscles are good for stability and also help prevent injury.

Nutrition and rest. Don't work out everyday. Allow your muscles to recuperate and grow. To speed things up, follow through with sound nutrition. Eat the right food at the right time and get enough sleep. This will help speed up your progress and will help you reach your objectives quicker.

If you are working to increase your jumping height to improve your athletic performance and hence, become a better basketball player, one important step is understanding the principles that govern your body and its ability to generate quick and strong movements. This understanding gives you an advantage because you will know exactly how to work with it and how to improve it through processes that science has found to be effective and safe.

Photo credit: Saint.Seminole