A vertical leap measures how high you can jump, which is important in sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer. But if you’re not blessed with great genetics or the right training program, don’t feel bad—you can improve your vertical leap and learn to jump higher. Just follow these tips.
The only way to increase your vertical jump is through training and practice.
While there are techniques and exercises, you can do to improve your vertical leap, the only way to increase it is through training and practice. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. If anything, the process of building up your vertical leap is going to require a lot of hard work.
As with any skill or ability, what you get out of a workout depends on what you put into it. The more effort you put into training your legs and core muscles, the better results you will see in increasing your vertical jump. There are no shortcuts here—if you want an improved vertical leap, it’s all about working hard for as long as necessary until improvements start showing up on paper or in court!
Start with the basics.
The first step to getting a higher vertical leap is preparing your body to
jump. You want to start with some basic conditioning exercises to build up your
legs’ strength, speed and flexibility.
Start by standing on one foot and jump as high as possible, landing softly
on both feet. Repeat this 2 or 3 times before moving on to the next exercise.
Next, squat down until both knees are bent 90 degrees, then jump as high as possible at full extension of your legs. Make sure not to lock out your knees when extending. Do this for 2 sets of 15 repetitions each leg (30 total reps).
Improving your vertical leap is all about increasing muscle power, elasticity and balance.
It’s a fact of life that some people can jump higher than others. These same
people are also better at sports, have good reflexes and balance. But suppose
you’re not one of those lucky few who has a naturally high vertical leap (and
let’s face it: most of us aren’t). In that case, there are ways to increase
your vertical leap over time—starting with building muscle power.
A strong lower body is crucial for jumping higher. The stronger your legs are, the faster they can propel you upward when you run or jump. What does this mean for increasing your own vertical leap? You’ll want to focus on exercises like squats and lunges—basically any move where you’re using mostly leg strength. This will give your legs more power so they can send you clear over Shaq’s head in no time!
A more flexible lower body also helps with increased jumping ability because it gives muscles more room to stretch as they contract during an explosive movement like jumping—but don’t just stretch randomly! By stretching before working out, we reduce injury risk while improving overall performance by getting our bodies prepared for intense physical activity.
Increase your vertical jump by strengthening your legs and hips.
To increase your vertical jump, you need to work on strengthening your legs and hips. One of the most effective ways to do this is by performing squats. If you don’t have access to a squat rack or barbells at home, try doing bodyweight squats instead (with knees bent).
Another great exercise for improving overall leg strength is lunges—you should be doing these every other day during your workout routine. Make sure that when you’re lunging forward, your front foot stays flat on the ground while keeping it in line with your heel (don’t let it slide outwards). You can pair up these two exercises by alternating between them—for example, do 10 bodyweight squats then 10 lunges; repeat three times throughout the week.
When performing any kind of weighted exercise (whether it’s squats or something else), make sure you’re always lifting with good form rather than relying solely on momentum from swinging back and forth wildly before dropping down into each rep like those guys at Gold’s Gym who are trying way too hard not to look like they’re trying (and failing miserably). This means that instead of just throwing yourself down into an ugly squat without proper preparation beforehand (elevating heart rate/ramping up nervous system activity), take several deep breaths first—the goal should be perfect execution so as not to overwork yourself unnecessarily!
Build strength in your calves with calf raises.
This exercise can be performed on a step or platform. Start from the bottom of the step and raise up on your toes. Hold for a few seconds at the top, then lower yourself back down to the floor. Repeat 10 times.
Do this exercise two to three days per week with at least 48 hours in between each session to allow adequate recovery time.
Get in the habit of jumping.
In addition to working on your vertical leap, you’ll also want to start getting in the habit of jumping. It’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s true: You can’t improve something if you don’t practice it regularly. The more you jump, the better you’ll become at jumping!
There are several ways for you to practice your jumping. First and foremost is by simply doing it—however that may be possible for you (for example, if there aren’t any stairs around then try jumping on a bed or couch). Another option is finding an object with a flat top that won’t move while you’re standing on it; this could be anything from a tree stump or rock to another person using their hands as feet (as long as they have good balance).
But most importantly: Stay safe! Make sure whatever surface/object you’re practicing on has no sharp edges or anything else that could cause injury if someone fell off of it—or even worse yet toppled over while standing up straight
Jump as high as you can for at least 10 reps.
You’re going to push yourself to jump as high as you possibly can for at least 10 reps. No matter how high, just keep trying to jump higher than the last time.
Perform a single-leg squat to increase your strength and balance.
The single-leg squat is a great exercise to improve your balance and strength. It builds up the hamstrings, glutes and quads (the muscles on the back of your legs). Perform this exercise as follows:
- Stand upright with feet hip-width apart.
- Bend knees until they are at a 90-degree angle. Keep your lower back straight and don’t let it arch or sag. Your torso should be erect throughout the entire movement.
- Hold this position for three seconds before returning to starting position by pushing through heels while keeping toes facing forward
Take advantage of plyometric exercises.
Plyometrics are a great way to build explosive power, which can help you jump higher and get off the ground faster. Plyometrics can be done anywhere, at any time; you don’t need a gym or anything else fancy. They’re also pretty easy to learn—and if you start with some of the basics (like jumping jacks), it won’t take long for you to be doing more advanced moves like clapping push-ups and double-leg jumps.
There are lots of ways to do plyometric exercises: You can do them with or without weights, with or without a partner, in sand (which makes them more difficult), on an unstable surface (like an exercise ball), etcetera etcetera. There are all sorts of different types of plyometric training protocols out there—the best thing is just to try different approaches until one works best for your needs and goals!
Focus on landing your jumps properly.
Landing properly is one of the most important aspects to improving your vertical leap. Landing on your toes will provide you with a quick burst of energy, but it’s not the best way to reduce stress on the joints and muscles. Instead, focus on landing with the ball or front of your feet. This allows for more control when jumping and also reduces the amount of force put on your lower body as well as any injuries that come with landing incorrectly.
There are several different methods for improving landing technique:
- Land softly by putting less weight on each step so you have time to react if something unexpected happens around you (e.g., an opponent moves suddenly).
- Focus on maintaining proper posture during play so minimal strain is placed upon any muscle group. Maintain proper balance by keeping arms away from sides. Adjust your stance width so your knees aren’t bent too far forward. Avoid leaning back too much when performing jumps because it can cause injury if someone falls back on them unexpectedly!
All of these exercises will help you improve your vertical leap, but the key is to practice them regularly. By doing so, you’ll develop muscle memory and make it easier to jump higher when it’s game time. It also helps if you have someone around who can give you some pointers on how to properly land your jumps so that they don’t hurt your knees or ankles!
Do you want to know exactly where you’re going wrong in your vertical leap? Submit a Critiq request to Jordan Kilganon. Jordan will review a short clip of your jump and give you tips to help you maximize your jump height.
Featured Expert
Jordan Kilganon
Professional Dunker at 6’1 | 50″ Vertical Leap
