These drills will increase the power and speed in your lower body thus enabling you to jump higher. Both power and speed are attributed to fast-twitch muscle fibers. Such muscles are effectively developed by using movement drills that are quick and explosive. However, such drills can be challenging and anaerobic so you may notice that your muscles fatigue very quickly. Even professional athletes find these plyometric drills difficult. Be forewarned, the experience of difficulty is not due to a low level of fitness. Rather, the fast-twitch fibers are not are underdeveloped because they aren't commonly used for any normal activities other than playing sports. These exercises will utilize the muscles you recruit when run at a full-sprint speed or race cycling. These movements are called plyometrics and they will develop those fast-twitch muscle fibers and the nerves that serve them.
Try a simple vertical jump, repeating five sets, with two jumps as instructed per set.
Jump 1: Bend at the knees and hips and hold the semi-squat position for three to five seconds before jumping up vertically as high as possible. The three- to five-second delay increases the amortization phase.
Jump 2: Bend at the knees and hips to the same degree, but immediately jump up without a delay. This jump will be higher than the first.
Rest no more than 60 seconds between sets.
Do the lunge scissor jump. Repeat two sets of five jumps as instructed per set.
Begin in a lunge position, right foot forward, front knee at a 90-degree angle directly above the ankle. Placing your hands on your waist, jump vertically, landing in lunge-left foot forward. Hold here in the lunge position for 10 seconds, regain your balance and jump again, switching to the lunge position with the right foot forward.
Try box jumps. Repeat two sets of a five-jump repetition as instructed per set .
Standing one foot away from the box that can support your weight, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend at the knees and hips into a 45-degree squat. Jump onto the box and back to the starting position. This completes one jump repetition.
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