Whether you are playing volleyball, tennis, basketball or another sport, you'll often need to jump high to be your best. Practicing different types of jumping movements will improve both your leg strength and your explosive power to get into those leaps. Exercises from skips to hops to jumping off a bench should be part of your practice sessions to help you slam-dunk, spike and serve aces.
Box Squats
To improve your explosive power, practice moving upward quickly in one direction. Find a box or bench that is about halfway between your foot and knee in height. Start by sitting on the box, then jump up as high as you can. It is important to ensure that the box or bench is heavy and stable enough so it doesn't shoot away from you when you jump up. Repeat this exercise six to eight times. The box should not be so low that your knees are above your hips or that you have to use your back muscles to do the exercise.
One-Leg Box Jumps
One-leg box jumps are another exercise that improve your explosive power, particularly because they start from a standstill position. To perform a one-leg box jump, stand to the side of (not behind) your box and place one leg on the box and one leg on the ground. The knee of the leg that is on the box should be slightly lower than your hip. Using the leg that is up on the box, push yourself up as high as you can. Repeat this exercises six to eight times, then switch legs. To vary this exercise, turn sideways and place your upper leg on the box in front of you and repeat the drill. You can use the first seat of a bleacher for these exercises, depending on your height.
Box Jumps
This exercise is similar to the one-leg box jump but involves both legs. To execute these, stand on a box, low seat of a bleacher or other stable platform with both feet, about 1 foot off the ground (depending on how tall you are). Then jump off the box and as soon as your feet touch the ground, bend your knees and jump up as high as you can. Your feet should touch the ground for as little time as possible.
Step, Step, Jump
In a gym, on a track or down the length of your driveway at home, start from a standing position, then take two giant steps and a jump, getting as high as you can during the jump. Keep repeating this pattern until you are at the end of a track straightaway, basketball court or the length of your driveway, and walk back to your original starting position. Repeat six to eight times, then switch your starting leg, so you jump off your left leg, if you started the exercise jumping off your right leg. You can also vary which leg you use every other time you do the exercise. Another variation has you skipping instead of jumping on the third stride, trying to get your knee up as high as possible.
Member Comments