A vertical leap requires several types of muscle strength that need to be developed at different times during a training program. In addition to building your leg muscles, you'll want to train them to react quickly. Specific exercises for each type of muscle strength can help you get maximum results.
Step 1
Create a four-month training calendar that has you working on muscle-building to start, then gradually changes your training to more closely resemble the type of jumping you'll be doing in competition.
Step 2
Increase your muscle size and strength by performing limit-strength exercises at the beginning of your program. Use your maximum weight as you do squats, presses and lunges. The Reg Parks 5 X 5 workout is one such program. It calls for performing five reps of each exercise using 60 percent of your maximum weight, then one set at 80 percent of your max, then finishing with three sets at your max. Perform these exercises until you're about a month away from your time of desired peak performance, since these exercises train different muscle fibers from the ones you'll use during an explosive jump.
Step 3
Improve your explosive strength with exercises such as dead lifts, jump squats and box jumps. Explosive strength is your ability to perform one quick, powerful movement in one direction. Use 50 percent or less of your maximum weight when doing these types of exercises.
Step 4
Improve your reactive power by using plyometric exercises that coordinate two up-and-down movements for a jump. Examples of plyometric exercises include jumping off a box, hitting the floor and then, after a short knee bend downward, jumping upward as high as you can. Begin these types of exercises as you get closer to your competition, at least one month prior. Continue using them during your season.
Step 5
Stretch using ballistic stretches before your explosive and reactive power workouts, and use static stretches after your jumping workouts. Stretch-and-hold stretches can decrease power and vertical leap if done less than 30 minutes before jumping, according to studies by fitness researchers, including those at the Department of Physical Therapy at Wichita State University.
Member Comments