Being able to jump high can be a valuable skill for participants in a number of sports. Some, such as basketball and volleyball, demand numerous jumps during a game. Others, like football and baseball, require a modest amount of jumping. Whether you play a sport or not, improving your vertical jump can be good exercise.
Build Up Your Leg Strength
The glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves are all lower-body muscles utilized in a vertical jump. To improve your vertical jump, perform weight training exercises that target all of these muscles, such as squats, lunges, step-ups, stiff-legged deadlifts, and calf raises.
Perform Plyometric Training
Plyometric exercises involve fast bursts of effort get your body off the ground; they lengthen a muscle slowly, then quickly shorten it. Lower-body plyometrics will improve leg strength and power, and will also get your body adapted to the jumping you would experience in a game. Jump squats, tuck jumps, split-lunge jumps, bounding, lateral hops, and single-leg hops are examples of such exercises. To increase resistance, wear a weighted vest.
Strengthen Your Core
The core consists of the areas between the chest and pelvis, and between the shoulder blades and lower back. Whenever you squat down and leap into the air with all your might, your core contracts to generate power. By strengthening your core muscles, you will be able to jump with more effort and efficiency. Hanging knee raises, bicycle crunches, regular crunches, planks, Russian twists, back bridges, and back extensions are all exercises that will accomplish this. Use medicine balls and ankle weights to add resistance and increase the workload.
Stretch Regularly
Tight muscles compromise your jumping ability in two ways: You risk pulling or even tearing a muscle, and if your muscles are tight, you will not get a full range of motion when you jump. Yoga exercises will help loosen you up. Attend classes at a local gym or yoga studio, or get a DVD for home use. By keeping your muscles and connective tissue elongated, you will be able to move more fluidly and jump higher.
Add Resistance to Your Day
When you are out and about during the day, wear a weighted vest and ankle weights. Your body will adapt to the overload, so when you take the extra weight off, you will be able to jump higher.
Jump Rope
Working the calf muscles, found on the lower back legs, with weigh training will make them stronger, but you can increase their muscular endurance by jumping rope. This is beneficial when you have to jump over and over during a game. To increase the resistance, use a weighted rope, or wear a weighted vest.
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