Improving your ability to jump higher can be an important factor in your performance on the athletic field, your overall conditioning and your confidence. If you want to increase your vertical leap, there are several exercises you can do and tips you can follow that will help you build explosive strength in your calf muscles. Vertical leap is clearly an important factor in sports like basketball and volleyball because the higher you can jump, the more productive you can be and you can also help your team. It's also an important factor in football, soccer and baseball as well as an individual sport like tennis.
Jump Soles
Step 1
Work out in a pair of jump soles to increase your leaping ability. Jump soles attach to the front of your gym shoes and isolate the calf muscles. These are the most important muscles when it comes to making an explosive jumping movement.
Step 2
Run at your local high school or college track and sprint 25 yards. Follow that by walking for 10 yards. Sprint another 25 yards and then walk 10 more yards. Do five sprints altogether and then take a one-minute break before repeating the set.
Step 3
Do bounding leaps in your jump soles. While at the high school track, bound off your right leg and then follow with your left. Do 10 steps with each leg.
Box Jumps
Step 1
Jump over a 15-inch box that you place in the middle of a hard floor. Stand to the left of the box and jump over it to the right.
Step 2
Jump back over it so you are on the same side you started. Do 15 back-and-forth jumps, going as quickly as possible. Take a 30-second and then repeat the drill.
Step 3
Stand behind the box and jump over it so you are in front of the box. Jump backwards and go back to the original spot. Do 15 back-and-forth jumps. Take a 30-second break and then repeat the set.
Hill Running
Step 1
Run hills to build strength in your legs and increase your jumping ability. Hall of Fame football player Jerry Rice used the hill-running technique during his offseason workouts.
Step 2
Run 200 feet uphill, take a 30-second break and run another 200 feet.
Step 3
Run hills three or four times per week when you are preparing for your sport in the offseason.
Standing Leaps
Step 1
Alternate one-legged and two-legged leaps from a standing start. Stand under a basketball backboard, get in an athletic position and jump off both feet and hit the backboard.
Step 2
When you land, gather yourself and leap again. Do this 10 times.
Step 3
Jump off your left foot. Do 10 left-footed leaps and then 10 jumps off your right foot. This workout should enable you to get better lift on your jumps.
Things You'll Need
- Jump soles
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