You can increase your vertical jump with some basic drills and exercises where you improve strength, technique and your reflexes. To get the greatest increase, train all aspects of your jump and you will quickly be soaring to new heights. Follow the steps in order, and consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Build Strength
The basis for improving your vertical leap is strength. You do not only need to strengthen the muscles but your bones and connective tissues as well. The barbell squat is ideal for this as you can use this technique to not only work your legs, you can use it to build power as well. After you have developed good squat technique you can work on learning to accelerate the bar from the bottom of the squat, which will increase your power output and may transfer to your vertical leap.
Build Technique
Do not jump off of your heels, push through the toe, which allows you to utilize the calf as much as possible. Learn appropriate counter-movement by practicing squatting down quickly and exploding out of the bottom, as if you were practicing a squat, but faster. This allows you to take advantage of the stretch reflex of your legs, which will allow you to generate more power. You can practice both by running up hills, which will improve your ability to use the forefoot to generate power and assist in training the stretch reflex of the legs.
Plyometrics
Depth jumps are one of the most basic, yet still effective forms of improving the vertical jump. Climb up onto a box, jump off of the box and rebound as quickly as you can. Your goal is to be on the ground for as little time as possible, and the fact that plyometrics are often called rebound training should emphasize this. This also trains the stretch reflex but needs to be performed with proper technique, or technique that mimics your actual jump as closely as possible. Start with a low box to avoid injury and gradually increase the height.
Alternate Exercises
Other exercises that train the legs yet build conditioning should help as well. You need tolerance for training volume but need to improve this in a manner that will not only support your training but assist you in recovering as well. Jumping rope is not only great conditioning work, but it directly trains the stretch reflex of the calf, assuming you strike on the forefoot. Sled dragging is another alternative, but here you must really work to ensure proper mechanics, or pushing through the front of the foot. Make your assistance work for the jump mimics your actual jump mechanics as closely as possible.
References
- PubMed.gov: Foot Strike Patterns of Runners at the 15 km Point During an Elite-Level Half Marathon
- PubMed.gov: Early Phase Differential Effects of Slow and Fast Barbell Squat Training
- PubMed.gov: Relative Importance of Strength, Power, and Anthropometric Measures to Jump Performance of Elite Volleyball Players
- PubMed.gov: A Biomechanical Analysis of Good and Poor Performers of the Vertical Jump
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