While you might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, the right program can add inches to your vertical leap. A combination of leg strength, improved skill and plyometric exercise can give you more air time than you have ever known. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Technique
All the strength and conditioning in the world will not matter if you fall forward when trying to jump. The basic mechanics of the jump and jump power are determined by counter-movement and the speed with which you change directions. A quick dip with your legs followed by a sudden burst of power allows you to take advantage of the stretch reflex of your legs. Timing the swing of the arms to coincide with the descent and direction change will allow you to generate more power and a better vertical leap.
Strength
There is a correlation between leg strength and your vertical jump. The stronger your squat, the more power you can generate. Squatting, like jumping requires proper technique. Hold the bar securely on your upper back, not your neck, and descend until you are below parallel. Given practice and good technique, learn to generate more power on the way up. This is called compensatory acceleration, and if you can learn to accelerate your body weight plus the weight of a squat, it is easier to accelerate just your body weight. This is termed an improvement in relative strength.
Plyometric Training
Plyometric, or rebound training, is a specific method of training that allows you to get more out of your stretch reflex. Depth jumps are simply jumping back off of a platform and rebounding back up onto the platform. Land on the balls of your feet and stay in contact with the ground for as little time as possible. Keep your sets of depth jumps short. High-repetition depth jumping causes you to fatigue, which increases the amount of time you are spending on the ground. Your goal is to spend as much time as possible in the air.
Program Integration
Spend time focusing on your jump technique, and jump rope for conditioning. Only do this three days a week. On your in-between days you can work on your squatting and your plyometric exercises. Gradually increase the volume of your training. While adding strength or plyometric training will help, adding both produces the best result. If you are currently training three days a week, add a fourth and spend a few weeks judging how the increase in volume is affecting your performance before adding additional training. The key is to train, not overtrain.
References
- PubMed.gov: Stretch-shortening Cycle Exercises: an Effective Training Paradigm to Enhance Power Output of Human Single Muscle Fibers
- PubMed.gov: The Effects of Arms and Countermovement on Vertical Jumping
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Effects of a Back Squat Training Program on Leg Power, Jump, and Sprint Performances in Junior Soccer Players
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: A Biomechanical Analysis of the Vertical Jump and Three Modified Plyometric Depth Jumps
- PubMed.gov: Voluntary and Reflex Responses to Fatigue with Stretch-shortening Exercise
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: The Effect of Six Weeks of Squat, Plyometric and Squat-Plyometric Training on Power Production
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