“Air” is the great equalizer in basketball. Even if you are a bit shorter than your opponent, you can often control your area if you can jump the highest. Plyometrics and weight training are two of the most commonly used techniques for increasing your jumping height, but you need to balance the two to get the most benefit. Certain exercises have proven their worth at creating this balance in workouts.
Squats
The ultimate weightlifting exercise is the squat because it builds strength throughout an athlete’s body. However, as a basketball player you want to use lighter weights than many athletes because you want more than just strength — you want explosive power. By using a lighter weight, you can thrust harder as you rise. You do not want to jump off the ground, just start up quickly. Some athletes drape chains over the barbell and let them “puddle” on the ground when they squat; this way, as your legs straighten, the weight increases as more of the chains’ length leaves the floor.
Toe Raises
Toe raises help strengthen your calves. They can be done with or without weights — with weights to increase power and explosiveness, without weights to increase endurance. Simply raise your body — and the weight, if you are using one — by standing on your toes, then lower yourself back to a standing position.
Rope Skipping
Rope skipping is another exercise that strengthens your calves. They also help improve your foot speed and agility, as well as provide aerobic conditioning. Rope jumping also has the advantage of being a workout that takes very little room; you may even be able to do it while watching TV.
Power Skipping
Skipping may not sound all that exciting, but it can help you create a lot of height. The key is not how fast you skip; rather, the idea is to create as much height as possible with each skip. By pushing off hard with one leg and landing on that leg, then moving on to the next leg, and so on, you help build the ability to push off while making your move to the basket.
Ankle Jumps
Low ankle jumps are a less-obvious jumping exercise. You squat down and bounce up and down on the balls of your feet. It is important that you stay on the balls of your feet, not allowing your heels to touch the ground, and that you push as hard as possible while keeping your knees close to your chest. This is a very demanding exercise that gives big results.
Obstacle Jumps
Jumping flatfooted over obstacles of various heights can help build strength and height into your jumps. A variation of these is bench jumps, where players jump from the floor onto a bench and back down. Because our tendency is to separate our feet when jumping, it is important to keep both feet together as this forces both legs to work together during this exercise and to work harder. The payoff is more strength and higher leaps.
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