Some fitness experts believe that wearing ankle weights for limited amounts of time during jump training may help you jump higher. There are, however, conflicting opinions on this as the risk of injury may far outweigh any perceived benefit. Many fitness experts support other jump training methods such as plyometrics and strength training, which may be more effective and pose a lower risk of injury.
Expert Opinion in Favor
The National Academy of Sports Medicine advocates the limited use of ankle weights during jump training to help improve jump height. They recommend that the total weight of the ankle weights should not exceed 10 per cent of body weight and that the weights should be used intermittently during a training session. For example, in a direct answer to this question on ShareCare.com, the National Academy of Sports Medicine suggested doing vertical jumps while wearing ankle weights for a set of 10 and then repeating the same exercise without the weights for three to five sets. The author stated that the ankle weights should be used during power phases of training.
Expert Opinion Against
Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., in an article published on his fitness ezine in 2005 categorically stated that ankle weights will not help you jump higher. You need to train the muscles you use to jump in the same way you would use them if you were actually jumping. Dr. Mirkin recommends that you do this by practicing squats with heavy weights on your shoulders and doing leg presses. Josh Henkin of BodyBuilding.com is of the opinion that using ankle weights will only help your vertical jumping by a very small amount. Ankle weights exert their pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints as well as the calf muscles. The calf muscles do not play an important role in jumping. The glutes, also known as the buttocks, hamstrings in the back of your thighs, and low back muscles play the biggest roles. Henkin asserts that the reason power lifters are very good at vertical jumps and sprinting is because the training they do strengthens and trains the correct muscles needed for acceleration.
Alternative
Plyometrics training has become one of the most popular methods of training athletes to jump higher, according to VerticalJumpTraining.com. Plyometrics are exercises that train your muscles through a series of body weight jumping exercises like drop jumps and countermovement jumps, according to the "British Journal of Sports Medicine." The exercises train your muscles to contract and lengthen rapidly and with power, like when an elastic or rubber band is stretched tight and then released quickly. A study published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine" in June 2007 concluded that plyometric training significantly improved jump height in healthy people.
Considerations
The National Academy of Sports Medicine advises caution if you are going to use ankle weights saying that you should not use them if you have any pre-existing condition that could be made worse by using them. The ankle weights themselves should not be overused for extended periods of time or used in multiple training sessions. Dr. Gabe Mirkin warns that the use of ankle weights can lead to an increased risk of injury because they can lead to increased strength in the quadriceps muscles on the front of your thighs without equally strengthening the hamstrings at the back. This imbalance can make you prone to injury. Furthermore, the use of ankle weights can lead to strain in the ankle joints and leg muscles, which can lead to injury according to MayoClinic.com. Always consult your doctor if you are planning on starting any new exercise training regime.
References
- DrMirkin.com: Don't Wear or Carry Weights When You Exercise
- MayoClinic.com: Ankle Weights for Fitness Walkers
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Does plyometric training improve vertical jump height? A meta-analytical review; Goran Markovic; June 2007
- Sharecare National Academy of Sports Medicine: Can Ankle Weights Improve My Jump?
- BodyBuilding.com: Will Ankle Weights Increase My Vertical jump by Josh Henkin
- Vertical Jump Training: Understanding Plyometric Training Exercises To Improve Vertical Jump
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