As a kid or a young athlete, maybe you were able to jump higher than you can in your 30s, but that doesn't mean you can't regain your jumping ability. Jumping relies on building strength and power in your lower body and on muscle memory. A consistent training routine can help you jump higher than ever after 30.
Jumping Ability
Being able to jump high is an important skill for many athletes. A basketball player needs to be able to jump high to get closer to the basket, increasing his chances of making a shot. A tennis player needs to be able to get high enough to reach a ball with his racquet, and even a skier who wants to do tricks needs to be able to propel his body off the ground. A combination of strength and repetition will help you develop this important skill, even after the age of 30.
Aging
As you age, your muscles lose strength and flexibility, two important attributes that help you jump higher. After age 30, men begin to lose muscle mass as their testosterone levels decrease. Women follow a similar trajectory. Both men and women also lose flexibility as they get older. To maintain muscle mass, engage in regular strength training. A consistent stretching routine will help you maintain flexibility. Couple this with jump training and you will be jumping well into your 50s and 60s.
Strength Training
Strength is an important part of jumping. Jumping requires leg power, and leg power is the result of strong muscles and explosiveness. Begin your training by developing a foundation of strength, especially in the lower body and core. Perform exercises that target the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes and calf muscles, as well as the abdominal, oblique and lower back muscles. Focus on lifting moderately heavy weights for sets of between 8 to 12 repetitions. When training to develop jumping ability, you don't want to lift so heavy that you develop a lot of mass, which will only result in weighing you down. Your goal should be to develop a practical foundation of strength.
Jumping Exercises
To develop the muscle memory and explosiveness necessary for jumping, you need to practice the movements on a regular basis, building your skills progressively. Once you are well into your strength training program, begin adding some specific jumping exercises into your routine. Squat jumps, box jumps and broad jumps will help you gradually develop the skills necessary to jump higher and higher. Begin by jumping at a moderate height for as many repetitions as possible -- this will help you develop jumping endurance -- and then decrease the repetitions and add on height. Focus on box jumps, the height of which can be more accurately measured and increased, working to achieve one height milestone after moving on to the next. Keep track of your progress as you go, adding on height until you reach your goal.
Considerations
When training your jump, take caution not to over train, which can result in injury. Strength train your lower body no more than twice per week; core exercises can be done more often. Perform your sport-specific jumping exercises in the first -- endurance -- phase on the same day as your strength training. As you progress to the second -- height -- phase, reduce your lower body strength training to one day per week and perform your high jumps on the third and fifth days so that your legs have time to recover. Always warm up with a five to 10 minute jog or cycle, and stretch all the muscles in your legs before and after your workout.
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