The ability to jump high comes in handy with sports that require repetitive jumping like basketball, football, baseball and volleyball. Some people are born with great jumping ability, and some people are not. If you fall into the latter category and you want to jump higher, there are several steps you can take to improve your technique. All you need is some simple equipment.
Step 1
Put on ankle weights and wear them around wherever you go. This will get your body used to added weight and make it easier to jump when you take the weights off.
Step 2
Perform quadriceps exercises like squats, lunges, leg presses and step-ups. Do 10 to 12 reps and three to four sets. The quadriceps are a major muscle group in the front of the thighs that gets activated when you are crouching down and jumping.
Step 3
Strengthen your calf muscles with calf raises. Hold dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing the sides of your thighs. Lift up on your toes by engaging your calf muscles and lower yourself back down. To make these more challenging, stand with your toes on a step of block so your heels can hand down. Do 12 to 15 reps and three to four sets.
Step 4
Increase your core strength with exercises like crunches, leg lifts, medicine ball rotations, hanging knee raises and bicycle crunches. Do 15 to 20 reps of these exercises and three to four sets. When you are jumping, a lot of power is being generated from your core.
Step 5
Perform plyometric exercises, which are characterized by a shortening of a muscle followed by a fast, explosive movement. Do squat jumps, tuck jumps, leaping lunges, box jumps and stair hops. Perform 12 to 15 reps and four to six sets. To make these more intense, wear ankle weights.
Things You'll Need
- Ankle weights
- Dumbbells
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