The ability to jump high is a valuable asset in sports, such as basketball, volleyball and soccer. Although you may not need this ability in daily life, the training involved with increasing your hops can broaden your skill set. The steps involved with this game plan target specific areas of your body with strength-training exercises to increase your power output.
Step 1
Execute a set of squats. Duck under a barbell in a squat rack so that the barbell is over the top of your shoulders. Grab the bar with a wide grip and hoist it up off the supports. Step back three steps and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, look forward and lower your butt toward the ground. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor and stand back up. Stop just short of locking your knees. Repeat 10 to 12 times.
Step 2
Sit on the seat of a leg press machine to do leg presses. Rest your back on the backrest and place your feet on the platform shoulder-width apart. Push up and flip the safety levers over. Lower the platform down by bending your knees; stop when they form a 90-degree angle. Push back up until your knees almost lock. Repeat 10 to 12 times.
Step 3
Lunge across the floor of a gym. Hold dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing in. Step forward with your right foot and lower your body down until your right thigh parallels the floor. Your left knee should be an inch above the floor at this point. Stand back up. Lunge forward with your left foot and keep going in this alternating pattern for 10 to 12 reps.
Step 4
Hold a barbell against the front of your thighs to do stiff-leg dead-lifts. Grab the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at the hips and lower the bar toward the ground. Feel a strong contraction in your hamstrings and glutes, then stand back up. Repeat for a set of 10 to 12 reps.
Step 5
Stand on a step to do calf raises while holding dumbbells. Place the balls of your feet on the step and let your heels hang over the edge. Lift your heels up in the air by getting onto your tiptoes. Hold for a second and lower yourself down so your heels go past parallel. Hold again for a second and repeat 10 to 12 times.
Step 6
Lie face-up on your back to do weighted crunches. Bend your knees, place your feet flat on the ground and hold a medicine ball above your chest with your arms fully extended. Curl your body up by contracting your abs and squeeze for a second. Lower yourself back down and repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
Step 7
Fasten a weighted vest to your chest and perform plyometric exercises. Plyometrics involve fast, explosive movements that simulate game-like situations. Perform squat jumps, split squat jumps, bounding, box jumps, lateral hurdle jumps and single-leg hops. Do 10 to 12 reps of each exercise.
Step 8
Jump rope with a weighted rope. Perform five to six sets of 100 jumps at the end of your strength-training workout.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform three to four sets of all of the exercises except jump rope. Do your weight training on Monday and Friday and your plyometrics on Wednesday. Switch it the following week so you are doing plyometrics twice and weight training once. Alternate back and forth each week.
Things You'll Need
- Squat rack
- Barbell
- Leg press machine
- Dumbbells
- Weighted vest
- Medicine ball
- Weighted jump rope
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