The vertical jump is an important indicator in how explosive an athlete is. Add inches to your high jump and you’ll become more explosive, quicker and generally more athletic. This can benefit you in a whole array of sports: basketball, volleyball, football,… Being a basketball player myself this article is geared a bit more towards basketball, however the basic principles apply to any sport.

Genetics play a big part in how high people jump. So-called “natural jumpers” usually can dunk a basketball with ease without any specific training. Most people however aren’t blessed with that ability. This shouldn’t discourage you. With the right training methods and if you keep in mind some principles (regarding recovery, diet, which polymetrics to use, interval training,…) almost anybody can learn to dunk in a matter of weeks. The question appears: “But why are so few people actually doing it?”

The reason is simple: very few people know the right methods. A lot of athletes spend a lot of time and money on programs and exercises that don’t give optimal results, or even worse: they can lead to injury. Even when they know a couple of exercises that will benefit them, 90% of people end up doing them the wrong way. This article will give you some basic ideas how you can start.

First of all it is important to warm up before any kind of exercise. Some jogging or light movements for five to ten minutes should do the trick. The increased blood flow to your muscles and tendons will make sure they are ready for action and this will dramatically decrease your chance of injury.

A second important factor is stretching. This should be done after the warmup when your muscles are warmed up and ready for it. This is good for injury-prevention, but also to keep your body flexible. Especially the hamstrings should be kept flexible. This way your whole jump will become more fluid and you’ll add inches to your vertical leap.

For those who want to learn how to jump, frequency is important. You should train often, but overtraining will actually decrease your results. Your muscles should have just enough time to recover from the previous training session. Luckily, with some basic food choices you can improve your recovery rate by 150%.

A strong core is important for jumping. Resistance training (squats, lunges) will help tremendously. A low number of repititions with a high weight will give you more explosive power, but a higher amount of reps will give you more endurance and quickness. Plyometric training is another essential aspect of training. Basically you are loading and then contracting your muscles in a rapid sequence. This is highly effective, but can lead to injury when not done the correct way. It is important that you research how you should alter your training plans for optimal results.

If you improve your vertical leap, your whole game will advance naturally. Furthermore you’ll be able to stun the crowd with your dunks. If you would like more information on plyometrics, increasing your vertical and overall jump training, click on the link below. This will help you avoid spending time and energy.

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For more information on plyometric exercises and how you can use them to jump higher, check out: Increase Vertical Jump Click and read the testimonials, or just use the free tips and to improve your vertical leap and dominate the basketball court.

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