Avoid Over-Training to Get a Higher Vertical Jump

Every athlete wants to get a higher vertical jump, especially those playing basketball or volleyball. There are a number of great training programs out there and most will help you to achieve your goals. However there is one common practice that can undo all the hard work that you put in.

When I first began my quest for a higher vert I trained everyday. I jumped as high as I could for as many repetitions as I could. I figured that the pain my muscles were in was a good thing and that the more I did the better results I would see. Not too far into this first program though I blew out my knee.

This was a crushing blow. I thought I was starting to see some results but there I was lying on my back not even able to walk let alone jump. It did give me lots of time to research though, to find out how the pros trained and what techniques would get me back jumping high as quickly as possible.

I found out my biggest mistake was over-training. I was training the same muscles everyday with no time for recovery. Short, sharp exercises with plenty of rest in between were key to my eventually getting back on the court. The days off, getting a good nights sleep and proper nutrition were just as important as doing the actual sessions

If you're training for an explosive action like the jump I came up with a few guidelines for myself. Make sure you are actually training that explosiveness, so no more than 12 repetitions per set. Go for a short session but at full intensity. Even during a basketball game when you need lots of stamina for getting up and down the court, each jump is a separate event. You would never do 20 jumps in a row in a match so why train for it?

Schedule a days rest in between every hard jump session. Your muscles actually gain strength during periods of rest after breaking them down during the exercise. If you don't rest them sufficiently, then they wont recover and improve and you can look forward to decreased performance and a much higher chance of injury.

I found that over-training can seriously hinder your attempts to improve your vertical leap. These methods worked for me and I hope you'll consider including them in your routine.

Stephen N Miller was injured doing things the wrong way. He had lots of time to research the best training methods. For the best vertical leap training guide I've found click here or go to http://www.jumphigherfaster.info/