How to Jump Higher - Basketball Specific Training Tips

Many athletes want to jump higher, basketball players are no different. The ability to slam dunk or get up above your opponent for that crucial rebound is vitally important in the sport. If you are performing slightly below your potential than you can expect to lose out on the court, miss out on teams and bow out earlier than you'd hoped.

There are a range of different ways to improve your vertical leap.

Firstly you can improve your technique. By concentrating on putting your body into the most efficient position during the jumping movement you can get the most out of the existing output of your body. This will give you an immediate gain and is the easiest to develop. You just need to practice.

Another pathway is to perform plyometric exercises to produce more dynamism from your muscles and to train your nervous system to react very quickly. This takes short term effort and will produce quick gains that will drop quickly once your training lessens as well.

The third method is strength training. This is going to give you consistent long term improvement and protect you from injury. Ensuring you are strong enough for your body to handle jumping high is vital to success.

What strength training should you do?

Compound exercises like the squat, deadlift and lunge are best for athletic strength training. Perform 5 reps rather than more to maximize the explosive power requirements. Overload yourself - increase the amount you lift at every session.

Avoid machines like the smith machine or leg press as these isolate the largest muscles in the body and do nothing for core strength or to activate your stabilizers. The ancillary body parts will be vital under the changing conditions you experience while on the court.

Make sure to get plenty of rest as that's when our bodies recover and repair themselves and when strength gains are made. I like to do weight training before shooting both to ensure I'm freshest when stressing my body to the fullest in the gym and to practice skills while fatigued. Again this makes a much better approximation of a game situation.

This is just an introduction to the various exercises you should include in a good vertical training program. If you want to know "how can I jump higher?", then it requires a period of commitment and consistent training. The results will be worth it though. See the links below for more information.

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