Copyright (c) 2010 Jack Woodrup

The top 4 things to focus on in order to jump higher.

* A high level of relative strength

* Being able to utilize that strength very fast

* Adequate efficiency of movement

* Low amounts of body fat and bulk

If you can achieve these 4 points then it is relatively safe to say you will jumping high. The first thing you need to understand is that your jumping potential is basically a product of your power to weight ratio. In other words you want to get as light and ultra powerful as you possibly can.

By getting light we are referring to reducing your body fat percentage as well as any excessive muscle mass. Carrying a layer of extra fat around your stomach or having massive muscles is not going to help your jump very much.

The second half of the power to weight ratio equation is power. Muscular power is how much force you are able to generate divided by how long it takes to apply it. The 2 main variables of muscular power we can improve are therefore speed and strength. Speed is developed by increasing your co-ordination and also through training your central nervous system to respond faster.

This is where the plyometrics facet of vertical jump training comes into play. If your primary sport involves a whole lot of jumping type movements already, you may not in fact have to do much more actual jump training to improve your current vertical.

Strength on the other hand is normally improved generally by weight training, generally using quite heavy weights. Strength development is vitally important for maximizing your vertical jump.

Train What You Need, Not What Looks Good

It is also very important with regards to vertical jump workouts to be familiar with what muscle groups you'll want to concentrate on. A lot of people think it is mainly quadriceps, but in reality your prime movers are the glutes, hamstrings, core, hips along with the rest of the posterior chain. To a lessor degree your calves, shoulders and lats additionally play a role, however the vast majority of your jumping power comes from the larger muscle groups found in and around the top of the leg.

This is how come the bulk of your vertical jump training should focus on the development of these parts. In the workout room undoubtedly the two best exercises for the development of those parts, especially from a pure strength point of view, are the various types of squat and deadlift. Becoming stronger on both of these exercises is among the quickest tactics for the average athlete to make improvements in their vertical jump.

What Sort of Jumping Do You Need?

A further crucial concept of vertical jump training is specificity. Technically speaking, a vertical jump is just how high you can jump from a standing position (i.e with no run up) . Although this by itself is a good sign of muscular power, in actual fact very few athletes are training just for that. Most people want to raise his or her vertical in order to improve a sports relevant activity like basketball or volleyball.

Due to the nature of specificity, merely performing standing vertical jumps can assist your standing vertical test result, however it is probably not the best workout for you when you are wishing to slam a basketball.

As one example I know a sprinter who takes advantage of a form of specificity with his training involving exclusively using single legged variations of all exercise. He does this since sprinting is a unilateral movement and he feels that unilateral training provides a stronger and more direct carry over for him. I wouldn't suggest everyone carry out that plan however his plan was made with regard to his needs and he has got great results for both his sprint performances and vertical jump from following it.

The lesson out of this is when you start your jump training, consider what exactly your true desired final outcomes are and target the training appropriately.

The Quickest Way To Make Gains

Now pay attention, as this next point can help you save months of discouragement. The simplest and also the most effective way to elevate your vertical leap is by concentrating on your weaknesses. When you are really strong but your jumps tend to be slow then there is little need for you to do a lot more weight room work, you're much better served by getting out and working on jumping and plyometrics.

Training is Only A Small Part of Your Success

It is also important to understand that doing plenty of vertical jump training is extremely strenuous for your body. It is very easy to over train and injure yourself because of the high impact nature plus the CNS intensiveness related to the movement.

What you do for the 23 hours per day you aren't inside the gym or perhaps on the court definitely will have a substantial impact on exactly how you improve. Taking care of your body away from the training track can lead to quicker and higher gains, and in addition decrease the likelihood of injury.

Conclusions

So that is the basic vertical jump training principles explained. If you wish to jump high you need to develop your muscular power. Particular treatment should be paid towards the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and also most of the posterior chain. The exercises and training you decide to do will depend upon your specific strengths and weakness as well as the requirements of your chosen sport.

Vertical jump development isn't just about the proper training though. It's also advisable to consider taking extra effort to ensure you take advantage of your recovery as this will likely appreciably facilitate your vertical not to mention minimizing injuries. If you get those ideas correct you may soon enough be soaring above the opposition.