Every basketball player have a desire to do a vertical jump. Not only same random jump, but the jump which can be used during a game. This ability will differentiate an amateur and help them to move forward in basketball world. In this post, I will share on exercise required on how to improve your vertical jump.
Vertical jump not only useful when we want to dunk (common objective for an amateur), but it’s also really beneficial for player to get more rebounds, blocks and steal the ball from their rivals.
For those who have an advantage in term of physical characteristic, jumping high is easier to achieve. But for shorter player, you may wondering either it’s possible to increase the vertical jump. No worry, with proper and right training, you definitely can improve.
This program is not developed by me, instead I just take it and personally used from Vert Shock Program created by Adam Folker. If interested, you can headed to their site here.
Vertical Jump Test
First before we go through the how to program, we need to measure and identify the accurate measure of our jump. It’s simple. You don’t need any expensive and complicated tools.
Step 1
You can use a pen or chalk to mark your height. Stand still beside the wall and stretch up your hand over the head and mark the height on the wall.
Step 2
Before the test, do some light workout and jumping to prevent any further injury. Grab tightly your marker and stand slightly away from the wall. The best distance is a step forward. Extend your arm as straight as you can and do a jump. Try to jump as high as possible and do it at least for 3 times.
Step 3
Measure the distance between the first step and second step height. Usually, for men, the average vertical jump height is about 22 inches while for women about 13 inches.
How to Increase Vertical Jump at Home by 12 Inches
According to Adam Folker, in any sport, we generally only discuss about how to build our muscle. It’s really good, but not enough if you want to focus on jumping.
There are 2 type of muscle which different in term of function and usage in our body. Both types very essential to be built in order to increase our vertical jump high.
Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers: This muscle is very good for long endurance sport like marathon because it use oxygen efficiently.
Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers: This muscle manipulating the anaerobic metabolism to generate the explosive burst of strength for your jumping. The disadvantage is, they fatigue too fast.
Because of that, we need to train both our muscles so that we can use the vertical jump anytime and how many time in the game without feeling exhausted. Only by focusing on this muscles built, you will see an improvement in your vertical jump.
The 3 Best Way b- How to Increase Vertical Jump to Dunk
Please bear in your mind, if you feel any pain or pressure on your joins when doing this type of exercise, please meet your doctor. This is to prevent any worst case scenario in the future
1. Jumping Rope
It might seem too simple. But the truth is, regularly doing a jumping rope will strengthen your muscles which needed to execute your jumping. The best place to do this exercise is on hard surface, the same as your basketball field.
Try to do 15-20 minutes a day without stop. You can increase the time as your body adapt to this exercise. Don’t push too hard in the early of your trial. Otherwise, you will suffer in the future.
- Please don’t skip the rope. Instead, keep your ankles together as you do the jumping with both feet.
- As you improve, try to jump faster and move the rope quicker than before.
2. Do a Bulgarian Split Squats
For easy understanding, watch the video below on how you can do this squats. This exercise help build your muscles strength while in the same time, improving your balance.
3. High Reach Jump
Your exercise won’t be complete without practicing your jumping. Differ from normal jump, this jumping require yourself to keep pushing the limit. It’s best to practice under the portable basketball hoop, so you know your improvement.
All this exercises is part of the Vert Shock Program. Obviously, if you just do this exercise without any planning, it help you increasing your vertical jump a little. But, to maximize your exercise and result, you need a great plan, good nutrition (important for your body) and good mentoring system.
The exercises I share quite simple. But, you can give a try and see yourself the improvement you achieve. Who doesn’t want to dunk a basketball right? Let me know if this exercise help you. I’d love to hear the result from you. Any question, feel free to comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my vertical jump higher?
Practice, practice, practice. You need to do exercises that help strengthen your legs and increase your ability to think quickly and move fast. Some of the best exercises are full squats, lunges done while you are holding a weight above your head, sprints, and plenty of agility drills. Running up and down stairs are a great way to strengthen your leg muscles and increase your stamina.
What muscles improve vertical jump?
The main muscles you need to jump higher are your quads and hamstrings. These muscles cannot be effective without supporting muscles also being strengthened. Your calf muscles and the muscles that are around your hips along with your glutes can support your quads and allow them to be their strongest.
How do you train to jump higher?
The best way to train is to have a friend help you mark on the wall the highest you can jump with your hand outstretched. Once you have this mark you can practice each day for thirty or forty minutes trying to jump and beat that mark. Consistent and continuous practice is the only ways to definitely improve your jump height.