by Amit Rosman

What is the best way to improve the height of your vertical jumps? Certainly there are probably some exercises that are better and more useful than others, but which are the best ones? Which exercises will get the greatest results without burning you out too fast? Keep reading to learn more about the best exercises to put a little more spring into your vertical jumps.

Warm up. Yes, warm your legs up. Do some stretching exercises. A routine similar to swimmers stretching their legs is great. Jump rope for a few minutes or run up and down a flight of stairs for a few. Whether you do this as warm up exercises or part of your regular routine, this is a good way to get started.

Strengthen Your Legs. To build strength, you want to focus on performing appropriate exercises slowly and methodically. You should plan for each rep of a particular leg exercise to take about nine seconds from start to completion. For instance, slow toe raises and deep knee bends help strengthen your leg muscles and can be performed either with or without added weights.

Build muscles. No, this isn’t about having the Mr. Olympics look – oiled chiseled bodies with bulging muscle groups. Building muscles is about toning and shaping your body so that you are able to improve your metabolic rate, lose body fat and keep your jumps powered. Strong bones and muscles are extremely important; they’re pre-requisites for anyone wanting to add a few inches to their vertical jumping prowess. Remember, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. And the more calories you burn, the more energy you have to fire your every move.

There are a few rather routine exercises that can really increase your vertical jumping height. These are perfect additions to your vertical jumping training program. Many are quite simple and you can do them each day to build your strength and endurance in addition to training for higher jumps.

Jump rope. Jumping rope with a simple inexpensive jump rope is a very effective exercise to improve vertical jump heights. Get a rope that is easy to swing comfortably and start out jumping on both feet, then alternating jumping on each foot individually. This is a great exercise to do while watching television. Start out by jumping rope for 10-minute bursts of time and gradually increase the level of intensity of your jump roping workout. Remember, though, speed is not the goal here-higher jumps is-so make sure you are focusing on that.

Deep knee bends. Begin from a standing position. Lower yourself slowly to your hunches while keeping your back straight. Then, just an inch before you hit a completely relaxed position down low, slowly raise yourself back up to a standing position. Do this counting four on the way down and four on the way back up to complete one rep. Begin with 15 reps a day and slowly increase to more reps each week. Besides powering your legs, this exercise actually tones your thighs and legs as well.

About the Author:
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts