What do I need to do to jump higher? This is a question quite common amongst basketball players and volleyball players.
You need to concentrate on all the aspects of your jumping ability to really see results.
The reason why most people don't see any results even after training for months is because they neglect a lot of aspects that are responsible for jumping higher.
These factors can be classified into 4 wide categories.
1.
Form and balance Form and balance are probably the most important aspect of jumping.
Ever seen a 7 year old kid try to jump? They don't have balance, and they don't have the correct form and the result is there jump is shaky and they are never able to jump high enough.
Compare that to professional basketball players.
There jump is controlled and balanced.
As a result they are able to jump much higher.
While playing a certain sport, you usually adapt the jumping technique that is required and your form is generally built with time.
However, it is a good idea to get a reality check.
Watch the videos of basketball players or volleyball players jumping (depending on which sport you play).
And then get a friend to tape you while you are jumping.
Compare your jumping action with the professionals and find out if your jumping form is right or not.
Once you know what is wrong, start working on it slowly your jumping form will be perfect.
2.
Strength The more strength your muscles have, the higher you will be able to jump.
Period.
Start incorporating weight training in your workout and you will see the results.
But make sure you don't just train for your legs.
You use your entire body to jump, and when you train you should train your entire body for the strength.
3.
Speed Strength alone is useless for jumping higher unless accompanied by speed.
Your muscles should be able to produce the strength required for jumping instantly.
While playing a sport you need to be able to jump high within a split second.
Strength and speed combined bring explosiveness, because if you can produce a large amount of strength quickly, you can literally explode from the ground in the air.
So include some speed training in your routine.
Plyometrics, ropes, sprinting, box jumping, etc.
are a good way to gain speed.
4.
Body structure The lighter you are the less gravity you will have to act against and thus, the higher you will be able to jump.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? But it's not that simple.
You can't just slim down to 80 lbs and expect your vertical jump to increase.
This is because your puny muscles won't have enough power left in them.
So weight is required in your muscles to lift you up.
It is the fat in the body that is useless and which weighs you down unnecessarily.
So work to reduce your fat and not your muscles.
In fact, you should workout to increase your muscles, because the more muscles you'll have the more fat you will be burning and so you'll be able to jump even higher.
The above 4 aspects of jumping are quite simple to understand and are all equally important in jumping.
If you train just one or two of them, sure you will be able to gain some vertical, but you'll never reach your true potential.
So make sure you include all 4 aspects of jumping higher in your routine.