Jump training is one of those training exercises most people do not pay attention to.
After all, any athlete can jump in one way or the other and unless you are doing high jumping at the Olympics why would there be a need for jump training?! You turn on the TV and you see a basketball player dashing towards the basket.
The player jumps, twists and turns around his opponents.
He seems to be flying towards the basket and when he is at the vertical center point he slams the ball into the basket and then lands safely and with ease.
However this jumping ability does not come out of nowhere.
Behind the high level jump performance described above is a serious effort called jump training or Plyometrics.
A well-designed jump training is developed to allow the athlete to jump much higher at a much faster rate when taking off.
What does this exactly mean? With a good jump training plan an athlete increases the muscle reaction time.
These athletes can "explode" into a jump that goes very high up - leaving opponents behind.
In a competitive ball game this can make the difference of being able to jump high enough and block a volleyball flying into your half of the game area.
It can also mean that a basketball player can outperform opponents and jump high up to score multiple times.
The jump explosiveness that an athlete can gain from a good jump training can translate into a higher paid contract or the trophy at an important event.
The ability to jump high and outperform can separate the winners and losers dramatically.
Having the physical capability of jumping higher at a faster rate can boost the self confidence of an athlete or player, too.
It is fascinating what a physical ability can do for an athlete.
What kind of exercises should be part of a jump training exercise? There are several exercises that should be considered as a single training exercise is definitely not enough.
Some of the exercises I am going to mention are so-called Plyometric exercises.
You might have heard about Plyometrics before and often Plyometrics are equalized with jump training.
To a certain degree that assumption is correct and to separate the details goes beyond the purpose of this article.
The following exercises are great if you want to increase your vertical jump.
However, before you start doing these physical exercises you need to spend time warming up.
Jump training puts a lot of physical stress onto your legs and joints and pretty much your entire body.
Doing these exercises without warming up puts you at risk for injury.
You should also consult with a doctor as needed if you carry any risk factors that would need to be considered before starting any kind of physical exercise.
A solid Jump training program could contain exercises like Squat Jumps, Box Jumps, Rope Jumping, Low Squat Ankle Jump, or power skipping.
If you single out one of these exercises you will not get the results you are looking for.
However, combine these exercises into a coordinated training program and your vertical jumping ability could explode.
Or to be more descriptive - your legs muscles could turn into booster rockets that carry you high up, higher than you have ever jumped before.
Each of the exercises I mentioned before has room for variation and to detail these out goes beyond the purpose of this article.
If you are interested in jump training spend some time researching and eventually consult with a personal fitness trainer.
If you play for a team talk to your coach about resources he or she eventually knows about.
Also, jump training is not for the lazy athlete.
It requires effort and hard work.
You will be sweating a lot, but once you see the results of a good jump training the hard work will pay off.