Beginning Exercises To Aid Your Vertical Leap

 

So you want to know some good vertical jumping exercises? There are several out there. These will give you a good basis to start from. You must make sure that you follow them closely. Many people perform the correct exercises, but they don't do them correctly. Start with the exercises we outline below and you will have a good foundation for improving your vertical jump.

You may think the only muscles you need to work on during your vertical jumping workouts are your leg muscles, but that's not the case. The muscles in the back and waist are also exceptionally significant. The erector muscles are the strongest muscles in the back and take on the most work. Vertical jumping exercises should include working on this area. So let's get started with our first exercise.

Dead Lifts

Dead lifts are great. Arch your back, bend your knees while holding the weighted bar. Bring the barbell up until you are standing erect with the barbell hanging across your thighs. Slowly return the barbell back to the starting location on the floor. The first 3 sets of 6-8 reps should be done swiftly but steadily to avoid injury. Take a brief rest after these first 3 sets. Do one last set in a much slower approach this time.

Leg Presses

One more high-quality exercise is leg presses. Load a leg press machine with weights. Position your feet about shoulder width apart. Bring the plate down gradually until your knees bend to your chest, and then quickly push it away. You don't jump in slow motion, so you don't want to practice in slow motion. Your muscles act explosively when you are jumping, so you have to train them that way in your exercises as well. Do 5 sets of 6 reps. Allow muscles to rest between sets.

Medicine Ball

For our very last exercise we will use a medicine ball instead of a basketball. Acting as if you are trying to dunk the ball, jump with the medicine ball toward the rim. Make certain to stretch your reach and try to get the ball as high as you are able to. Doing this exercise will improve all the muscles that you will use when you in fact are able to dunk. Remember to push yourself to the max.

While these are simply three exercises, they can be a good beginning to increasing your vertical leap. Mix these with additional jumping exercises. Don't fail to remember to use the proper form while doing these exercises. It can help you avoid injury.