If you want to own the basketball court, bring down rebounds and get easy access to the rim, you need to be able to jump. Luckily, increasing your vertical jump can be done in less than an hour, three times a week. You can start seeing results in a few weeks, but it’s important to keep up the workouts if you want to keep increasing your vertical and have better overall health.
Conditioning
For starters, basketball players need to keep up their conditioning. This is essential for all aspects of basketball, including the vertical. For cardiovascular health, its important to run, but not all types of running are the same.
A sprinting cardio workout is preferable to long distance running for building up the muscles of the legs and giving you a more explosive first step. By increasing burst, you give your legs more power to push you off the ground.
This is also the most efficient running style for weight loss, and dropping weight can certainly help your vertical and overall ability for the game. The internet can provide many sprinting programs, look for ones that require 2 or 3 days training a week to avoid over training.
Weight Lifting
To further increase leg strength, it’s important to get into a weight lifting program. There are several good exercises to target the legs, but possibly the most important is the squat. It is a compound movement that targets several leg muscles and the posterior chain, which includes the gluteus maximus and lower back muscles. Deadlifts, dynamic squats, leg presses, lunges, calf raises, and good mornings are also important leg and lower back workouts.
Look for plans online that fall into the 3 day range, or make one yourself. Use compound leg movements with secondary leg and core exercises two out of three days, and an upper body day on the third.
The core exercises are nearly as important as leg exercises for jumping, but luckily squats are a great all around core workout. Supplement them with ab and oblique workouts.
Also note that these exercises can be dangerous if not performed properly. Many gym patrons are happy to help a newcomer learn the technique, or you can take a lesson with a personal trainer in your area to get true professional guidance.
Flexibility
Another important aspect of jumping higher is flexibility. Keeping your muscles and tendons stretched and loose gives you greater range of motion and allows for more explosive movement. You should make sure to stretch before any workouts, running or weightlifting.
Also, consider some of the more advanced levels of yoga once you feel ready. Include a few basic plyometric exercises into your stretching for a really dynamic workout that’s sure to increase your vertical jump.
Summary
Running, weightlifting and stretching all play an important role in developing a greater vertical. Focusing on these three areas will enhance your physical ability much faster than those who develop through the game itself. It requires effort and time but it will pay off big the next time you drive to the hoop for the winning basket.