Remember Allen Iverson’s dunk on the 6-foot-11 Marcus Camby? You know, the guy isn’t even 6 feet tall! He actually he is only 5’10.75”. So it’s clear that he can jump. But without any exercise no one can jump that high. There are many exercises that can increase your vertical jump, but most of them are simply not effective.
So which exercises are the most effective? Here are the top 5 exercises to increase your vertical jump:
1. Jump rope
It’s a very common exercise and the reason why is because it works. Jump rope not only gives you explosiveness and calf strength, but it’s also a great way to build stamina and work on overall leg strength. Jump rope at least three times a week to build your aerobic fitness level.
2. Calf Raises
Calf raises are a very effective exercise because they train the muscles that give you the explosive drive in the jumping process. Here’s how you do it: Stand on a foot block or the bottom step of a stairway in your house and rise up on your toes as much as possible. Hold the contraction briefly, then return more slowly to the starting position. Strong calves help you do quick, on-the-spot jumps.
3. Lunges
This is a great exercise because it simultaneously trains different muscles that are involved in the jumping process: thighs, lower leg, back muscles, abdominal muscles. Standing in an upright position, step as far forward as possible without leaning your upper body forward until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle. Then return to the original position in one step. Do this 8 times with one leg, then 8 with the other. You can also use dumbbells.
4. Step Ups
For this exercise you need a bench or something you can step on (about 15 inches high). Simply stand in an upright position, then step on the bench at the height that would bring your knee to a 90-degree angle. Do 8 repetitions with one leg and repeat with the other. This exercise is a perfect extension of the lunge exercise because you train the antagonistic muscle group.
5. Touch the edge
Stand under the hoop and try to touch it with one or both hands or start running and jump as high as possible to reach the hoop. Important: Try to perform this exercise very clean and with maximum power and repeat it only limited times (for example, maximum 3 sets with 5 repetitions). After that, do not do any leg exercises for 24 to 48 hours. Your muscles need time to grow and regenerate.
In addition to these exercises it is important that you take care of your diet. The most important point here is to limit the amount of fat you eat. Fat makes food taste delicious, but it’s an athlete’s biggest enemy because it’s the extra weight you have to lift into the air and it inhibits the flexibility of the muscles you need to jump. Therefore, if you can control your nutrition and will use the above exercises, then serious results are guaranteed.