Your vertical jump can make the difference between winning and losing in sports. It makes a difference in whether you grab that rebound, stop the volleyball spike, or land that last-second hail-mary. Additionally, having a strong vertical jump is frequently linked to other aspects of athletic prowess like acceleration, direction change, and overall power.
In order for the workouts we do to accurately reflect the types of movements we’ll be making in our sport(s), we help design an exercise regimen that will improve our jumping ability while maintaining that element of functionality.
Put on your game face, lace up, and let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How to Test Your Vertical?
Let’s first make sure you know how to jump properly and can obtain a baseline measurement for it before we explain how to build your jump.
8 Exercises to Improve Vertical Jump
½ Kneel to Single-leg Hop
strengthens all the muscles needed to extend the legs and jump, while also improving balance and coordination on one leg. When you feel more comfortable with the movement, add a jump but start by keeping your foot firmly planted on the ground as you extend up.
Drop Squats With Posterior Arm Throws
Develop your reactive landing. Throwing your arms behind you helps your hips to lower, and it also gets you ready to jump so that you can launch your hands into the air.
Broad Jump to High Jump
Your ability to land on your feet after a horizontal jump, jump vertically, and explode upward is more important than the length of your broad jump in this situation. As Brian highlights, “Rarely will you jump up straight without first making some kind of forward movement.”
Lateral Bound to Jump
For the majority of athletes, the ability to generate and absorb force while swiveling is essential. This exercise has two variants:
- Gathering with both feet and then jumping
- Landing and jumping on a single leg
180º Jumps
aimed at enhancing coordination between jumping and landing. To help with your rotation and overall height, drive the arms effectively.
Back Leg Elevaed Single-leg Jumps
balance, coordination, and strength on one leg are put to the test. When you feel comfortable with the movement, add the jump after practicing with your foot firmly planted on the ground while extending your leg.
Tuck Jumps
increases the hip-extension muscles’ and your quads’ explosive power. The added benefit of strengthening your core and using your hip flexors when you tuck your knees up to your chest.
Mountain Climbers
improves your hips’ range of motion, power, and coordination. additionally presents a satisfying cardio challenge!
An effective mountain climber progression includes a jump (burpee) into the series.
Jump Rope
Perform in 3 different directions, across all planes:
- Forwards and backwards
- Side to side
- Rotating your hips
Tips to Improve Vertical Jumps
Here are a few pointers to help you jump higher:
- Before engaging in jumping exercises, warm up your body.
- Before stepping up the height of your jump for each exercise, perfect your form.
- Keep your knees slightly bent at all times.
- Take a soft landing. Place foam tiles or cushions on the floor below you if the force of landing stresses your body.
- Utilize the momentum created by your arm swing to raise your body higher.
- Keep both of your feet level when jumping and landing.
- Always distribute your weight evenly between your body’s two sides when you land.
Other Ways to Stay in Shape
Including these kinds of training sessions in your weekly schedule will help you incorporate cardiovascular and strength training into your fitness program in addition to jumping exercises.
Cardiovascular fitness encourages good health overall and facilitates daily tasks. Additionally, it lowers stress levels, enhances mental performance, and boosts circulation.
Strengthening your muscles will give all of your movements more force. Additionally, it can improve your general quality of life, strengthen your bones, and manage chronic health issues.
Perform joint mobility exercises, either on their own or as a warmup to your workout, to enhance your performance and move more easily. Your range of motion will benefit from your increased strength and flexibility thanks to these dynamic stretches. In addition to alleviating pain, this might also help you jump higher and faster.
Final Thoughts
You can jump higher while also increasing your stability, strength, and agility with the help of these drills and advice. Include strength and cardio workouts in your weekly schedule in addition to jump training. Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes each day at a moderate intensity.
