Vertical Jump Exercises

Everybody desires to add few inches to their vertical jump and to jump over their competitors on the way to the rim. Hence, whether it is in basketball or volleyball, vertical jump is considered to be one of the most volatile human movement till now. In many sports, it is the athlete's vertical jumping ability that determines his or her success in the game.

Besides sports, even ballet is a perfect example of such jumping that uses the leaping ability of dancers to measure their explosiveness. Therefore, vertical jumping ability reflects an athlete's or dancer's overall physical conditioning, as well as their current athletic ability.

However, this takes a lot of hard work and proper training to train and strengthen the muscles in order to take a high jump. So, here are some simple, yet effective jumping workouts, take a look.

Considered to be one of the versatile all around vertical leap exercises, squat is the best exercise for building leg strength. It can be performed in a squat rack with weight or without weight. It primarily targets the leg muscles and posterior chain muscles and works on all muscles simultaneously.

Steps to be Followed:

• In an athletic posture, start to bend at the knees as if you are trying to sit down.
• Keep your back straight and feet shoulder width apart.

• Position your knees behind the perpendicular line of the toes and squat until your knees are at a 90 degree angle.
• Now, rise back up and relax. If you are doing with weights, take help from the trainer to check your form.

Deadlift is another great vertical jump workout routine, that helps to build back strength. It also targets multiple muscles simultaneously and enables you to keep your lower back rigid against a load.

Steps to be Followed:

• Pull the barbell from the ground with both hands until your hips and knees are fully extended.
• Now bring your hips forward while pushing the heels into the ground, without straining your lower back.
• Repeat the exercise. However, if you are finding it difficult, begin with smaller weights.

Depth jump is a great plyometric exercise to enhance your jumping ability by increasing your speed and explosiveness.

Steps to be Followed:

• Stand on top of the box or ledge (approx 12 inches) in an athletic position with your feet, shoulder width apart.
• Jump slowly off the box into the air in front of the box and land on the ground with both the feet.

• The moment your feet hit the ground, spring off the ground back on to the box.
• Now rest on the platform for few seconds to regain your balance and repeat the exercise.

Abdominal muscles also play an important role in jumping, as they form the core muscles that connect the upper body to the lower body. Hence, crunches are the most recommended abdominal exercises that not only tone the core muscles, but also strengthen them.

Steps to be Followed:

• Lie down on your back and bend your knees.
• Cross your arms in front of your chest and lift your back, shoulders, and neck together, off the ground and towards the ceiling, using only your abdominal muscles.
• Slowly go back down and relax before doing the next crunch.

These were some of the best exercises that will increase your strength and vertical leap fitness. However, before trying any of these exercises do perform some warm-up exercises to avoid any muscle strain or injury.