How do professional athletes such as NBA stars jump so high? What is their secret to gaining such a high vertical leap? If you knew what they did to leap so high, would you try that and increase your vertical too? If you are looking for ways in which you can increase your vertical leap, here are some of the top basic exercises and tips that you can start doing today and see the difference they have on your vertical leap.
i) Always start with stretching exercises, they are the most important workouts that will get you ready for the more intensive training, though you can incorporate them as a part of the more intensive vertical jump training. One of the best ways you can stretch is hanging upside down from a pole and doing several aerobic exercises that target the different parts of the body including the back, legs, arms and the spine. It is a good idea to do stretching exercises even on those days that you rest from intensive workouts.
ii) Strengthen the muscles in the body, especially those in the calves and toes. This is very important, you must know what exercises are safe to do to build up your leg, thigh, lower back, abs and bicep muscles. Although strength is not the only thing you need to pack up in order to be a great jumper, it plays a significant role in the building the foundation for you high vertical leap. It is wise for you to start off with compound exercises and free weights and not getting outright to using machines at the gym.
iii) The other important factor you will have to work at is speed. A combination of speed and strength is what gives you the power to jump high. Speed is important and is different from building up strength; you will need to be more flexible and agile to sprint faster. You can also use running and sprinting in short bouts as a build up to more intensive training to increase your vertical leap.
iv) The best exercises to use to enhance your vertical leap are plyometric workouts. These are simple and short but very intensive training exercises that you can use to build up power which will be the most important element in jumping higher. To know what plyometric vertical jumping exercises, you will have to do some bit of research and choose the exercises that most suit your situation and offer the most promising results in the end.
v) There are other essential factors you will have to think of when training to increase your vertical leap that I have not mentioned. These include getting sufficient rest, losing weight and getting in good shape before starting the training, proper diet and having a good program that will act as your personal trainer in the whole process. These said, you now know the most important exercises to do and the major factors that play a role in bring you results from the vertical training process.