Most
people
who want to become great leapers are into athletics. The fact
though, is that having a great vertical leap isn't just great for
playing sports, it can also help your overall health and
physicality. Whether you want to be able to jump higher to
be a better bball, vball, or football player, or you just want an
amazing vertical for the heck of it, below are some ways that can move
you closer to obtaining that goal A true vertical measure is
called a standing vertical jump. In this test, you stand in one
spot and jump. By subtracting the height that you can reach standing
reaching out from the height you reached at your highest jump, you can
figure out your real vertical. Most high school basketball
and volleyball players have a 26-30 inch vertical. Unless you are
thinking about playing a pro sport, a standing vertical of about 33-35
inches would be really good. The ads about having a real standing
vertical of 50" is usually total bullcrap, considering that Michael
Jordan had a 42" vertical and that's with a running start.
Beginners - Intermediate:
1. Step Master Machine -
you'll
be
able to find these at most decent sized sport centers (YMCA, school
weight rooms, etc.)
2. Walk around the house on
your
tiptoes as much as possible. This one is what I heard from several
credible sources, one being a fellow volleyball teammate with a 35"
standing vertical.
3. Jump rope. Try to do them
at
a
fast pace. You can divide them into different sets if you want, for
example, 100 in a row, and 5 sets of these. Don't overdo these,
I'd recommend spending maybe 15 minutes 3-4 times a week at the
most.
4. Stairs. If there is a place
where you can find many stairs close by, try them, run till you are
considerably tired and sweating.
5. Rim Jumps. Stand under a
basket
and try to reach as much of it as possible, jump 10-15 times
consecutively, take a 1-3 minute break, repeat. Do this for about
5 sets.
NOTE: It should be the
easiest for beginners to increase their vertical. Usually by careful
planning and dedication, a beginner can probably see a 4-8 inch
vertical in as short as 3 months.
> Intermediate:
1. Stairs with
ankle weights.
2. Jump rope with ankle
weights,
or
high repetition jump rope.
3. Box jumps - Jump off a
12-18
inch box, jump up and forward again as soon as you land. Get back on
box and repeat. Try to do
only 50 or so the first few times you
do this, this will probably make you sore the next day if you haven't
tried this before.
4. High repetition
squats, add
weight if desired.
NOTE: If you are
advanced
and
have been jumping all your life, I won't say that these will increase
your vertical dramatically. But, an increase of at least 2 inches and
up to 6 inches in half a year could be expected if you are able to make
up a good plan for yourself.