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Higher Jump Training Exercise: Toe Raises
By admin | September 4, 2009
If you undergoing some training workouts to jump higher, then I am willing to bet that one exercise included in the regimen is the toe raises. This is an essential part of jump higher exercises because it works out muscle groups that are basically the engine behind an explosive vertical explosion.
The main muscle group that is benefited by proper toe raises are the calf muscles. Calf muscles are a pretty strong muscle group and which gives the leg strength to lift the body by pushing down through your toes and raising your heel of the ground. This is basically the basic locomotion of vertical jumping.
Toe raises are good ways to develop the calf muscle power needed for the dorsal flexion action of your leg muscles which basically is the act of loading the calf muscles (particularly the fast twitch muscle fibers) before the jump by decreasing the angle between your feet and your shins (squatting movement). It also works out the counter action, the plantar fexion of the leg muscles, which is similar to the act of pushing down on a vehicle’s car pedal but on an explosively quick manner to create the distance between your body and the ground.
There are two types of toe raises: the seated and standing toe raises and their details are provided below:
Training for higher vertical jumps generally involve high-impact exercises that may increase risk of injuries. You should consult a professional trainer or a doctor before undergoing any drills that you got off the Internet.
1. Seated Toe Raises
As the title stated, this exercise is performed while seated. This is a light exercise because it takes a lot of the body weight off the calf muscles but is still good enough as to be a good strengthening workout for them.
Instructions: While seated on a chair with both feet flat on the ground, push down on your toes such that the heels are off the floor and an increase in the angle between the feet and the shins is performed. Hold that position for 8 to 15 seconds, go back to original position, then repeat. Make 10 to 20 repetitions per session.
2. Standing Toe Raises
This drill is more of a workout to the leg muscles as the first one since you are putting more weight and strain on your calf muscles and is effectively carrying your entire weight. The principle is the same as the seated toe raises.
Instructions: While standing upright with both feet flat on the ground, push down on the ground with your toes such as the heels are lifted off the floor and the same increase in the angle between feet and the shins is achieved. Hold that position for 8 to 15 seconds, go back to original position, then repeat. Do this 10 to 20 times per session.
The principle behind learning to jump higher is as simple as strengthening the muscles involved in the jumping locomotion to deliver more strength and power so that more energy is transferred from your body (particularly your legs) to the ground which will logically result in a higher or improved jump height.
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