Learn to Jump Higher
Jumping, simply, is one of the most explosive skills an athlete can have. Basketball, volleyball and even American football athletes strive hard to improve this very important aspect of their game. The best approach in achieving a high jump involves a multi-facet approach that tries to train the all of the factors involved in improving the skills of an athlete:
1. Flexibility – this is needed because this directly affects your vertical jump height and helps define your resistance to training-related injuries.
2. Core Strength – this is essential when it comes to executing powerful and rapid movements of the arms and legs. A weak core strength will translate to weaker extremities because strength of the extremities originate from the core and the stability it can provide.
3. Plyometrics – this is the heart of the training and is the key to developing the power in those legs. The principle behind plyometrics lies in the fact that it targets the muscles involved for speed and power needed for those explosive jumps. The quicker you can convert muscle energy (chemical) into mechanical and and transfer that energy from your legs into the floor, the more powerful your jump can be and the more height it will achieve. Plyometric exercises however are known to be high-impact exercises that increases risks of injury. Thus, careful execution is a must. Supervision by a jump trainer or coach is advised.
4. Resistance training – this is also an important aspect of vertical jump training and like the other exercises, this needs to be done right. Not all of us have access to a weight room so alternatives to going to weight rooms will be considered. When you think about it, weight training is just a convenient way of providing resistance training for your muscles. You can still provide resistance training for your muscles without weights.
5. Nutrition – this is an often neglected aspect of any athletic training but is one of the most important because it directly relates to your body’s ability to heal and nourish itself. This is important most especially after each rigorous training sessions. Giving your body the food it needs will hasten development and help you achieve your goals more efficiently.
6. Mental conditioning – most sports training will test your focus and attitude. You need all the motivation you can get to help you through this. If you don’t have the right attitude towards a training that involves a tough regimen, you might see yourself quitting halfway through. You also need a lot of patience and not expect that you will achieve your targets in a matter of days. How long it will take for you to see positive results will vary from person to person but this is mostly due to attitude. The better your attitude towards your training, the higher your chances of seeing some results in the quickest possible time is. Remember, if you train using the correct training and stick to it like glue, you will see results.
All of the above aspects are important in any athletic training program. And the program to learn to jump higher is no exception. This blog aims to help people on the physical aspect of the jump higher training, most especially numbers 1 to 4 above.
There are many exercises to jump higher that you can do to help you develop flexibility, core strength and the speed and power in your leg muscles. This blog will help you understand them all and provide information about the correct way of doing them to minimize risks of injury and maximize your development and your progression towards that ultimate vertical jump that will help you become the best at your sport.
Thank you for reading and best of luck!
Photo credit: johnrichard0225
