People involved in athletics, in particular basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball, are often looking for ways to improve their vertical leap. There are many drills and programs available that are specifically intended for improving a person’s jumping ability. Before proceeding with any of these programs though, you should at least be in good general physical shape. Here we list a few exercises that you could start with before starting a vertical leap program. These will help get you started.
Warm Ups
Before starting the exercises, you need to warm up your muscles. Jog around for ten minutes or run up and down s few sets of stairs. It is also a sound idea to stretch your muscles prior to beginning your exercises. Warming up prior to exercising helps you improve muscle fibers that are used during the jumping process.
Skipping Rope
Jumping rope is an exercise that is often overlooked, and shouldn’t be, as it will contribute to improving the strength of your legs. It also helps maintain excellent overall physical condition. Do this exercise for 15 to thirty minutes on a regular basis.
Knee Raises
Grab an overhead bar securely, with your arms straight overhead. Hang from the overhead bar, with your arms fully extended and knees slightly bent. Hold this position and slowly pull your knees up to your chest. Concentrate on contracting your stomach muscles during this process. Hold this position for several seconds, before lowering your legs back down. Repeat this five times.
Knee Bends
One of the best exercises to increase the strength of your legs is with knee bends (also called squats). Stand in an upright position – straight, with chest out and with your back straight. Proceed to bend your knees slowly, keeping the back straight. Crouch, in a slow motion, as far down as possible. Repeat this process 20 times.
Toe Touches
Stand straight. Bend at the waist while keeping your knees locked. Lower yourself down as far as you can go and try to touch your toes with your fingers. Maintain this position for a few seconds. Do this exercise slowly and avoid “bouncing” while trying to reach your toes. Repeat this thirty times.
Sit-Ups
Sit-ups will help improve your vertical leap. Begin with with your back against the floor, with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor. Place you hands behind your head. Now, curl the shoulders off the floor, in a slow movement. Continue to bring your body to an upright position. Do not “pull” on your head with your hands. Focus on making your stomach do the work. Exercises for your waist are important for all physical activity as your ultimate all around strength and flexibility start here. Repeat this 10-20 times.
To get the most out of your vertical jumping exercises, you should consider a vertical jump training program. Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to see which are rated the best and to get more information on How To Improve Your Vertical.
Tags: how to jump higher, improve vertical jump, increase vertical jump, jumping exercises