Improve Vertical Jump: How to Increase Vertical Jump

Over many years athletes have been trying all sorts of things to increase their abilities. Increasing their vertical jump is just an addition to the list of things they want improved. Having the power to jump higher then your opponent is the ultimate goal for most athletes in sports like basketball and volleyball. One of the most frequently asked questions in sports are "How do I increase my vertical jump?" While increasing the flexibility in your achilles tendon has been known to increase your vertical jump inevitably one would need to increase their strength and speed to gain the wanted jump.

It is possible for one to improve vertical jump by 6-14" by exercises alone. An athlete needs power to increase their vertical jump to achieve this one needs to improve their speed and strength. When training for strength one needs to focus the exercises on these main areas:

- Hamstrings

- Calves- Glut Muscles-Quadriceps

When an athlete is training for speed there are two main elements that they need to take into consideration are Plyometric and Eccentric Contractions. When athletes are working with Plyometric training they should be working up to at least 1 ½ -2 times their own bodyweight. Some exercises that should be used to implement this form would be squatting and dead lifting. When an athlete uses Eccentric Contractions they should train with exercises like jumping(squats and standing) as well as sprinting. Though all training is wearing on one's body all athletes should take care and prepare for this type of exercise. Using good supportive shoes to protect the ankles and give padding to shock is important.

Over all there are ways to increase one's vertical jump. The technique you choose to implement is up to you though making sure that you use safety and are in excellent help when working on these skills is of great importance. Athletes all over the world work hard to increase their vertical jumps the average jump of an NBA player is around 28-34 inches. Though you don't necessarily need to be that high; establishing the best height possible will give you a serious advantage in the world of sports!