Overview
Strong calf muscles are one way to improve your jumping ability. The higher that you can jump, the easier it will be to score baskets and capture rebounds. Investing some time strengthening your calf muscles will allow you to reap the rewards on the basketball court.
Step 1
Build strength through traditional weight lifting. Begin a full body workout that includes lunges, squats and calf raises. For best results, complete your full body workout twice a week.
Step 2
Perform an endurance activity that will increase calf strength. Running sets of stairs, bleachers or steep hills are examples of exercises that will both increase your calf strength and your cardiovascular endurance. Whether you choose stairs, bleachers or hills, run as hard as you can to the top and then walk down to recover. Start with sprints of 30 seconds, increasing the distance as you become more fit. Complete this workout once a week or once every other week.
Step 3
Add plyometrics to your workout. Plyometrics require you to use explosive force and replicate the effort required to jump. Stand beside a sturdy bench that's about 18 inches off of the ground, and jump up onto the bench, landing evenly on both feet. Step back to the ground and then repeat. Do this exercise facing the bench and also standing parallel to the bench so that you jump sideways. You can complete this exercise on the same day as your stair runs or alternate, doing one each week.
Step 4
Stretch. These intense exercises can lead to tight muscles. Add stretches to your routine, either at the end of each exercise session or as a separate, yoga or Pilates-style workout. Some stretches that are effective on calf muscles include toe touches, stretching by hanging your heels off of a step, and lunges, paying careful attention that the heels of your front foot remain on the ground.
Step 5
Jump. While all of these added exercises will increase your calf strength, it is important to continue to practice jumping. At the end of each exercise session, spend some time working on your jumping. If you have access to a basketball hoop, practice jump shots or layups, then spend some time running and jumping for the net. If you don't have access to a hoop, simply see how high you can jump, from a run and a stand still, touching the wall or a door frame.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Give yourself three to four weeks of consistent work before you expect to see results.
These exercises are strenuous. To get the most out of them, it is important to eat plenty of healthy food so that your body will have energy.
Wear comfortable and supportive exercise shoes.
- WARNING : This is an aggressive exercise program. If you are recovering from an injury, seek medical advice before beginning.
If at any time you feel pain while exercising, back off and work at a lower level of intensity.
