Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
SUPPLIES
Overview
Jumping higher is simply a tool that will help an athlete perform better in his or her sport. It is most frequently associated with basketball because a player who can dominate "in the air" has a better chance of taking over a game. A player who can jump high also needs to couple that with an aggressive demeanor if he is going to get the most out of his leaping ability.
Step 1
It's all about improving leg strength. However, all workouts should start with a series of warm ups. Squats are an excellent warm up because they will get the blood flowing to the quad muscles as well as the calf muscles. Starting your workout with 10 to 12 squats will prepare your body for a dynamic workout.
Step 2
Toe raises will increase strength in your calf muscles. Do 10 toe raises in rapid succession and stay at the top of your raise for three seconds. After resting for one minute, do 10 more toe raises. Add weight to subsequent toe raise by wearing a weight vest. Ankle weights can help you increase leg strength over a longer time frame but they probably won't help if you are looking for short-term improvement.
Step 3
Get your running in. There is no short cut and there are no magic formulas. Even if you are looking for short-term gain, running sprints and distances will help increase your leg strength and your subsequent leaping ability. A series of 40-yard sprints followed by a long-distance run---one mile or more---will develop leg strength. Running is probably the single most important factor when it comes to increasing leg strength.
Step 4
Jumping rope will help an athlete improve timing, coordination and quickness. A quick jump is usually the most effective. By getting off the ground an instant quicker than your opponent you have a better chance to come up with the rebound or the loose ball. Jumping rope effectively for 5 minutes at a time will help improve coordination and timing.
Step 5
Measure your practice. Take a piece of chalk in your hand and extend it as high over your head as possible and mark the wall. Get into a leaping position and take an explosive jump upward. Mark the wall at your highest point. Measure the distance between the two markings. Go through your workouts and then take another measurement to see how much you have improved your jumping ability.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Yes, you can improve your jumping ability in one day. However, it's best to work out every day and check your progress every two weeks instead of every 48 hours.
- WARNING : Ankle weights can cause problems and create injuries when used in leaping exercises. Never wear ankle weights greater than 5 pounds when engaging in any leaping exercise.l
