Increase Your Vertical Leap With Muscular Strength

Think about anyone who has a 40" vertical or higher. What's the one thing they all have in common? They're all in excellent condition. These individuals have a great deal of muscular strength throughout the body. Their body fat percentage is low, and they have a great deal of explosiveness.

A vertical jump training program can be as extensive as you want it to be. Plyometrics are very effective at increasing your vertical. But if you don't have access to a trainer or have the knowledge to design a plyometrics program for yourself, then it may not be feasible for you. One way that you can improve your vertical without having extensive knowledge is by getting stronger.

Conventional wisdom might say that the lower body is all that matters in order to jump higher. While it's certainly important, the rest of the body should not be ignored. The core and upper body play a key role in ones' ability to jump. In fact, a study showed that the proper use of the arms can increase a vertical by 10% or more.

With that said, we shouldn't ignore the fact that leg strength is an important part of the equation. If you are interested in plyometrics, then developing a foundation of strength is necessary.

Squats are the best exercise for developing maximal strength in the legs. A rule of thumb is to lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, though some prefer to go down even further than this. Squats work the hamstrings, which must be powerful in order to jump high.

The key is to make sure that you use proper technique. It's important to sink your hips back and keep your knees above your toes. The amount of weight you doesn't matter, as long as you are doing the exercise correctly. For beginners, shoot for 8-12 repetitions, then begin to add more weight over time as you get stronger.

Once you master the technique and build strength, then you can begin focusing on getting more explosive. This involves lengthening and contracting the muscles at a much faster pace. The faster you can lower your center of gravity, the quicker you will jump. This is why plyometrics are so effective.

When you do squats for explosiveness, you quickly lower your center of gravity and explode up. Some trainers actually don't track repetitions in such cases, they tell their athletes to do as many squats as possible within a one minute period.