Saturday, October 10, 2009

Do you want to increase your vertical jumping?

By Amit Rosman

You know you need to exercise and practice to increase your vertical jumping. But do you know which exercises make a difference? Do you know how to exercise smarter so that you actually see results? Do you know how not to get burned out, or at least not too soon? Read on for some helpful tips on how to do vertical jumping exercises correctly.

Don't forget to warm up. Before you begin jumping or exercising, you need to stretch to warm up your legs. Many of the routines created for swimmers to stretch out are ideal for jumpers, as well. It's also a good idea to spend several minutes jumping rope or running stairs. This may also be included as a part of your exercise routine, but you should always begin with exercises like this to get warmed up before moving on to other more intense exercises.

Do some leg strength training. Some exercises need to be done slowly, each rep taking about nine counts. Deep knee bends, jumps and toe raises with and without weights definitely have more effect on your vertical jumping if done slowly. This helps build muscles, too.

Beef Up Those Muscles. While you don't necessarily have to have a sculpted Mr. America body to be a great jumper, you do need strong, toned muscles. Having a toned body that is in overall great shape also improves your metabolism, lowers body fat, strengthens muscles and bones, and helps your muscles and body burn calories even more effectively. And burning calories results in energy to power your jumps. So focus on exercises that will shape and tone your muscles.

There are a few rather routine exercises that can really increase your vertical jumping height. These are perfect additions to your vertical jumping training program. Many are quite simple and you can do them each day to build your strength and endurance in addition to training for higher jumps.

Spend Time Jumping Rope. Most of us learn to jump rope as kids, so this isn't difficult. But it can make a lot of difference in your vertical jumping training. Use good, tall posture and start out jumping rope on both feet. After a while, alternate feet. This is an easy exercise that requires little concentration, so you can often do this while watching television. Start out with 10-minute burst workouts with the jump rope and gradually increase the intensity of the routine, focusing on height, not speed.

Deep knee bends. Begin from a standing position. Lower yourself slowly to your hunches while keeping your back straight. Then, just an inch before you hit a completely relaxed position down low, slowly raise yourself back up to a standing position. Do this counting four on the way down and four on the way back up to complete one rep. Begin with 15 reps a day and slowly increase to more reps each week. Besides powering your legs, this exercise actually tones your thighs and legs as well.

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