Jumping higher is not only the dream of volley players who crave for smashing, it’s the wish of a lot of athletes. Gymnastics, soccer, basketball or even tennis are all sports where athletes can benefit from a precious gain in vertical jump. But the cruel genetics didn’t give everyone dynamite in the socks…does that mean you can stop dreaming to put your chin over the net ?
How to improve your vertical bounce ?
To reach the full potential of your jump, you will need to train in strength AND power.
On one hand, resistance compound movements (squat, deadlifts etc) will increase your strenght in posterior chain.
On the other hand, you’ll have to workout with power exercises, which consist of very fast and explosive movements : we are talking about any plyometric exercise.
Keep in mind that explosivity is the result of the power and speed combo and you have to work both.
The last thing of jump training is repetition, for a volleyball player for example, one of the best exercises is to take a few minutes at the end of each training session to jump to the net. Try to touch it with both hands and extend fully.
Do 4 series of 10 to 15 jumps.
Now let’s see which other exercice you can do to increase vertical.
1. Take out your old skipping rope !
The best way to get into the fabulous world of plyometrics is probably for you to pull out your good old skipping rope !
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and as simple as it may sound, skipping really helps to develop explosive power in addition to good coordination.
Consider this your best cardiofunctional exercise and aim for 30 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week.
Enough to burn a bunch of calories and lose a little fat, which is always good to take when you’re trying to jump higher.
Your objective, to become able to skip rope for at least 60s without interruption, then to continue 5 rounds with a few seconds break between each.
If you understand french, this guide will learn you how to start with jumping rope.
2) Box Jump
It is a reference and one of the best plyometric exercises to improve your explosiveness.
You will need an object with a flat surface on which you can land, such as a bench or a box…
Start with something relatively low and increase the height as you go along.
It’s important to respect a good timing, as soon as you touch the floor with your feet, direclty jump again to the box.
Repetitions have to be fast and smooth.
You can carry dumbbells with you for optimal results.
3) Jump squat
Another great classic of plyometrics, jump squat is still an excellent exercise.
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, go down to the squat position (knees at hip level, not below).
Then blow up by jumping as high as possible, land by bending your knees well to cushion the impact.
You can take some weight with you for better results.
Repeat.
In conclusion
That’s pretty it ! Develop a good jump is nothing more than work in resistance in your gym and do some plyometric exercises that mimic the movements of volleyball.
The key is to repeat, to jump, again and again, and to develop a good form of jumping as weel.
Now that you have the vertical, don’t forget the form to be even more efficient !
Finally, don’t forget jumping is an high impact activity, be carefull and go progressively with it !
Source : Sport Equipements
