Do you want to jump high? I bet you do! Having a massive vertical jump and crushing your opponent with your attacks is every volleyball player’s dream. In this video, I’ll show you 4 fantastic exercises you’ve likely never done before, which will help you gain those crucial centimeters for your vertical jump and I have for you incredible useful bonus tip.
We all admire volleyball stars like Wilfredo Leon and his incredible attacks. We dream of one day jumping like them. But how can you improve your jump and reach your full potential?
Throughout my professional career, I’ve tried nearly 100 exercises to improve vertical jump—ranging from traditional squats and deadlifts in the gym to dynamic and plyometric exercises. Most of these exercises, however, were single-focused: either targeting strength or explosiveness. In this video,
I’ve got something special for you—a combination of dual-focused and unconventional exercises you probably haven’t done before.
I must admit, even for me, these exercises were challenging to film because they involve unconventional movements. And here’s the twist: you won’t be able to use your arms to generate extra momentum for your jump. Arm movement is critical for vertical jump performance, accounting for 10–20% of your jump height—a significant number of centimeters.
But let’s dive into the exercises!
Exercise 1: Low Hurdle Jumps with a Medicine Ball
For this exercise, you’ll need low hurdles or a similar aid. I propose use hurdles less than 30 cm high and a light medicine ball, especially if you’re a beginner.
The exercise involves holding the medicine ball overhead and jumping over each hurdle. As soon as you land, immediately jump over the next one. You might think, “This will be easy.” But without using your arms—which remain overhead—your body has to work extra hard to bring you over the hurdles.
I recommend using 3–4 low hurdles and performing 5 sets of this exercise.
Exercise 2: Higher Hurdle Jumps with a Moving Medicine Ball
This is a variation of the first exercise, requiring slightly higher hurdles (around 50 cm) and a light medicine ball (I use a 2 kg medicineball).
Instead of holding the medicine ball overhead, you hold it in front of your body at belly level. As you jump over each hurdle, move the medicine ball in your hands. Focus on quick rebounds after landing to jump over the next hurdle. Perform 5 sets of this exercise as well.
Exercise 3: Box Jump with Medicine Ball Throw
For this exercise, you’ll need a box (around 50 cm high). Start by standing on the box with a medicine ball in your hands. Jump down, land, and immediately explode upward, throwing the medicine ball as high as you can. Step off the box first with your right foot. Again, you can’t use your arms for the jump; instead, your entire body must generate the power for throwing medicine ball and jumping. Perform 8–12 jumps and throws.
Exercise 4: Dual Box Jump with Medicine Ball Throw
Now comes an advanced version of the previous exercise, requiring two boxes—one lower and one higher. Hold the medicine ball in front of you. Start on the lower box, jump down, immediately jump onto the higher box, land on the ground, and finish with a vertical jump while throwing the medicine ball forward with maximum energy. Again perform 8–12 repetitions of this drill.
Bonus Tips
And here is my bonus tip. Your jump can improve significantly by adding these 3 exercises that have already been viewed by over 500,000 people on YouTube. Check them out and practice them alongside these drills. At the end of every training session, spend a few minutes jumping to touch the antenna as high as possible with your hitting hand. Record your highest reach and aim to beat your personal record in the next session.
