Drills To Increase Vertical Jump To Become More Explosive

Being explosive is an important quality for athletes to possess, particularly for those who want to increase vertical jump. This is because explosiveness is what allows athletes to generate the power and force necessary to propel themselves off the ground and into the air. Increasing your vertical jump can be beneficial for a variety of sports, as it can help you perform better in activities that require jumping or leaping, such as basketball, volleyball, and track and field events.

There are several ways to increase vertical jump, including strength training exercises, plyometric drills, and practicing proper jumping technique. By focusing on increasing your explosiveness, you can improve your performance in any sport. See more information on Vertical Jump Training.  

You can do these exercises with VertIMax using your own body weight with the patented consistent resistance. Other equipment can also be used like kettlebells, squat racks, free-weights, etc. 

Read on to increase your vertical jump with the following: 

1. Explosive Plyometric Drills

2. Proper Technique

3. Basic Strength Training

Explosive Plyometric Drills To Increase Vertical Jump

Plyometric training, also known as jump training, is a type of exercise that focuses on explosive movements and power. It involves quick, powerful movements that use the stretch-shortening cycle to generate force. By maximizing muscle contractions and strengthening the fast-twitch muscle fibers you convert strength into speed.  When an athlete increases their tendon strength, they not only become more explosive, but this helps reduce injuries as well. 

Below are 8 great drills to increase vertical jump to be more explosive.  

1. Lateral Skater Jumps

When playing sports an athlete is constantly moving side-to-side.  Lateral skater jump drills will help improve sports performance for those athletes that frequently change direction, cut, and pivot.  Intent is critical here and the athlete needs to give effort with minimal ground contact.

2. Single Leg Bounds

Single leg bounds help athletes increase leg strength, power, explosive coordination and sprint speed.   Make sure the athlete aims for maximum power and minimum ground contact time on each repetition.

3. Squat Jumps

The squat jump is actually used quite a bit to measure lower-body power.  As well as improve explosive hip extension which is the foundation of athletic movement.

A more advanced exercise than the squat jump is the tuck jump.  When the knees are tucked during the movement the athlete increases abdominal and hip flexor activity which can help develop motor mechanics that are used during an athletes sport.  

Depth jumps are another great jump training drill to improve reactive strength as well as one of the best jump exercises to increase an athlete's vertical jump.

This jumping movement is a movement that involves the ankles, knees, and hip flexing to produce triple extension.  This jump training drill will help the athlete support themselves on one leg explosively.

7. Broad Jumps

The standing long jump (broad jump) is the test used in the NFL combine.  It’s used to test for explosive leg power. One key to the broad jump is maintaining your balance at the end of each jump.

8. Rotational Box Jump

This drill will help with landing coordination as well as develop explosive leg power.  

Jump training drills and plyometrics require limited no equipment and can be done just about anywhere. Adding the VertiMax resistance increase load production and explosiveness. These drills can easily be implemented into any training regiment. If you want to find more drills check out the VertiMax App which includes drills for every sport.   

Proper Jumping Technique & Form

To maximize your vertical jump, it's important to practice proper jumping technique. Some tips for improving your jumping technique include:

1. Start With A Strong Base

   Make sure you have a solid foundation by planting your feet shoulder-width apart and keeping your knees bent.

2. Swing Your Arms

   Swinging your arms can help generate momentum and assist in the upward movement of your jump.

3. Use Your Hips

   Your hips should be the main source of power for your jump. As you jump, push your hips forward and up to help generate more height.

4. Keep Feet Together In The Jump

   Jumping with your feet together can help you jump higher because it allows you to use all of your lower body muscles to generate force.

5. Land Softly

   When landing, try to absorb the impact by bending your knees and landing softly on the balls of your feet.

Basic Strength Training Exercises To Increase Vertical Jump

Strength training exercise involves using resistance to increase muscle strength and size. It can be done using resistance bands, weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, or using bodyweight exercises. Strength training can help increase your vertical jump by improving the strength and power of your lower body muscles, which are important for jumping.

It's important to focus on compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups, as these will provide the most benefit for increasing your vertical jump. It's also important to progressively increase the weight or difficulty of the exercises as you get stronger.

Strength training exercises can be performed using VertiMaxSome examples of strength training exercises that can help increase your vertical jump include:

1. Squats

   Squats are a great exercise for improving lower body strength and power, which can help you jump higher. You can perform squats with your own bodyweight. To progress, you can do squats with VertiMax and/or other equipment like a barbell, squat rack, kettlebells.

2. Lunges

   Lunges are another effective exercise for building lower body strength. You can do forward, reverse, or lateral lunges to target different muscle groups. Again you can use a VertiMax in addition to barbells, squat racks, free weights or kettlebells.

3. Leg Press 

   The leg press machine is a good option for targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, which are all important muscles for jumping.

4. Calf Raises

   Strong calf muscles can also help improve your vertical jump, as they help you push off the ground with more force. You can do calf raises with a barbell or just your bodyweight.

5. Step-Ups

   Step-ups are another exercise that can help improve lower body strength and power. You can use a bench or a step for this exercise. You can add VertiMax resistance for more progression options.

 

If you want to find more jump training drills check out the VertiMax App which includes drills for every sport. To learn more about how VertiMax equipment can increase your vertical jump to become more explosive check out the link below.