Plyometric Training Exercises: How To Jump Higher to Dunk
Recently I decided to add plyometric training exercises to my workout routine. I’d tried to improve my jumping previously, trying different new ideas on for size. I found that plyometrics training provided substantial gains in my vertical leaping ability and also vastly improved my leg strength. In my experience, the most useful plyometric exercises are those which are used as part of a regimen meant to improve jumping ability for the purposes of dunking.
As a high school student, I became fixated on increasing my vertical leaping capabilities. Just as was the case with push ups, whenever our gym classes measured our jumping ability, I became a fiercely competitive animal. When I was a Junior in high school, I came in second at 34 inches. The school champion was able to leap 36″ and subsequently was part of the University of Connecticut basketball squad’s starting lineup. That was when I became determined to hone in on plyometric training exercises as a way to improve my vertical leap. My first experiment was with a program titled Air Alert II. The bottom line is that it taught me some rather bad habits.
Air Alert II was one of those big hype programs that guaranteed you would add 10″ to your vertical leap. While these guarantees may have been appealing to a teenager, they were worth little more than the paper on which they were printed, and certainly not the $10 I actually paid for them. The regimen incorporated a series of five movements, including calf raises, step ups, leap ups, squat jumps and burnouts. However, it wasn’t the exercises that made this program so terrible, it was the workout frequency.
The main problem with Air Alert II (not unlike similar programs) was its requirement of five consecutive days of plyometric training. The extreme nature of the exercises, three to four sets of fifty to one hundred reps each was awful. Although it does some good, over training isn’t a wise decision. A hundred reps doesn’t do much for the vertical leaping, anyway.
A vertical leap is an explosion upward. The most effective method for increasing upward explosiveness is something other than training with multiple repetitions. Think of performing bench press. Someone wishing to build substantial strength would be advised to complete several sets of 1-3 repetitions with a large amount of weight. If you applied the principles of the above program, it would be like trying to increase your bench press by doing 100 reps with just the barbell. Perhaps you would gain endurance, but it is highly unlikely that you would build noticeable strength. Also, it would never be a good idea to work on bench press exercises for five consecutive days.
Take it from me, the best way to increase leg strength and vertical leap is to do low rep plyometrics training. The type of plyometric exercise somewhat dictates how many reps are best. Explosive power comes from using the reps to match the exercise. Some require ten to fifteen while others only need five. No matter what exercise is at issue, it is always important to give your all. When you are capable of jumping several feet in the air, it makes little sense to train by jumping merely a single foot.
Definitions of plyometrics vary among individuals, though the one I find to be the best is the one that describes plyometrics training as that which incorporates movements meant to foster quick, explosive movement. Plyometrics exercises are great for improving explosive power and speed. Indeed, those who concentrate on vertical leap improvement programs typically gain a faster time in the 40 yard dash too. Contrary to common belief, calf muscles aren’t the driving factor in vertical leaps. Try jumping without bending your knees and then try a normal jump. Bent knees improve the jump because of the quads and hamstrings, not just the calf muscles. Although calf muscles are important, the bigger leg muscles give the extra power for explosive strength.
The cardio benefits of plyometrics training exercises are impressive, even for those who aren’t interested in explosive power or vertical leaping. Because you put in an intense effort, you burn off glycogen which helps lead to fat loss. I personally enjoy plyometrics training much more than the elliptical or exercise bike. Improved leg strength without the bukly, awkward, bulging leg muscles is another advantage to plyometrics. Regardless of what your specific exercise needs are, plyometrics can provide you with many benefits for your health and enhance your physical abilities while improving your heart function.
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