Thursday, June 25, 2009

Exercises That Help You Jump Higher

By Bart Icles

If you try to make an online search on how to jump higher, you will come across an overwhelming number of results. These helpful resources often guarantee an increase of a certain number if inches into your jump in just a matter of days or weeks. They also give tips on the proper diet to observe to optimize your vertical jump. Other than this, they also provide ideas on the best exercises to make you jump higher.

One can find lots of exercises to jump higher in different websites that aim to help people improve their vertical jump. Getting confused by their number? You need to remember that you do not have to perform each and every exercise to make you jump higher that is out there. What you need to do is to develop a routine or program that you will consistently and persistently follow.

Here are some exercises that can help you jump higher. You can combine these exercises and perform them following a specific schedule to see improvements in your vertical jump. Of course, changes will not happen overnight - they will happen after you have included persistence and consistency in the picture.

Do step ups. You can use a bench or a chair to perform this exercise. Start by standing in front of a bench or chair, with one of your feet placed flat on the seat of the bench or chair. Then step up on the bench or chair. Step back down to the floor and then repeat the procedure with your other leg. This jump exercise helps develop your quads.

An exercise that improves vertical jump by strengthening the calf muscles is toe raises. You have two ways to do this exercise: with the help of a raise machine in the gym or with the help of a thick piece of wood at home. Start the exercise by hanging your heels off the ledge and raising yourself up until you are on the tips of your toes. Then, lower yourself as far as you can and then raise yourself back up again. You can do this with or without weights on your hands.

Known as one of the best exercises for building leg strength, squats are also great in helping you improve your vertical leap or jump. You can perform squats on squat racks or practically anywhere. Start with an athletic stance and then bend your knees as if you were to sit down. Keep your back straight while performing this. You also need to keep your knees above your feet. Go down until your knees are at a 90-degree angle then rise back up again. A variation to this exercise is the lunge, wherein instead of maintaining a striding stance, you place one of your legs straight behind you. - 16887

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