Saturday, October 10, 2009

Discover The Great Exercises on How to Increase Vertical Jumping

By Amit Rosman

You know you need to exercise and practice to increase your vertical jumping. But do you know which exercises make a difference? Do you know how to exercise smarter so that you actually see results? Do you know how not to get burned out, or at least not too soon? Read on for some helpful tips on how to do vertical jumping exercises correctly.

Do Your Warm Ups. Rather than jumping right into your exercise routine, you should always do some stretches to warm up your legs first. Many of the warm up stretches swimmers do are also perfect for jumpers. You can also run up and down stairs or jump rope for several minutes to get your muscles warmed up. These are also effective for inclusion in your regular training regime.

Do some leg strength training. Some exercises need to be done slowly, each rep taking about nine counts. Deep knee bends, jumps and toe raises with and without weights definitely have more effect on your vertical jumping if done slowly. This helps build muscles, too.

Build muscles. No, this isn't about having the Mr. Olympics look - oiled chiseled bodies with bulging muscle groups. Building muscles is about toning and shaping your body so that you are able to improve your metabolic rate, lose body fat and keep your jumps powered. Strong bones and muscles are extremely important; they're pre-requisites for anyone wanting to add a few inches to their vertical jumping prowess. Remember, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. And the more calories you burn, the more energy you have to fire your every move.

Having said that, what common exercises can help you improve your vertical jumps? Quite a few really easy ones that you can do everyday include:

Jumping rope. This should not be difficult to do or find. A length that you can comfortably swing around you does the trick. Stand tall and jump on two feet for a few minutes, then hop on each foot alternately. You can do this while watching your favorite program on the telly. Ten-minute bursts are great to begin with. You can increase intensity as you go along. But remember that because you want to increase the height of your vertical jump, your goal is always to jump higher, not jump more often in a stretch of time.

Deep knee bends. Start out in a normal standing position with a nice straight back. Slowly bend your knees to lower your body down, maintaining that straight back. Stop short of getting deep far enough to where you would be in a relaxed low position so there is still tension on your leg muscles and then slowly raise your body back up again to resume the original standing position. Go down slowly and come up slowly, counting approximately four seconds on the way down and another four seconds on the way up. Do 15 reps like this each day and gradually increase the number of reps after a week or so of practice. In addition to building power and muscle in your legs, this exercise also tones your thighs.

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