Plyometric Training Workouts: How You Can Leap Higher to Dunk

Article by Jacob Blackhite

Plyometric Training Workouts: How You Can Leap Higher to Dunk – Other

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In hopes of improving my abilities, I recently added plyometrics to my daily routine. Many years ago, I tried several kinds of exercises in an attempt to improve my vertical leaping abilities. Plyometrics training not only helped increase my vertical leap but also provided a great strength training routine for my legs. 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.

My vertical leap was an obsession in high school. As it did with pushups, my competitive spirit always came out when we tested how high we could jump in gym class. When I was a Junior in high school, I came in second at 34 inches. The person above me jumped 36″ and went on to be a starter for the UConn basketball team. It seemed like a good idea to use plyometrics to improve my skills at vertical jumps. My first effort was 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. It all sounds good as a teenager, but essentially it was a waste of $ 10 for a thin packet of paper. Burnouts, calf raises, squat jumps, leap ups and step ups, were the five exercises the program offered. But, it was the intense schedule of workouts that represented the problem with the program, not the exercises themselves.

The biggest flaw of Air Alert II (and many other jump higher programs) was that it involved 5 straight days of plyometrics training. The extreme nature of the exercises, three to four sets of fifty to one hundred reps each was awful. It’s great for building leg endurance but really just leads to over training. Also, what lends credence to the concept that completing 100 repetitions of a given exercise will indeed improve vertical leaping abilities?

Upward explosion is the key to vertical leaps. The most effective method for increasing upward explosiveness is something other than training with multiple repetitions. It’s similar to bench pressing. Multiple sets of one to three reps really works and heavy weights build the muscle right. 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. Bench pressing five days in a row would be a terrible idea, too, and not work well.

Low rep plyometrics is the best method of increasing vertical leaping ability as well as building leg strength. 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. Push yourself by not doing simple things, but making them harder.

Everyone has a different definition of plyometrics, but the best definition I’ve found is that plyometrics training includes exercises designed to produce fast, powerful movements. This type of exercise is highly effective for increasing quickness and startling power. Also, forty yard dash times improve when taking vertical jump programs. Contrary to common belief, calf muscles aren’t the driving factor in vertical leaps. Attempt to jump by not bending at the knee, and afterward, jump normally. You should notice that you get a lot higher when you bend your knees because you are utilizing the strength of your quads and hamstrings. Calves can assist somewhat, but in order to really gain forceful jumping ability, it is best to concentrate on the larger leg muscles.

The following is the plyometrics regimen I am using at present. This is built upon pieces from several different regimens. The program is to complete each exercise movement and then take a thirty second rest prior to beginning the next movement. Ideally I would do multiple sets and take longer rest periods for each exercise, just like a strength training routine, but I prefer the circuit fashion to save time. In putting together the following, I varied the exercises based on the muscles worked and the intensity of each exercise.

Since I’m not exclusively trying to increase my vertical leap, I merely incorporate plyometrics as a cardio alternative and for some added leg strength. Although I don’t use them, plyometric training can include particular vertical leap improving exercises.

Let’s face it, dunking is one of the most impressive things someone can do, especially for someone under 6′. There’s something about leaping into the air and throwing a basketball through the rim 10′ above the ground. While the plyometric exercises I listed above can help increase your vertical, if you really want to learn about dunk training, you need to check out The Jump Manual.

This represents a more targeted regimen that can radically improve your vertical leaping skills. In several months, when I am in need of a new routine, I plan to use the full version of this program. I’m still skeptical about a product that guarantees you will increase your vertical, but I think the foundation is there to provide a great workout to strengthen your legs, regardless.

The cardio benefits of plyometric 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. Plyometrics is a lot more enjoyable to me than exercise bikes or the elliptical. Also appealing is the fact that plyometrics training gives me increased leg strength, but does not result in bulky or unsightly muscles. So, whether you’d like to learn how to jump higher to dunk or simply want to improve your appearance with a cardio alternative, plyometric training exercises can provide you with a great workout.

About the Author

When you’d like to find out more about the best workout routine, come pay a visit to my web page where I offer exercise and diet strategies to help you to shed unwanted weight and obtain a toned appearance. Start getting in awesome shape today!

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Jacob Blackhite

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Employing Plyometric Training Workout routines to jump Higher and Dunk

Article by David Martinez

Employing Plyometric Training Workout routines to jump Higher and Dunk – Other

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Recently I decided to add plyometric training exercises to my workout routine. A long time ago, I experimented with different types of exercises to increase my vertical. I found that plyometric training provided substantial gains in my vertical leaping ability and also vastly improved my leg strength. With plyometrics, you can learn to dunk and jumping higher, this program is a great teacher!

Way back in high school, I was obsessed with my vertical leap. Just as was the case with push ups, whenever our gym classes measured our jumping ability, I became a fiercely competitive animal. I remember that I was 2nd in the school at 34″ during my junior year. The school champion was able to leap 36″ and subsequently was part of the University of Connecticut basketball squad’s starting lineup. I decided that I would really focus on plyometric training exercises to increase my vertical. I tried a program called Air Alert II. It was the opposite of what I really needed, and not effective.

The program called Air Alert II was nothing more than an overblown technique promising to increase your vertical leap by ten inches. 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. The frequency of exercises was the main problem, not the exercises themselves, it just didn’t work.

Many such jump training programs involve five days of plyometrics, and Air Alert II was no exception, it was a big problem. In addition, the volume of training was ungodly with 3-4 sets of 50-100 reps per exercise. This can certainly increase leg strength, but in actuality results in muscle overuse. Moreover, how can doing 100 reps of an exercise really help my vertical leap?

A vertical leap is an explosion upward. The best way to gain explosive strength is not high rep training. Think of performing bench press. If you want to get really strong, you’d perform multiple sets of 1-3 reps with really heavy weights. Following that analogy, a program like this one would suggest that you complete 100 repetitions with an unweighted barbell alone. Maybe your endurance would improve, but you won’t get meaningfully stronger. In addition, you would never try to bench press every single day for 5 days straight.

Take it from me, the best way to increase leg strength and vertical leap is to do low rep plyometrics training. The specific plyometric movement at issue will determine, at least in part, how many repetitions are advisable. Some plyometrics exercises work best with only 5 reps, while 10-15 reps for others will help you gain explosive power. Intense exercise is the most important part of any program. If you can jump 2ft in the air, then don’t train by jumping 1ft in the air.

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. For explosive speed and power, plyometrics are the best exercises around. In fact, vertical jump programs generally improve a person’s 40 yard dash time as well. It’s also a common misconception that calf muscles are the primary driver of a higher vertical leap. Test this theory by jumping without bent knees and then as you usually would. It should soon become apparent that you are able to jump much higher by bending at the knee, as you are making use of the strength contained in the quads and hamstring muscles. Although calf muscles are important, the bigger leg muscles give the extra power for explosive strength.

My plyometrics is working for me, let me show you: It’s made up of several programs that work together. After each exercise, I rest for half a minute before moving on to the next one. The perfect situation would be to perform several sets and incorporate longer rest breaks between each exercise, as one would do in a strength building program, though this circuit format is good in that it saves time. As I constructed the following plan, I concentrated on varying the movements based on which muscles they used and at what level of intensity.

Because improving my vertical leaping ability is not my only goal, I simply use plyometrics as a partial substitute for cardiovascular work and also for some additional gains in leg strength. However, there are specific plyometric training programs that provide exercises to increase vertical leap.

If we are honest, we will admit that anyone under six feet tall who dunks a basketball is a truly astounding individual. Seeing someone jump into the air and dunk a ball at a height of 10 feet never gets old. The Jump Manual is great for learning about high jumping and dunking techniques, it goes beyond what plyometric exercises can do.

The Jump Manual helps increases vertical leaps because it’s more structured. Later this year, when I’m ready to try something different in my workouts, I plan to mix programs for effectiveness. I remain uncertain about any program’s promises to improve your vertical leap, though I believe that no matter what, the program does boast a strong framework for increasing leg strength at the very least.

Even if you have no interest in increasing your vertical leap or explosive power, in my opinion, plyometric training exercises are a great replacement for cardio. Just by working hard you will realize 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. Therefore, no matter if you are keen on improving your leaping and dunking abilities, or just wish to gain a more impressive physique by doing something other than cardio, plyometric training exercises may be a great choice for you.

About the Author

Whenever you would like to read additional information on how to jump higher to dunk, come browse my website where I provide you with diet and exercise approaches to enable you to shed fat and get a lean physical appearance. Start getting into incredible condition now!

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.

David Martinez

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