Employing Plyometric Training Workout routines to jump Higher and Dunk

July 11, 2012 by admin
Filed under Endurance Training

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!

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David Martinez

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