4 Vertical Jump Training Myths
One of the more common requests from the athletes we work with is assistance with their vertical jump. If you start training right now you could see massive gains by the time basketball season starts up again. It is for this reason that we suggest you follow a proven vertical jump program designed by qualified experts. I am a huge believer in maximal effort depth and box jumping for vertical jump development.
Arm swing can increase vertical jump performance because it improves the transfer of power down the posterior chain, translating into more air time.†Research shows that when athletes try to jump as high as they can, range of motion at the shoulder increases and there is more activation of the shoulder and upper arm muscles, effectively pulling†the rest of the body upwards.
A final piece in our vertical jump training puzzle is the idea of elasticity. Furthermore, you can improve your Squats by holding weights while descending. Athletes who focus just on jumping to increase their vertical may see an initial increase, but it's not sustainable.
Jumping rope is one fantastic exercise not only to help build up those muscles, but for the cardiovascular system too. The main muscles which go into a vertical jump are the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Athletes have a tendency to decrease their ROM on the squat when they get tired.
Start to shoot at a reasonable distance, then shoot a little further away until you can shoot from there with ease, and so on. It's important that the force of your shot is given by your legs and not your arms, as putting too much strength from your arms messes up your shot.
It's no wonder improving Vertical Jump performance is a desired outcome when training for sports like basketball, volleyball, football, and soccer. Irmischer BS, Harris increase vertical jump C, Pfeiffer RP, et al. Effects of a knee ligament injury prevention exercise program on impact forces in women.
But scientific research has also shown that long static stretching before a plyometric workout can actually hurt your results because you lose elasticity in your muscles and stability in your joints. Also, kettlebell swings are low-impact and low-pressure in comparison to squats and other exercises.