Vertical Jump Workout Routine
To improve your vertical jump, incorporate these exercises into your workout routine:
Warm-up (5-10 minutes)
- Jump rope using variations like two-leg, one-leg, and double skips.
- Perform dynamic stretching exercises such as lunges, knee-to-chest pulls, and leg swings.
Plyometric Exercises
- Seated Box Jumps This exercise helps improve explosiveness.
- Depth Jumps Step off a box, absorb the ground contact force, and then jump up.
- Ankle Hops 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
- Rim Jumps 2 sets of 10 repetitions for week 8, increasing to 3 sets of 10 repetitions by week 10.
- Seated Squat Jumps 2 sets of 10 repetitions for week 8, increasing to 3 sets of 10 repetitions by week 10.
- Leap Frog Jumps 3 sets of 20 yards.
- Hop to Box Jump Incorporate this exercise into your workout program1.
- ½ Kneel to Single-Leg Hop
- Broad Jump to High Jump
Strength Training Exercises
- Squats (Goblet, Front, Back) These are great exercises for getting stronger. Ensure you use proper technique.
- RDL (Romanian Dead Lift)/Back Extension RDL's will help strengthen and engage your posterior chain muscles.
- Seated Calf Raise Calf raises will help strengthen the lower leg and promote a proper range of motion and control as you jump.
- Hang Cleans Hang cleans work on your posterior chain power and coordination.
Read: How to jump higher off two feet
Other Exercises
- Snap Downs Helps your body learn to properly load and prepare to jump. It also helps you do this with velocity which is important to increasing your leaping ability.
- Vertical Medicine Ball Throws This forces your body to generate maximum power with your lower body using a small external load.
- Sprints 2 sets of 30 yards for week 8, increasing to 4 sets of 30 yards by week 10.
- Slow Motions Squats 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
- Single-Leg 4-Corners 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
- Single-Leg Lateral Jumps 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
- Alternating Jump Lunges 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
- Tuck Jumps 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
- Straight-Leg Calf Jumps 3 sets of 40 repetitions.
- Ankle Rocker Pop Stand on a jump pad and go into an ankle rocker position, hold for a count, and jump from that position. Then, allow hips to push back to the point where shins and torso are parallel and jump up. Finally, do the movement in a counter jump fashion.
- MVP Shuttle Lie on your side with your foot underneath your hip. Squat into a position where the shin comes forward and hip bends slightly and do a single leg jump from that point. Upon landing, try to get back immediately into that same position.
Cool-down
- End workouts with static stretching or foam-rolling to accelerate recovery and prevent soreness.
Additional Considerations
- Frequency Perform the routine every other day to allow your body rest in-between workouts.
- Phases As you continue through the program your muscles will adapt to the intensity of the workout, therefore increase the workload in order to continue increasing your vertical jump.
- Testing Test your vertical jump weekly to monitor progress.
- Upper-body work: Incorporate upper-body work, such as medicine ball throws