George K.
One of the most important things that can advance your basketball career is your vertical leap. It can be extremely difficult to increase your leaps in a short amount of time and avoid exhausting your leg muscles. Unfortunately, there have been some unforgiving training programs that have resulted in severe muscle injuries to many basketball players in the past to the point where they had to abandon basketball altogether. To err on the side of caution, you must give yourself some time to ease your body into the new routine and then start with serious training programs. With that said, make sure to read this guide to learn how to increase your vertical leap.
Get Rid of Muscle Knots
If you don’t know that already, muscle knots, which are also known as trigger points, exist everywhere in your body; they can restrict your muscle tissue from exerting the effort that you need it to; hence, they’ll often be shortened or weak, causing them to spasm. To relieve these spasms, you can use a foam roller by moving slowly over the affected area then stopping until the knot releases in the tender areas. When you use it on your calf, make sure to put a foam roller underneath it then put the foot of your other leg firmly on the floor. As for your quads, lie with your stomach facing down then place the roller under your thighs. For your IT band, lie on your side and place the roller right by your hip then place your other foot firmly on the floor. Make sure to move it along your thigh and increase the pressure as you place your legs on top of the other.
Try Vertical Leap Programs
Vertical leap programs have become a popular theme among basketball in the 1990s until this day. However, the fact that these programs promised to increase the vertical leap in a short duration of time became a matter of debate, especially after many basketball players started talking about how some of these programs had a negative impact on their musculature. Therefore, if you’re planning on adhering to one of these programs, it is crucial that you carefully study them. The training specialists at Jumpmanualblog urge basketball players to understand the dangers associated with some programs like Air Leap, as they have no scientific basis and don’t work. Since this type of training depends on repeating excruciating exercises on a daily basis, they can pose danger to your body and cause muscle tears.
If you want better and safer options, try other popular training programs, like the Vert Shock program or the Jump Manual. Both of these programs were developed by professionals and they’re not driven merely by marketing forces that give false promises to customers. Make sure that you stick to either of these programs to reduce the amount of time of your workouts and achieve your goals as soon as possible.
Plyometric Exercises
If you’re not ready to stick to professional training programs yet, you can follow leg muscle-building exercises at your own pace, like the plyometric exercises, for example. Like all exercises that work on building your leg muscles, plyometric exercises integrate jumping and body weight management to strengthen your lower body. Make sure to use a combination of squat jumps, knee-ups, box jumps, and tuck jumps. Don’t hesitate to throw some jump squats into the mix if you’re up to it and increase the duration when you get used to these exercises. Be sure not to burn yourself out too quickly and take at least one full day of rest every week.
Bulgarian Split Squats
Bulgarian split squats are another good method of giving your legs enough power to increase your vertical jump. This exercise is also a good way of improving your balance, but make sure that you’re doing it correctly. To do this exercise, stand a couple of inches away from a bench then place one leg on it. After that, hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your chest out, then descend until your knee touches the floor. With the heel of your foot (the one that is on the floor) go back up into a standing position then repeat from 3 to 8 times on each leg.
There is an array of lower body exercises that you can do to increase your leg strength and muscles. Once you fall into a routine that is comfortable and suitable for your lifestyle, you’ll surely be able to increase your vertical leap in no time. If you have suffered from muscle injury before, make sure that you consult a physiotherapist before proceeding with a new training program. You should also couple your exercises with a healthy diet to get the best results.
