Newest Articles - Archive 7

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The Best Way to Boost Your Vertical Jump Is...

Vertical jumping...what an exciting topic. Every single basketball
player desires to have a sky-high vertical, so they can rise up and
dunk over the competition!

Today, we'll reveal some of the best ways to improve you vertical
jump...But be warned, you don't want your competition finding out
about this!

So, what is the best way to boost your vertical jump?

Well, the absolute best way is to improve the response and
conditioning of your fast-twitch muscle fibers...Hang on for a
second, and let us explain what that means...

Your muscles are made up of tiny fibers, sort of like a thread.
There are basically two types of fibers, the fast-twitch and the
slow-twitch. Slow-twitch fibers are responsible for endurance
activities, such as marathon running. Fast-twitch fibers are
responsible for strong, explosive movements.

As a basketball player, your main goal should be to isolate and
condition the fast-twitch muscle fibers, while improving their
strength and response time. But, how is this achieved?

First and foremost, its important to have a decent strength base.
You DON'T have to be very strong, and you don't need a lot of
muscle. What you need to have, is the basic ability to bench press
your own bodyweight, and the ability to Squat 1.5x your bodyweight
(Or for the leg press, 2x your bodyweight).

If you cannot meet the above measures in terms of strength, then
you really need to work on that first, by following a conventional
strength training routine.

Now, once you're at the basic strength level, its time to work on
those fast-twitch muscle fibers that'll build explosive power in
your legs.

At this point, you want to completely ABANDON traditional strength
training. In other words, the classic muscle-building routine that
you see in bodybuilding magazines won't help you gain an inch in
your vertical... Infact, it'll most likely hurt your gains...

You see, once a strength base is built, there's no point in
continuing to get stronger. You'll only add bulky muscle mass
that'll hold you back.

Ok, so there are five areas of training that you need to work on to
improve your vertical jump. These five areas are:

- Stretching / Flexibility
Stretching is extremely important to promote blood-flow, loosen up
the muscles, and prevent injury. If done correctly, stretching can
and will increase performance.

- Balance / Agility Training
Balance & agility training helps to sharpen your neuromuscular
reflexes, which is basically the ability of your brain to react
quickly. This type of training also strengthens the lower leg
muscle & tendons, such as the ankles, shins, & feet.

- Power Factor Weight Training
Ordinary weight training just won't do. You have to follow a very
specific type of lifting with specific reps, sets, & weights. Only
then can you improve your vertical jump with weight training.

- Eccentric / Isometric Weight Training
This is an innovative form of weight training that teaches you to
achieve maximal contraction, or maximal force in the shortest
amount of time possible.

- Plyometric Training
Almost everyone has heard of plyometrics, but what they don't know
is "true plyometrics". True plyometrics help you to shorten the
myostatic stretch reflex, which is the ability of your muscles to
transfer power quickly.

*Note*: In order to achieve maximum vertical gains, you must
address each and every one of the five training areas above...

For today, we wanna give you atleast a few exercises to do. Here
are some exercises we recommend you start doing right away:

- One-Leg Balance Exercise:
Stand on one foot (keep the other foot OFF the ground), close your
eyes, and balance on one foot for 30-45 seconds. Switch to the
other foot and repeat. Do this exercise every single day to improve
your balance.

- One-Leg Calf Raises:
Stand on one foot and do simple calf raises, but make sure that
your heels never touch the ground! So, you would raise up on your
toes, and on your way down, you would make sure that the heels
don't touch the ground. Do atleast 50 repetitions. Repeat with the
other foot. Do this exercise every single day to strengthen your
lower leg muscles. This exercise is MUCH more difficult than 2-leg
calf raises, so make sure to do these on just one foot.

- Frog Jumps:
Squat down (without weights) and then explode back up into the air
from a deep-squatted position. So, stand with feet shoulder-width
apart, and squat down until your butt is almost touching the
ground. From that position, explode up by straightening your legs
and leaving your feet to go in the air. Do 2-3 sets of 5-10
repetitions every OTHER day.

- Maximum Height Jumps:
From a standing position, jump as high as you can into the air.
Upon landing, jump straight back up while spending the least amount
of time on the ground. The most important thing in this exercise is
to minimize your time on the ground. So, you're going for maximum
height AND minimum time on the ground. Stay on the balls of your
feet and explode right back up as soon as you land. Do 2-3 sets of
5-10 repetitions every OTHER day.

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This article is featured in our popular newsletter, "Basketball Domination". Subscribe to Basketball Domination for free here...

Previous Articles:

Archive 1 - Basketball Screening Techniques, Scoring Without The Ball

Archive 2 - Part 2 - Basketball Screening Techniques, Scoring Without The Ball

Archive 3 - Secrets of Dribbling a Basketball

Archive 4 - Killer 1-on-1 Basketball Moves

Archive 5 - Defensive Keys to Lock Down Your Opponent

Archive 6 - Keeping Your Mental Cool in Tough Game Situations

Archive 8 - Easily Improve Your Scoring Average & Make Coaches Love You...

Archive 9 - How to Dominate in the Low Post