How To Jump Higher And Dunk

I've setup this website as a helper to anyone looking to improve their basketball jumping ability. You'll find lots of interesting articles and along with information on Plyometrics, Nutrition etc, you're sure to find something which will show you how to jump higher.

One of the reasons you, and many others, come to this site is to get the slow down on the latest tips, techniques and training programs to get those all important 'extra vertical inches' that'll improve not just your overall game, but for many their dunking skills too.

For lots of basketball players, to be able to play like a true star player in the sport, one must be able to do some jaw dropping manoeuvers like the 'slam dunk' move.

Most of the time dunking has defined the excitement of every basketball game. However, there is more to the game of basketball than just dunking alone and increasing your vertical leap will not only enable you to dunk like a pro, but it'll also give you more confidence which in turn will enable you to play better. I suppose what I'm saying is, think of your overall game when learning how to jump higher.

Top 5 Tips on How To Jump Higher

The following is my shortlist on the 5 ways in which you can improve your vertical leap.

Tip 1: Develop strength and agility in your leg muscles. And this can be achieved with proper leg exercises, which can also be done at home. Just stand steadily on the floor and stand using your toes, then put it back down to the ground, and repeat the procedure. Try jumping up and down but do not push yourself to reach that high. If you still have time, try to jog around since jogging can be such a good exercise due to the proper circulation it can bring forth.

Tip 2: Wear proper basketball training shoes. Although this sounds obvious, it's amazing as to how many people I see who still wear badly fitting, badly worn and non-basketball shoes. Shoes are known to not just assist players to perform well but can also add up to the esteem and confidence level of the player.

Tip 3: Maintain a proper nutrition regime. It's essential that you feed your muscles with the right food in order to ensure they are fit and healthy. It's essential therefore to have a healthy diet with lots of fruit, veg and protein to help develop and maintain muscle.

Tip 4: You should develop a peace of mind, passion and a relaxed mood for the game. This will ensure you get the maximum from your body (and mind) and you'll start to see your jumps increase as a result.

Tip 5: Follow the help and advice of the Pro's who have been through exactly what you are going through now. Lots of 'How to Jump Higher' programs exist which provide detailed breakdowns of training routines, nutrition, and ways to help focus your energies into getting the maximum vertical leap from your body. These programs can add anywhere from 6 inches to 'doubling' your vertical leap.

Just imagine that once you get all the different elements working together how much higher you'll be able to jump. And how that'll change your own confidence and the admiration of your team mates.

7 Simple Exercises to Help You Increase Your Vertical and Jump Higher in 30 Days

How would you like to increase your vertical and jump higher in 30 days? Interested? Listen up! Stick to this program and I can guarantee you that you will increase your vertical by 5-10 inches.

Everybody knows that the slam dunk is the most exciting play in basketball. You might not be MJ, Lebron or Kobe, but if you could dunk a basketball, especially during a game, in front a crowd, you’re famous! Although genetics does play a role, it doesn’t matter what race or nationality you are, if you have the desire to elevate your game, you can do it.

Two muscle groups we are going to concern ourselves with are the quadriceps and calves. Your quads is where power comes from and explosiveness comes from your calves. So let’s train these muscles!

These are the 7 exercises

1. Lunges

2. Squats

3. Knee Bends

4. Calf Raises

5. Jump Rope

6. Box Jumps

7. Side to Side Jumps

You will perform this exercises everyday with Sunday being your rest day. Remember to always warm up first before any work out.

Warm up – do some light jumping jacks or run in place for 1 minute

Week 1-2: Monday, Wednesday and Friday – These are our Hardcore Days

Lunges – Do 3 sets of 15 each leg

Squats – Do 3 sets of 15 each

Knee Bends – Do 3 sets of 15 each

Calf Raises – Do 3 sets 20 each – Rest 30 sec before each exercise.

Week 1-2: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – Cardio Days

Run 1 mile (if you can – otherwise run as long as you can)

Jump rope for 15 minutes

Do this for two weeks straight. After two weeks, you’re legs should be conditioned and strengthened enough to start plyometrics.

Week 3-4 Follow the same exercises from Week 1-2 on Mon, Wed and Fri

For Tues, Thurs and Fri – Same routine but now we will add

Box jumps – Do 2 sets – jump up and down on an elevated platform (like a step or chair) do as many as you can for 1 minute

Side to Side Jumps – Do 2 sets – place a small object like a shoe on the ground. Stand to the left of the shoe. Jump from side to side with one leg as fast as you can for 1 minute.

Rest when needed and stop if you feel pain. Stick to the program and track your progress. You need to be committed and dedicated in order for you to increase your vertical. Don’t cheat yourself and don’t give up. Just Do It.

There are many different exercises and jump programs to help you jump higher and achieve the results you want. But most of them are crap some will even give you less results. The only jump program that works is the Jump Manual. Check it out at http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-jump-higher-and-increase-your-vertical

How to Dunk a Basketball Even If You Are Under 6 Feet

Dunking a basketball doesn’t have to be something that only tall people are capable of.  You learn how to dunk a basketball even if you are under 6 feet.

Lets face it, being able to dunk is one of the most exciting parts of the game of basketball and everyone wants to be able to do it.  If you were not blessed with being tall, you can work on your jumping ability to be able to go up strong against anyone.

Vertical jump training exercises are the key to increasing your vertical leap.  You can’t simply play basketball everyday and expect to jump higher.  You have to train your legs properly in order to get the results you really want.

Lets look at some mistakes that people make when they are trying to jump higher. 

Some people think that jumping is all about how strong your legs are.  They assume that if they can build more muscle they will jump higher.  While this is true to a certain extent, you have to focus on what type of muscle you are building.  You can’t build pure slow twitch muscle and expect it to perform the way you want it to.

Jumping requires that you have strength and speed.  Strength is good but without speed it will not do you any good for fast movements such as jumping.  So you need to be very careful in the way you gain your muscle.  You need to make sure you increase your speed as you train for strength.

Click Here for a vertical jump training program. And check out some air alert exercises here.

Increase Vertical – 3 Tips on How to Jump Higher

Before you can learn how to jump higher you need to understand a couple of things about muscles.  Our muscles are actually able to store energy in them for very short period of time and you can learn how to use this stored energy as fuel to jump higher.  Think of your legs as springs, when you compress a spring is has a lot of stored energy ready to release as soon as you let go of it.  The exact same thing happens in our legs as we drop our center of gravity right before take-off. 

What you are doing is essentially loading the spring.  You muscles feel a stretch and that results in what is called the golgi tendon reflex that makes that muscles want to spring.  Proper training through strength and plyometrics will allow that reaction to fire with more power causing you to jump higher.  That is why you don’t see bodybuilder hitting their heads on the rim.  Jumping has more to do with muscles firing at the exact same time instead of just brute strength.  Don’t get me wrong, you need strong legs before you start a plyometric type exercise program. 

1. First you need to start with strenthening the legs.  If you can squat 125% of your weight 8 times in 8 seconds then your legs are ready to start a jump training program.  If not then you will need to spend a few weeks strengthening your legs.

2. Once your legs are strong enough you need to realize that plyometrics are to be done when the legs are fresh.  Don’t do them after a leg workout and don’t do them when you are still sore.  Your legs need to be fresh.  I can’t stress this enough.

More detailed explanation on Jump higher in basketball and How to Jump Higher found here.

Dreaming of a Leap in Your Sports Career? How to Increase Your Vertical Jump

Have you been thinking of ways as to how to increase your vertical jump? Many athletes and basketball players do a lot of leg strengthening exercises and workout at the gym to improve their jumping abilities. Many sports like basketball and dancing require you to jump high. A killer jump is not only impressive on the basketball court. It is necessary for becoming a good athlete. Even though you can jump really high there is still a large amount of untapped speed in your muscles that will help you jump even higher and make explosive and impressive leaps. There is a misconception that it is the muscle strength that will help you jump high, but that is wrong. All you need to jump high is muscle speed. Now you might wonder how that can be done and how you can increase it.

So if you want to get more air time and rip down rebounds then we can recommend a great resource that will help you increase your vertical jump quickly and with the least effort. So if you are looking for ways to increase your vertical leap then here is a comprehensive guide for you. An impressive leap or a dunk shot is all what it takes to grab the attention of the spectators and the scouts. Here are some secrets as to how to increase your vertical jump:

The first thing you have to do is to lose all the extra fat off your body. It is impossible for you to leap with extra and unwanted fat in your body. Next you must work on your lower body and core. The 2 best exercises for this are squats and deadlifts. They are really difficult to do but they will bear the best results. In games like basketball you have to be really aggressive and warrior like to be successful. Every time you do these work outs it causes damage to your muscle tissues so you have got to let them recover and the only time it happens is when you have 8 to 9 hours of sleep. With the above tips by now all your doubts on how to increase your vertical jump is clarified.

Without a good leaping ability you will not be able to collect rebounds even though you have a good height. Also your defense will be weak. The only way to increase your vertical leap is to increase your body’s power and force.

If you want to dunk like a superstar, take impressive rebounds and score jump shots then you can always read through some reviews before trying this. You can find the top Vertical Jump reviews on our online training portal where we review the top 5 vertical jump programs and you can select the one that best suits your needs and requirements.

Magnus H is a former college basketball player who increased his vertical jump from a lowly 20 inches to a killer 40 inches. To learn more about how to increase your vertical jump, visit our website.

4 Tips on Making Your Basketball Jump Higher

Are you looking to make your basketball jump higher? Whether you are slamming a dunk, or blocking someone else’s, a good jump is crucial to having a good game. For some people, a good jump comes naturally, but most athletes need to work at it. No matter what, both natural jumpers, and those whose jump comes from training, can always find a way to improve their vertical leap.

Of course, it is not always easy. Every athlete knows about the dreaded plateau. That point in training when no matter how hard you work, the best you can do is just maintain. Sometimes a plateau lasts a couple of weeks, sometimes months or years.

If you are looking to make your basketball jump higher, and you have hit a plateau, it is probably time to rethink your training program. While every body has its limits, very few athletes ever really reach the limits of their body’s abilities. Almost every training technique, however, has limits to the amount of benefit it can give. Sometimes a plateau occurs when your body is adjusting to the most recent improvements a training program gives, but sometimes it comes when the training program does not have anything else to offer.

When you hit that plateau, and are ready to find a new program, make sure that you look carefully at any program that promises to make your basketball jump higher. Any program you start should cover several areas.

 Exercise–

Obviously any training program should have exercises and workouts designed to give you the improvement you are looking for (a higher jump). A good program will also explain what benefit each exercise gives, and what muscles are used giving you a comprehensive overview of all aspects of that particular program.

 Diet–

Your body can not do anything if it does not have the fuel it needs. A good training program will either give a fully detailed diet to go with the exercise plan, or give solid advice and guidelines for designing your own diet.

 Downtime–

Since muscles actually improve between workouts, a good program will also advise you on how much downtime you need between heavy workouts to get maximum effect. Keep in mind, everyone’s body is different, you may need more or less then the recommended downtime to get maximum effect.

Safety–

Every exercise program should have safety guidelines, to help you keep from injuring yourself accidentally.

If you are ready to find the perfect program to get you over that plateau and to the next level, check out The Vertical Project, guaranteed to make your basketball jump higher – http://www.vertical-leap.info

vertical jump training video

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vertical+jump+training+video&aq=6&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=vertical+jump+training&gs_rfai=

Free Tips on How to Jump Higher – 4 Tips to Jump Higher and Dunk basketball

There are many free tips on how to jump higher online today. But here is one that might be more important than anything else you read-ignore almost ALL of it.

If you waste time on “conventional” increase vertical leap advice you will not get results-it’s just that simple.

Here are 4 ways that will not only get you results-but get you results LIGHTNING FAST.

TIP #1) Do “plyometrics”

There are many great “plyos” exercises for jumping high. But there is a key to doing them correctly most athletes miss. This leads us to…

TIP #2) Go FULL THROTTLE on every rep

When you feel yourself tiring out and slowing down–stop immediately and rest for 2-3 minutes before the next set.

But shouldn’t I push myself until I can’t do another rep?

That’s probably the most COMMON and DEADLY mistake athletes make when training for jumping higher.
Why doesn’t “failure training” work?

Because your “fast twitch” muscles (which are the ones responsible for “peak” athletic performance) can only operate for 8 seconds at a time.

So when you feel your performance inevitably declining after this 8 second mark you are no longer exercising the “jump higher” muscles-therefore further exercising is pointless.

Remember–how you workout is almost as important as what workouts you actually do. shorter sets are how to improve your vertical leap VERY FAST.

TIP #3) Get a “total body” workout

Your leg muscles are not the only ones responsible for leaping-your upper body muscles are important as well.

That’s where weight training comes in. Try and do “compounding” exercises like squats and deadlifts because they exercise your whole body.

This will really increase your POWER and therefore help you get “mad hops”.

TIP #4) Eat “natural” foods

I rarely see any “free tips on how to jump higher” that talk about diet– and what I do see is wrong. There’s no way around it-what you eat affects your leaping ability.

I would venture to say you will probably see a significant increase in your “hops” simply by eating healthier foods.

Avoid meat and dairy

Instead get all your nutrition through plant based foods. Also stay away from supplements–when you eat healthy you can get all the nutrition you need through foods.

Healthy eating-combined with proper workout habits-is how to improve your vertical leap NOW so implement these free tips on how to jump higher and you will be the envy of your friends very shortly.

Wish you could jump higher? Get FREE Special report “Secrets Tips How To Increase Your Vertical Jump Higher and Dunk.”

Ways on How to Increase Vertical Jump and How to Jump Higher

If you are looking for ways how to jump higher or how to increase vertical lift, then there is no other way than to do a few exercises to do just that. How to increase vertical lift is easy if you just follow the right steps and exercises. It’s not rocket science and it’s not too much hard work either. Of course, physically it can become quite taxing but this is a discipline that you will have to learn.

Why jump higher?

So why are you looking for ways how to increase vertical jumps? The most obvious answer is so that you can perform better at certain sports that will require you to jump higher. These sports can include Basketball, Volleyball, and all other sporting activities where a lot of jumping is involved. Remember that how to jump higher is also different from how to increase vertical lift because increasing your vertical lift can also help you to jump longer distances.

Warm up

Now, just like any other physical activity, the first thing that you need to do when you are looking for how to jump higher is to warm up. You can’t just get into the exercises that you need because this can be physically dangerous. You might end up hurting yourself instead of improving your performance and well-being. Warming up is for your muscles and you need to stretch or jog around for a few minutes to get them prepared. This is one way how to increase vertical jumps. Using a jump rope is a very effective way to warm up and you will be getting into jumping exercises already at the same time.

Knee bends

Deep knee bends will help you in your quest how to increase vertical leaps. You need to be standing initially for this exercise. Then slowly bend at the knees but keep your back straight at all times. Then slowly crouch as low as you can. If this is painful for you do not continue. Then slowly rise back to your original position. You should do this at least 15 times for the first few times that you do it. Then you can increase the number of bends later on and this is another way on how to increase vertical lift.

Toes

Toe raises are also a great exercise for you to help how to increase vertical lift. For this exercise, you just need to stand and then raise yourself until you are standing on the tips of your toes. Then lower back down. It is important to note that you don’t rock back and forth quickly. This exercise has to be done slowly but not too slow that you might damage your toes. You can do this at a steady pace about 30 to 50 times and this is how to increase vertical lift.

Stomach

Believe it or not but you can also find how to jump higher by doing stomach crunches. These are not sit-ups. While lying on your back, keep your back straight and then rise up just enough to lift your shoulders off of the ground. Stomach crunches are more effective and less dangerous. You can do this as often as you can and the recommended time is for ten minutes in the morning and at night. This is one way how to increase vertical lift.

By focusing on key areas of your body, you will be able to learn how to jump higher and improve your game play in sports. With these simple exercises to strengthen key areas like stomach and toes, you will see the different in how to increase vertical lift when you leap. Find out more about how to jump higher by reading more about it on this blog; how to increase vertical now.

University of Cincinnati Basketball

The University of Cincinnati basketball program has long been a difference maker in the field of college basketball on a national level. Although the Cincinnati Bearcats have recently experienced a surprising shift in which their football program has grown more successful than their basketball program the 40,000 student college and its hundreds of thousands of supportive alumni continue to consider the University of Cincinnati to be a basketball school. Over the last two years the football team has achieved unprecedented success going 23-4 while at the same time the University of Cincinnati basketball program has not participated in the NCAA Tournament since 2005.

Despite a dearth of recent post season appearances the University of Cincinnati basketball program has experienced a tremendous amount of success throughout its rich history. Among the many notable achievements are:

24 NCAA Tournament appearances (combined record of 44-12)
13 NBA Draft picks
6 NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances
2 NCAA Tournament National Championships (1961 and 1962)

As a proud member of the Big East Conference the University of Cincinnati plays their home basketball games in the curiously named Fifth Third Arena (the result of the merging of Fifth Bank and Third Bank) which seats over 13,000 people comfortably. The city of Cincinnati has professional football and baseball franchises in the Bengals and Reds but does not have a professional basketball team to its name. As a result of the lack of an NBA franchise the University of Cincinnati basketball program has become the marquee team for its sport in a large metropolitan area in much the same way as the USC Trojans football team fills the void in Los Angeles that is created from not having a NFL team.

Despite having not won a national championship in decades the University of Cincinnati basketball team was extremely success for much of recent history. During the past thirteen seasons the Cincinnati squad has completed the season in a top 10 polling position in a majority of those years. The recent vanishing act from the top 25 standings largely dates back to August 2005 when University of Cincinnati President Nancy Zimpher fired then head basketball coach Bob Huggins. Mrs. Zimpher justified the termination by primarily siting the fact that the two did not see eye to eye in terms of her vision for improving the academic reputation of both the school and more specifically its athletic programs.

Huggins, who now coaches at West Virginia University, enjoyed a tremendous amount of success during his 16 years in Cincinnati which ended with 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Former assistant coach Andy Kennedy replaced Huggins but neither Kennedy nor his successor Mick Cronin have had anywhere near the same level of success with the University of Cincinnati basketball team that was once enjoyed by Coach Huggins. Exactly how the University of Cincinnati basketball program will fair in the second decade of the twenty-first century remains to be seen but fans around the world are optimistic that their alma mater will return to prominence.

Rick asks that readers of this article support the Bearcats by going right now to his website for University of Cincinnati wallpaper pictures to spruce up their computer screens.

Aside from University of Cincinnati desktop wallpaper images plentiful options abound so that fans of other programs should have no trouble finding suitable pictures from their favorite schools.

Build Upper Body Strength With Primal Plyometrics

For those of you interested in building upper body strength without having to use unwieldy or expensive equipment, you should consider getting into upper body primal plyometrics! By using plyometrics, you will harness your own body weight in such a way that you can get a great workout and build strength fast anywhere you go. Simply learn the following techniques, exercise techniques that can be employed in a pinch using just your body weight and gravity (and sometimes a small piece of equipment), and before you know it you’ll be tightening up those muscles and gaining tons of strength and power. They’re easy for almost anyone with a bit of athletic experience to jump into, and they’ll serve you well long after you’ve mastered them.

Plyo Push-ups

To do this explosive twist on the classic push-up, assume the standard position: feet together and hands under your shoulders resting on the ground. Dip down as if you were doing a standard push-up, but instead of simply pushing up, explode upwards so that your hands come off the floor. Then, catch yourself and repeat as many times as you can. If you like, you can throw in claps at the top of each movement to force yourself even higher and to build primal upper body strength even faster.

Overhead Throws

For this one, you’ll want to use a medicine ball weighing no more than 5 pounds. In a pinch, a basketball will do just fine. Stand facing a wall, with the ball in front of you. Raise the ball over your head and then throw it as hard as you can against the wall, making sure it bounces back to you off the floor. Catch the ball, bring it back over your head, and repeat. Go as hard as you can for maximum core exertion and total primal strength building.

Vertical Scoop Toss

Again, use a medicine ball. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and swoop the ball down between your legs, cupping it the entire time. Explode upwards and throw the ball as high as you can above you. Let the ball fall, bounce once, and then grab it, swoop it between the knees and repeat the exercise.

Wall-ups

Sort of an assisted handstand push-up performed at maximum intensity, the wall-up will wear you out and build your shoulder strength. Get into headstand position with your heels resting lightly against the wall, hands slightly closer than shoulder width apart. Bend your elbows slightly, then explode upwards into a full headstand. Use your heels for traction and assistance if you need it. Let your feet fall back to the ground and then resume the position. Repeat as needed. Do enough of these and your upper body strength will explode!

Incline Push-up Depth Jump

Don’t let the long name fool you – this one’s a pretty simple upper body strength building exercise. You’ll need a few items, though: two mats or boxes, 3-4 inches thick; and an 8-12 inch box. Get into the push-up position, placing your feet on the taller box. Put the mats in front of you, a bit further than shoulder width apart. Place your hands in between the mats and perform a push-up. Explode upwards and land on the mats. Perform another push-up, this time landing back in between the mats. Repeat. Again, you can incorporate the clap to blast your pecs and build upper body strength.

Videos

Check out this article for video examples of all these exercises, plus more workout tips.

About the Author: Mark Sisson is a former professional triathlete who runs a popular health and nutrition blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. Check it out for more great articles and information on the Primal Blueprint, a revolutionary health plan using the principles of human evolution as the basis for modern, high protein, healthy living.