Using Plyometrics Training Exercises to Jump Higher to Dunk
Recently I decided to add plyometric training exercises to my workout routine. Many years ago, I tried several kinds of exercises in an attempt to improve my vertical leaping abilities. I found that plyometrics training provided substantial gains in my vertical leaping ability and also vastly improved my leg strength. In my experience, the most useful plyometric exercises are those which are used as part of a regimen meant to improve jumping ability for the purposes of dunking.
Way back in high school, I was obsessed with my vertical leap. Just as was the case with push ups, whenever our gym classes measured our jumping ability, I became a fiercely competitive animal. I remember that I was 2nd in the school at 34″ during my junior year. The person above me jumped 36″ and went on to be a starter for the UConn basketball team. I decided that I would really focus on plyometric training exercises to increase my vertical. I tried a program called Air Alert II. Let’s just say it taught me everything I shouldn’t do.
Air Alert II was one of those big hype programs that guaranteed you would add 10″ to your vertical leap. While these guarantees may have been appealing to a teenager, they were worth little more than the paper on which they were printed, and certainly not the $10 I actually paid for them. The regimen incorporated a series of five movements, including calf raises, step ups, leap ups, squat jumps and burnouts. But, it was the intense schedule of workouts that represented the problem with the program, not the exercises themselves.
The biggest flaw of Air Alert II (and many other jump higher programs) was that it involved 5 straight days of plyometrics training. The extreme nature of the exercises, three to four sets of fifty to one hundred reps each was awful. Although it does some good, over training isn’t a wise decision. Also, what lends credence to the concept that completing 100 repetitions of a given exercise will indeed improve vertical leaping abilities?
Upward explosion is the key to vertical leaps. The best way to gain explosive strength is not high rep training. It’s similar to bench pressing. Multiple sets of one to three reps really works and heavy weights build the muscle right. If you applied the principles of the above program, it would be like trying to increase your bench press by doing 100 reps with just the barbell. Maybe your endurance would improve, but you won’t get meaningfully stronger. Bench pressing five days in a row would be a terrible idea, too, and not work well.
In my opinion, the most effective way to gain leg strength and improve your vertical leaping ability is to concentrate on low repetition plyometrics training workouts. The specific plyometric movement at issue will determine, at least in part, how many repetitions are advisable. Explosive power comes from using the reps to match the exercise. Some require ten to fifteen while others only need five. Regardless of the exercise, just remember to put in an intense effort. If you can jump 2ft in the air, then don’t train by jumping 1ft in the air.
Definitions of plyometrics vary among individuals, though the one I find to be the best is the one that describes plyometrics training as that which incorporates movements meant to foster quick, explosive movement. This type of exercise is highly effective for increasing quickness and startling power. Indeed, those who concentrate on vertical leap improvement programs typically gain a faster time in the 40 yard dash too. Another frequent misunderstanding is the assumption that the calves are the main determinant of vertical leaping ability. Attempt to jump by not bending at the knee, and afterward, jump normally. It should soon become apparent that you are able to jump much higher by bending at the knee, as you are making use of the strength contained in the quads and hamstring muscles. Although calf muscles are important, the bigger leg muscles give the extra power for explosive strength.
The cardio benefits of plyometrics training exercises are impressive, even for those who aren’t interested in explosive power or vertical leaping. Because you put in an intense effort, you burn off glycogen which helps lead to fat loss. I personally enjoy plyometrics training much more than the elliptical or exercise bike. I also like the fact that plyometrics training improves my leg strength without making my legs big and bulky. Therefore, no matter if you are keen on improving your leaping and dunking abilities, or just wish to gain a more impressive physique by doing something other than cardio, plyometric training exercises may be a great choice for you.
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