Quote (FarticusUD @ Mon, Jul 7 2008, 01:33pm)

Great revision.

How can I work on improving the strength of my ankle/achilles?

I stretch that area a bunch and do lots of calf work, but have always had weak ankles. Wondering if you knew any ways besides calf work to help the progression of that area.

Quote (Ardock @ Thu, Jul 10 2008, 01:40pm)

Nice I'm wondering however how much this will help for long jump.... hight<speed in long jump however both are key.

Quote (Performance @ Fri, Jul 18 2008, 09:28pm)

To be honest, jump soles are a complete rip off as are probably half of the products advertised.

When it comes to jumping high, the two most important qualities are strength and power (speed-strength). Strength is the basis on which power is built. Without a fair amount of strength, power can't be increased by much as you'll always be limited by your muscles' capacity to produce force.

Some quick pointers that I'd like to add before you test your vertical or try dunking.

1. stretch the hip flexors

1. Keep the hamstrings as tight as possible before the jump. These muscles are crucial for jumping.

Plyometrics should not be a part of any program unless there is already a solid strength base developed.

Best ways to increase your vertical.

1. Perform demanding hamstring exercises (deadlift, glute ham raise)

2. Olympic lifts

3. Plyometrics (box jumps & depth jumps)

[b][i][u][b]!~The official guide, Increasing your vertical~!
By ChaNgeD
<b>http://club.telepolis.com/antogg/gifs/slam050.gif[/b]

Do you feel like your feet are glued to the ground?
Do you try to grab the net or rim and get nothing but air?
Do you get jealous when your friends dunk but you can't?
Need a few more inches to get those rebounds or jump higher?

*This guide will help you understand your vertical leap more and maybe even help you increase your vertical leap. If you need help with your vertical leap please post here and i will try to assist you in anyway possible.

1. Strength jumper Vs. Elastic jumper
○ Deciding what type of leaper you are?
2. Vertical jump programs/Reviews
○ The Vertical Project, Vertical Jump Bible, Jumpsoles, Air Alert
3. Basic Exercises to increase vertical leap
○ Squats, Deadlift, Seated calve raise, Abs, Ankles/Achilles tenant and Plyometrics
4. Stretching/Flexibility
○ The importance of stretching and flexibility
5. Nutrition
○ Top ten good foods and bad foods
6. Extra Info

****************************
**1. Two Leg Vs One Leg**
****************************
Are you a Elastic jumper or Strength Jumper?

○ Strength jumper's depend on strong thigh and calf muscles. You need strong hips to hyperextend your legs and propel your body forward. Strong abdominal muscles and upper body allow you to throw yourself up into the air. Combine all three muscle movements to generate an upward and forward motion. It helps if you can palm the ball with one hand as you can take advantage of the upward momentum of the ball to "drag" your body up.


Exploding off two legs gives more vertical height but it's pretty much useless in a game because you've got big guys in the center, like Shaq, Yao and Mutombo who'll knock your head off the moment you try dunking.

Main muscle groups involved in this two-legged jump are :

65% Quadriceps (large muscle in front of the thighs)
20% Calves (large lump of muscle in the lower leg)
15% Arms


○ Elastic jumper's depend more on strong hips, abdominal and upper body muscles. You need strong hips to hyper extend your legs and propel your body forward. Strong abdominal muscles and upper body allow you to throw yourself up into the air. Combine all three muscle movements to generate an upward and forward motion. It helps if you can palm the ball with one hand as you can take advantage of the upward momentum of the ball to "drag" your body up.

Leapers take-off from their left leg (if they are right-handed), with some assistance from the right leg during the first step to the basket. Main muscle groups involved in this one-legged jump are :

10% Hips
50% Quadriceps (large muscle in front of the thighs)
15% Calves (large lump of muscle in the lower leg)
15% Hamstrings (large muscle behind the thigh)
10% Arms

******************************************
**2. Vertical jump programs/Reviews**
******************************************
~ Programs and reviews:
○http://vertcoach.com/program-reviews.html

~ Each program is effective in its own way, but they all cost money. I will try and help you as much as possible at this part.  I will give you my advice and opinion of each.
○http://verticalproject.com
~ This program is by far the best of each programs. The downside it is very costly and most people don't stick with it because it's a lot of work and requires you in the gym 6 days a week.
○http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/verticaljump.html
~  If you cannot afford the vertical project try looking into this program, some people say it is better then the vertical project itself .
○http://www.airalert.com
~ Lets see now, the air alert. This program focus' more on the strength jumper. No weights are involved and only consist of plyometrics which can be done at home on your own time. This program is harsh on the body and risky to use there has been many situations where people have over worked there body doing these exercises.
○http://Jumpusa.com
~ I beleive this is the best way to increase your vertical leap if you are a beginner. It was very effective. This program is for elastic jumpers.

**************************************************
**3. Basic Exercises to increase vertical leap**
**************************************************
○ Squats: One of the most important exercise for jumping off two feet. If you want to see an increase in your vertical off two feet trying doing some squats.
○ Deadlift: One exercise that is also effective to increase your vertical leap. Especially standing vertical.
○ Seated calve raise: All i can say is pump those calve muscles up. You know those shoe's with the pump's that fill your shoe's with air. Think of it that way.
○ Abs: One of the most important muscles to train and most people do not know this. Get dem 6-packs.
○ Ankles/Achillies tenant: Stronger ankles are very important to jumping if you have weak ankles i would recommend you find exercises to build those muscles up. Rarely anyone knows it but your achillies tenant plays a major role to increasing your vertical. The longer and more flexible your achillies is the higher you will be able to jump. Just look at it this way, Take a kangaroo for example, notice how a kangaroo's can jump freken high as hell. Take a look at their achillies tendant, they have long tenants to help them jump higher, the longer and more flexible the higher you can jump.
○ Plyometrics: The single most important exercise for increasing your vertical. Plyometrics consist of hundreds of exercises to build up your stanima as well as your jumping power enabling you to fly. Jumpsoles and Air Alert are good examples or plyometrics because thats all they have you do. There are so many exercises i am not going to list them but if you need help finding some or advice on which ones to do let me know i can help you.

******************************
**4. Stretching/Flexibility**
******************************
○ You must be wondering what does stretching and being flexible half to do with jumping. The answer is simply EVERYTHING. Take a gymnast for example, On average most female and male gymnast are shorter then 6 Ft. Being able to do double back flips like nothing must mean they all have 40+ inch vertical and in most cases they all do. But you notice how flexible they are, stretching and flexibility is very important as well. Always stretch before any workout and don't half ass it either. Make it burn!
Good Stretch exercises: http://www.insidehoops.com/gym/stretching.shtml
Any questions about stretching this site will answer it all: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni8a5.htm

*****************
**5. Nutrition**
*****************
○ First, you need to have a good diet. Get plenty of protein, but only eat red meat once a week to spare your arteries. Chicken or turkey is a good substitute. Also, get plenty of water and don't cut out carbohydrates. They're good for energy. Take a multivitamins and a supplement to protect your joints. A healthy diet means faster recovery time. Your body needs a chance to repair itself after going through the workouts.

~ Top ten nutritional choices(Good):
○ Fruit
○ Vegtables
○ Tuna
○ Sardines
○ Liver
○ Eggs
○ Olive oil
○ Flax oil
○ Low Fat cottage cheese
○ Whey Protien mix

~ Seven deadly foods(Bad):
○ Refined sugar products
○ Doughnuts
○ Chips
○ Chocolate
○ "White Bread"
○ "White" pasta/rices
○ Skim milk

*****************
**<u>6. Extra info[/u]**
*****************
<i>by Dragon_Reborn[/i]

○ Muscle volume - more muscles means more force created, but more muscles means more mass to drag with you when you jump. that's why a 130kg monster won't jump that high. you need to find a balance, and I don't think this should be your first priority.

○ Neuromuscular strength - more muscle strength, in the way that your neural system makes more muscles contract to serve the purpose you need (for instance 99.8% of your muscle fibers in your quads contract while jumping. this is very good. only 0.3% of your hamstring contracts, to slow you down) an untrained person can't connect all his muscle fibers. To train this feature, plyometric jump training, and 1RM Training (strength) in the form of 1-5 repetitions will help. This is more important than muscle volume.

○ Explosive muscle strength. You want your muscles to create the hugest amount of force over the fastest amount of time possible to create the largest force to help you jump the highest, this is explosive muscle power. This is also why you jump higher while running first, because you can convert more force (horizontal - vertical) over a short time. For this type of strength muscle fibers type II-b works best. each person has a different complexion of muscle fibers, and this is why someone are fast and strong, but not as endurance, and someone are not as strong but very endurance (60 meter contra marathon). The amount of fibers in your body can't be changed, but can be influenced through training, by making the fibers you have grow larger. Also your muscles create more force while contracting slower (hill's curve if i remember correctly), but it creates the most force while working negative (read next)

○ Plyometric strength - this is the muscle work, when you have a negative face, quickly followed by a concentric face. This creates the most possible power in the muscles. for instance jumping off a chair to the floor, going in a half squat, then jumping off again over an obstacle. you are able to jump higher because you jump off this chair to the ground, you bring with you larger force into the negative face, which is again converted into elastic force in your muscle fibers in your positive(concentric) face. Try jumping off from a static position without having a small negative first - you'll feel why plyometric form is needed for jumping. This is also why plyometric jump exercises will benefit more than regular strength training with 8+reps

○ Technique - obviously important.
~ arm swing (increasing the force you push against the ground with - in other words temporarily increase your pressure against the ground before jumping).
~ Coordination - coordinating all separate moves to one purpose.
~ Proper technique jumping off one leg and two leg's.
~ The best way to learn is to watch how other people jump.
~ Practice! in order to get the correct and proper technique down you need to practice dunking. Try lowering your rim and dunking this helps alot.


http://planetsmilies.net/alien-smiley-130.gif~ ChaNgeD, Aka U.F.O (Unidentified Flying Object) http://www.download3k.com/icons/UFO-Killer-170905.gif
[/b]