Using Plyometrics Training Exercises to Jump Higher to Dunk

Not long ago, I made the decision to include plyometric training exercises as part of my workout regimen. A long time ago, I experimented with different types of exercises to increase my vertical. I found that plyometrics training provided substantial gains in my vertical leaping ability and also vastly improved my leg strength. With plyometrics, you can learn to dunk and jumping higher, this program is a great teacher!

As a high school student, I became fixated on increasing my vertical leaping capabilities. Just as was the case with push ups, whenever our gym classes measured our jumping ability, I became a fiercely competitive animal. When I was a Junior in high school, I came in second at 34 inches. The school champion was able to leap 36″ and subsequently was part of the University of Connecticut basketball squad’s starting lineup. It seemed like a good idea to use plyometric training to improve my skills at vertical jumps. I tried a program called Air Alert II. Let’s just say it taught me everything I shouldn’t do.

The program called Air Alert II was nothing more than an overblown technique promising to increase your vertical leap by ten inches. It all sounds good as a teenager, but essentially it was a waste of $10 for a thin packet of paper. The regimen incorporated a series of five movements, including calf raises, step ups, leap ups, squat jumps and burnouts. However, it wasn’t the exercises that made this program so terrible, it was the workout frequency.

The main problem with Air Alert II (not unlike similar programs) was its requirement of five consecutive days of plyometric training. The extreme nature of the exercises, three to four sets of fifty to one hundred reps each was awful. This can certainly increase leg strength, but in actuality results in muscle overuse. A hundred reps doesn’t do much for the vertical leaping, anyway.

Vertical leaps are simply a rapid, forceful upward motion. The best way to gain explosive strength is not high rep training. It’s similar to bench pressing. Someone wishing to build substantial strength would be advised to complete several sets of 1-3 repetitions with a large amount of weight. The Air Alert II is as ineffective as bench press training would be with lots of reps and only a barbell, instead of the heavier ones. It doesn’t build strength, but it works quite well for endurance alone. Also, it would never be a good idea to work on bench press exercises for five consecutive days.

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 type of plyometric exercise somewhat dictates how many reps are best. 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. When you are capable of jumping several feet in the air, it makes little sense to train by jumping merely a single foot.

There are many definitions for plyometric training exercises, but the most accurate seems to be that they are intended to create more speed and power as you use them. This type of exercise is highly effective for increasing quickness and startling power. Also, forty yard dash times improve when taking vertical jump programs. It’s also a common misconception that calf muscles are the primary driver of a higher vertical leap. Test this theory by jumping without bent knees and then as you usually would. Bent knees improve the jump because of the quads and hamstrings, not just the calf muscles. Calf strength helps a little, but focus on the big leg muscles to increase explosive jumping power.

It is my belief that plyometric training exercises can be a truly effective cardio substitute even for those who are not concerned with improving their vertical leap or their overall jumping power. Because you put in an intense effort, you burn off glycogen which helps lead to fat loss. Plyometrics is a lot more enjoyable to me than exercise bikes or the elliptical. Improved leg strength without the bukly, awkward, bulging leg muscles is another advantage to plyometrics. 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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