How to Improve Basketball Dunking Ability

Basketball is a sport based on emotion and athletic ability. Nothing generates more excitement or demonstrates athletic ability than the slam-dunk. Even if a person lacks superior height or athleticism, there are methods to improve the vertical leap to a point where an individual can indeed dunk the basketball.

Instructions

1. Test your leaping ability at the beginning of the workout to identify a baseline from which to measure any improvement. This is important because different exercise workouts help players to different degrees and you need a gauge to notice if the program is effective.

2. Start a jump rope exercise routine. Jumping rope is one the most effective methods to increase the power and speed of the muscles required to dunk the basketball. However, you should take a day off in between the jump rope workouts to allow the muscles time to recover from the workout.

3. Focus weight lifting workouts on the calves, thigh and hamstring muscles. These two muscle groups are the primary means of propelling the body off the floor for the dunk. Examples of some effective exercises are squats and calf raises.

4. Cycle the workout where one day is intense and the next day is a light workload. You can overwork your legs and if you exercise too intensely your legs can tire. These tired legs are more susceptible to injury.

5. Eat healthy to lose weight. It may seem obvious but some people focus only on a specific exercise routine but they forget overall health. If they eat right and exercise, the weight loss and fitness will follow. This makes dunking the basketball easier because you have less weight to lift off the ground.

6. Increase hand strength to improve your dunking ability. The hands are often an overlooked part of the ability to dunk. If your hands are weak, you cannot control the basketball properly in order to dunk it. All the leaping ability in the world is a waste if you cannot control the basketball well enough to dunk.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to the signals from your body and if there is pain, suspend a workout until the pain is gone.

• Warm up properly before beginning any exercise routine.