How to Dunk and Jump Higher in Basketball

Jump higher to perform a slam dunk.

Jumping higher in basketball allows athletes to elevate their game to a new level. Use strength and agility training to increase your vertical jump to perform a dunk. Enhancing your vertical jump on the court also gives you a better chance of blocking an opponent's shots, getting rebounds and elevating your torso toward the hoop to achieve a slam dunk. Strengthen calf and leg muscles for the boost you need to win the game.

Things You'll Need

• Dumbbells
• Jump rope
• Bench platform

Instructions

1. Perform strength training exercises two to three times per week. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at the knees to form a 90-degree angle with the floor. Execute a lunge with your right leg, pause briefly and perform a lunge with the left leg. Do eight repetitions for each leg.

2. Build calf muscles through endurance exercises. Stand on the edge of a step with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Place your arms at your side to maintain balance. Push your toes down on the step while pushing your heels up in the air. Perform 30 repetitions of this motion.

3. Jump rope for 20 to 30 minutes each day. Start with both feet flat on the floor. Grasp a handle of the jump rope in each hand. Place the rope directly behind your feet. Move your wrists in a circular motion. Jump over the rope with both feet at once in a solid motion as it reaches your feet.

4. Practice 10 repetitions of plyometric exercises each day. Stand with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and flex your arms at the elbows at a 90-degree angle. Stand with your back straight and shoot your body off the floor, toward the sky. Try to land in your original position.

5. Repeat box jumps going backward and forward. Stand with your feet flat in the center of a bench platform. Jump with both feet at once onto the ground behind the platform. Take a five-second break and jump forward back onto the platform bench. Perform 10 sets of box jumps per session.

6. Complete squats to build quadriceps muscles. Place your feet flat on the ground approximately shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips to maintain balance. Keep your back straight and bend your knees to lower yourself to the floor. Lift your body back up to the starting position.

Tips & Warnings

• Always strech before exercising. Do not push yourself to hard, it is always better to start slow and stop if you feel any unusual pain.

References

• Inside Hoops: Jump Higher -- Vertical Leap Exercises
• Waterford Sports Partnership; Plyometric Exercise Examples; Alan Kinsella; 2007
• National Strength & Conditioning Association's Performance Journal; Elevation: Vertical Jump Training Exposed; Kyle Brown