How to Increase Vertical Leap & Quickness
The ability to jump high and move quickly are athletic skills that can be improved with conditioning, weight training and proper diet. In the past, few thought speed, quickness and leaping ability could be improved very much. An athlete either had those characteristics or not. However, training, coaching and nutrition have come a long way and those skills can be improved.
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Instructions
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Exercise your calf muscle. This is the strongest and most explosive muscle when it comes to improving vertical leap. Jumpsoles are a powerful tool for improving these skills. Jumpsoles attach to your athletic shoes and they force the athlete to push his calf muscle. Go to the local high school or college track and mark off six 10-yard sections. Sprint as fast as you can wearing the jumpsoles for 10 yards and then walk for 10 yards. Sprint for 10 more yards and then walk for 10. Do this one more time, take a 1-minute break and then repeat the set.
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Do calf raises at least three times a day. Stand in the middle of the room and rise up on your tip toes. Hold the position for three seconds and then return to the starting position. Do this 15 times, take a 30-second break and repeat the set. This exercise can be done throughout the day.
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Go to the weightroom and do circuit training on the Nautilus machines. Concentrate on the leg workouts. Particularly important is the leg press machine. Follow the instructions on the machine that ask you to lie on an inclined board, put your feet on the bar and then press. Start off with a low weight (60 pounds will suffice) and concentrate on holding your form
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Go back to the high school track and start sprinting. Sprinting at distances of 60-, 80- and 100-yards will help you improve your speed, quickness and leaping ability. Start off by running two 100-yard sprints, then two 80-yard sprints and close with two 60-yard sprints. Take a 30-second break after each sprint.
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Change your diet. Cut out fats, junk foods and don't eat more than one portion of red meat per week. Have at least two portions of fresh vegetables and one portion of fresh fruit every day. Substitute white-meat chicken and fish for red meat. Cut out alcohol, carbonated beverages and drinks that are high in sugar. Drink at least four 8-ounce glasses of water per day and stay hydrated when you work out.
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