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Effective Exercises For Increasing Your Vertical Leap
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Douglas Adams

 
By Douglas Adams
Published on September 11th, 2008
 
It is very important to have a strong vertical leap, especially for basketball and volleyball players.

Effective Exercises For Increasing Your Vertical Leap
It is very important to have a strong vertical leap, especially for basketball and volleyball players. This is because you need to increase your level of play, whether for a rebound in basketball or hitting a spike in volleyball. Having a vertical leap makes it easier.

Below are some of the best exercises for increasing your vertical jump:

1. Toe Raises: Toe raises will help you build the strength in the calf muscles. This exercise can be done with the help of weight. However, it can also be done without weight. Toe raise machine is also available for you if you do this exercise in gym. And if you want to do it at home, you can use a thick piece of wood or a stair. First, you hang your heels over the edge and then rise up onto your tip toes. Then lower back down and repeat it.

2. Step Ups: Step ups help you to build up the quad muscles, which are essential in jumping. You can use a chair or a bench for performing this exercise. First, you start with one foot on the bench and then step up onto the bench. Then step back down and repeat with the opposite leg. This can also be performed with or without weight.

3. Squats: This is one of the best exercises that helps you in increasing overall leg strength. This can be performed by using a squat rack at the gym. Squats can also be performed without weight. Start in an athletic stance and then bend at the knees like you were going to sit down onto a chair and try to keep your thighs parallel to ground. After that rise back to standing position. Try to Make keep your back straight and look forward while performing the squat. Many people don't follow the proper form to perform squats therefore, it is advisable to take the help of a trainer when doing them for the first time.

Above mentioned exercises are quite effective in increasing your vertical jump. Before trying any of the exercises, make sure to measure your vertical jump height. This will help you to measure the result after performing the exercise or help you know if it is working for your vertical jump or not.