Improving the height of your jumps doesn’t take a long time or require fancy equipment. In fact, some of the best exercises for improving your vertical jump height can be done in your living room and only need the resistance of your body weight.
The key to improving jump height through training is finding the right exercises which target the muscles needed to give you the explosive power in your legs to make your jumps soar. The following 5 exercises can be done in around 5 minutes (although you will see faster results if you go through the set more than once) and will help you jump higher than ever before.
Sitting Toe Touches
This is the cheerleader’s version of a jack knife.
Start by lying flat on your back with your legs together and stretched out straight and your arms extended above your head, shoulder-width apart.
Inhale deeply, then as you exhale, lift both your upper and lower body at the same time. Your legs should come to a toe touch position, or straddle, and your arms should come to the T position, either in front of or behind your legs depending on your flexibility. Keep your muscles tight throughout the exercise, controlling your arms and legs as they quickly return to the starting position. Complete 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
Straddle Lifts
This exercise builds the muscles in the front of your legs to help lift them, especially in toe touch.
Sit in a wide straddle with your toes pointed. Place your hands on either side of your hips for balance, but be careful not to lean back or use your hands to brace or help lift. If you place too much weight into your hands, you will be using your arms and abs to lift instead of your legs. Using the muscles in your upper leg, lift your heels off the floor. Repeat 25 times.
Burpees
Burpees are the go-to exercise if you want to lose weight, tone up, and develop the explosive leg power which will rocket your jumps higher.
To do a burpee, begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor just in front of you. In one swift jump, kick your feet back to place your body into the push-up position. Quickly return to the squat position and jump as high as you can off of the floor before again returning to the squat position. That series of motions (squat, push-up, squat, jump) is one complete burpee. Perform as many back-to-back burpees as you can in 30 seconds.
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps not only help you to improve the height of your jumps, they are also awesome for toning your bottom. As with burpees, they should be done in one fluid series without stopping in between motions.
To do a squat jump, begin by standing upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides. Lower your hips into a squat with your thighs parallel to the ground while swinging your arms straight out behind your hips to help power your jump. Quickly following the squat, extend your legs forcefully and jump off of the ground as high as you can, swinging your arms up to extend them over your head. Land the jump with slightly bent knees to absorb the impact. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps are essentially the same as the tuck jump we teach to our younger athletes, minus the jump preparation.
To do a tuck jump, start standing straight up with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Slightly bend your knees and swing your arms behind you as in the squat jump; however, do not bend your knees so much that you come into the squat position. Swinging your arms and pushing off of the ground with your feet, jump as high as you can and pull your knees to your chest in the tuck position. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
