Some people are just born with a natural ability to jump higher. But everyone has the potential to increase their vertical leap.
Jumping is an explosive movement that requires fast-twitch muscle fibers. Usually, if someone is a good sprinter, they will also have a pretty good jump. A marathon runner probably won't.
Building strength and training with plyometrics drills will improve your vertical. Most athletes work on improving strength pre-season, and then add plyometrics.
Strength: If you have stronger muscles, and can use more of the fibers within those muscles to explode off the ground, you will be able to jump higher. Athletes use weight training to strengthen the major muscles used to jump, including quadriceps and glutes.
Plyometrics: The theory behind plyometrics is called the "myostatic stretch reflex," which states that when a muscle is stretched, a greated number of muscle fibers are needed to make it contract. Plyometrics involves movements such as bounding (taking oversized running strides) and depth jumps (dropping from a box, then jumping up), in which as little time as possible is spent on the ground. The muscles are stretched as you land, so the stretch reflex is invoked, causing you to use more muscle fibers when you jump up.
Less is more in plyometrics training. Because the fast-twitch muscle fibers tire quickly (for example, a sprinter cannot maintain high speed over a longer distance), jump training should involve less than 10 repetitions, with full recovery between sets. It's also important to spend as little time on the ground as possible. As soon as your feet touch the ground, you should be trying to get off again as fast as you can.
Jumping is an explosive movement that requires fast-twitch muscle fibers. Usually, if someone is a good sprinter, they will also have a pretty good jump. A marathon runner probably won't.
Building strength and training with plyometrics drills will improve your vertical. Most athletes work on improving strength pre-season, and then add plyometrics.
Strength: If you have stronger muscles, and can use more of the fibers within those muscles to explode off the ground, you will be able to jump higher. Athletes use weight training to strengthen the major muscles used to jump, including quadriceps and glutes.
Plyometrics: The theory behind plyometrics is called the "myostatic stretch reflex," which states that when a muscle is stretched, a greated number of muscle fibers are needed to make it contract. Plyometrics involves movements such as bounding (taking oversized running strides) and depth jumps (dropping from a box, then jumping up), in which as little time as possible is spent on the ground. The muscles are stretched as you land, so the stretch reflex is invoked, causing you to use more muscle fibers when you jump up.
Less is more in plyometrics training. Because the fast-twitch muscle fibers tire quickly (for example, a sprinter cannot maintain high speed over a longer distance), jump training should involve less than 10 repetitions, with full recovery between sets. It's also important to spend as little time on the ground as possible. As soon as your feet touch the ground, you should be trying to get off again as fast as you can.
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