One of the most important skills to develop and to improve when you are playing basketball is your vertical jump, naturally. Having a nice vertical can allow you to rebound the ball far more effectively, and it can allow you to leap up over defenders, and it can even help you dunk a basketball. While the fundamentals are certainly important when it comes to basketball training, you also need to think about strength training that can help you boost that vertical to where it should be.
There are many things you can do to help you boost your vertical, and you will find that most of them are quite easy to incorporate into your basketball training workouts. For example, you should start doing depth jumps. This is performed by stepping off of a box and then immediately jumping after you land on the ground. This can improve your reaction time, and it can help to improve the height of the vertical.
Strength training exercises are important, as well. Building the strength in your legs through exercises such as the back squat and the hang power clean, box jump-ups, and squat jumps can help you to add a significant amount of strength to your legs. Keep in mind that when you are doing weight training, you will also want to continue with your other basketball training, along with the stretching exercises that will help to keep the muscles in the legs nice and warm, so they do not knot up or cramp up.
As you improve your strength, you will want to slowly add more weight to your strength training exercises. This will help to increase your strength continually, and as your legs get stronger, you will be able to increase your vertical leap. Make sure that you also include plenty of agility and reaction time training, as well. This will help to ensure you have the skills to handle the ball while you are leaping.
Before you start your vertical leap training, measure your current leap. You can do this easily against a wall. Stand next to a wall with a piece of chalk in your hand, jump, and mark the wall as high as you can reach. You can also record the jump if you wish. Then, after each week of training to improve your vertical, take measurements to see your progress.
If you would like to have further training, and you are in the Jacksonville area, be sure to contact SAS.
