One of the most frequently asked questions in the athletic world is “How can I increase my vertical jump?” A higher vertical jump has obvious advantages in several different kinds of traditional sports such as basketball and volleyball. For traceurs and freerunners a bigger vertical jump means reaching higher points in single bounds and more airtime for tricks and flips, basically any activity requiring a jump to start will feel far more effortless.
There are many different ways to increase one’s vertical jump, with much controversy on which method is the most effective. If you Google “vertical jump” you�ll get loads of programs, gimmicks, devices, drugs, special boots and guru’s telling you that their vertical jump methods are the best and assured to bring you success.
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The Science
A more scientific breakdown of vertical jump is required to comprehend methods to improve performance. A vertical jump is a measure of how far off the ground one can elevate one’s own body using only the power generated by their muscles. In physics, power can be computed using the following formula : Power = Work / Time In relation to sports, power is better described by the equivalent expression: Power = Strength * Speed Therefore, to increase power (and consequently vertical jump), an athlete must train to improve both strength and speed.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Lees, A., Vanrenterghem, J. and De Clercq, D. The maximal and sub-maximal vertical jump: implications for strength and conditioning. J. Strength Cond. Res. 18:787-791. 2004.) found that as effort increased on jump attempts the contribution of the hip extensor muscles increased as measured by EMG.
Another study (Young, W., Wilson, G., and Byrne, C. Relationship between strength qualities and performance in standing and run-up vertical jumps. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness. 39: 285-293. 1999.) came to the following conclusions regarding standing bilateral and run-up unilateral jumps,
“Therefore, it appears that speed strength in concentric muscular actions is important for performance in the standing VJ and reactive strength is relatively more important for the run-up jump”.
That is to say that given an adequate level of basic strength, different types of jumps rely on different physical qualities, and training of more advanced athletes should reflect this. If the jumps in a sport are bilateral (two footed) and sufficient time is allowed for force development, squatting, squatting with bands or chains, Olympic lifts, and weighted/resisted jump variants would be primary training methods. On the other hand, if a sport requires unilateral (single footed) jumps with short ground contact times, progressive plyometric training would be more specific to these demands. Most sports require both.
The proportion of bilateral vs. unilateral jumps and the training experience you posses will dictate how much of each type of training is used. Ideally traceurs and free runners should do both, its common sense that bilateral methods will have a carry over into unilateral.
It is understood that to be a good jumper you need to:
1) Be a proficient jumper- plyometrics can help with this.
2) Have strong legs and posterior chain- strength training can help with this.
3) Have low bodyfat-diet and training takes care of this.
So whatever program you follow needs to address these three components. Beware of anything that tries to make it much more complicated than that.
The How
Strength can be increased using resistance training, with emphasis on training the posterior chain which consists of the hamstrings, calves, lower back and glute muscles. Studies have shown that the majority of force generated during a vertical jump is generated by these muscles, if you watch a slow motion jump you can see its the extension of the hips that are the driving force behind it. The stronger you are relative to your bodyweight the more force you’re going to put into the ground and the faster and further you’re going to go. This is so obvious it should be a rule. In one study Olympic weightlifters were nearly as fast as sprinters out to 30 meters and putting up incredible vertical jumps.
They didn’t get that speed from sprinting they got it from their strength. Having stronger legs in general gives you more potential that you can transfer into jumping. General leg strengthening exercises include exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges etc. Anything that strengthens the muscles of the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and spinal erectors is fair game. The squat is probably the most popular exercise for improving strength relating to vertical jump improvement as researchers have found.
Speed in the vertical jump is a measure of how fast one can exert force. In the vertical jump, there is a very short time period in which force can be generated to use in a vertical jump (around 0.2 seconds). Hence, it is very important for an athlete to be able to exert the maximum force possible in the shortest amount of time. Speed training reduces the “time” portion of the power equation, resulting in more overall power. I tell my grappling students “If you’re slow, you’re dead”. Speed training consists of two elements: Plyometric exercises (exercises which allow you to absorb the more energy during the counter-movement, or eccentric contraction, of an explosive movement such as jumping or sprinting) and explosive training such as jump squats or power cleans. An important fact to note is that plyometric and explosive exercises are not necessary until an athlete has built up a fairly strong strength base (commonly set between 1.5 and 2 times an athlete’s bodyweight in the full squat and deadlift exercises). The reason for this is “that even if the time portion of the power equation is reduced significantly, the overall power will still be a lower number if the force portion of the equation is neglected”. Limb lengths, tendons, bones, neurological differences, and other factors affect how efficiently force gets delivered into the ground and expressed by different individuals. A guy with longer limbs, smaller joints, longer tendons, and better reflexes naturally has an advantage. Keep all these elements in mind when choosing or designing a program that is intended to improve your vertical jump.
More About The Author - Will Wayland
Will’s academic background, coupled with his ‘under the bar” experience , has proven to be a recipe for success. Will has worked with athletes of all levels, from youth sports to the professional. Will specialises in developing the body for the goal of enhancing performance. Heavily inspired by Russian conjugate sequence system his training methods are used by athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and from all walks of life. He has a BSC honours degree and HND in Applied Sports Science from the University of Teesside, and he specializes in the muscular and neurophysiology of human movement and performance. He currently trains, consults, and lectures around the country. You can find him on the net at www.williamwayland.blogspot.com Our intention is for the information here to be used as an open resource, so anyone wishing to use our material on their own websites may do so. All we request is that a courtesy email is sent to us first at parkour@urbanfreeflow.com and that a link back to Urban Freeflow is provided and a credit given to the author of any articles used.
Disclaimer
All of the information contained within these articles on the Urbanfreeflow.com website are provided for informational and educational purposes. This includes any videos, fitness programs, fitness workouts and general articles. In no event shall Urban Freeflow or any individual or company involved with the development of these articles be liable for special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages of any nature, including but not limited to personal injury, loss of anticipated profits or claims from third parties. If you are unsure about your fitness levels, please consult with a doctor before you carry out any exercises demonstrated here.
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