Enhancing your ability to jump higher is a crucial skill to develop if you play sports. This article will cover ways in which you can increase your vertical leap. Whether you play basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, baseball, chances are you have found yourself in a situation where a higher jump could have given you a chance to make the big play. Ethnicity, height, weight, gender, along with how old you are have no effect in the developing of a fine vertical leap. Any individual, regardless of situation or condition, can learn to leap higher.

One of the critical facets of discovering how to leap higher is that you have to develop your explosive power output if you want to see real gains. Utilizing weights is the sole means you can use to focus on those crucial explosive gains, augmenting the muscular power in your legs and hips, in addition to lower back. Neglect this next piece of advice, and you will have minimal results in your vertical leap gains -- you must incorporate the squat into your workout regimen. And bulking up your thigh muscles are a great way to increase your vertical leap quickly. But your hamstrings should not be neglected in this case, because having unbalanced power and the front and back of your legs is a recipe for injury.

One area of jump training that countless athletes overlook is increasing the size of your "six-pack." The abdominals are the platform of your full muscular frame, and stronger abs help in all power generation. Working out your bicep, tricep, and shoulder muscles also plays a role in assisting you to leap higher into the air. It's all about velocity, and a good arm swing will give you just a little extra push. In addition to working out, maximize your flexibility if you wish to make the most of your vertical jump. It's a little known fact that having increased flexibility in your muscles and joints offers you added power whilst jumping.

The bottom line is, you really need to be able to give your muscles enough rest so that they can recover from your workouts. If you do not do this, be warned that you can even lose inches off your vertical leap. Training your brain and nervous system is an important aspect of increasing your jump training, which is another reason you need to get sufficient rest. Aim not to train your vertical jump exceedingly ceaselessly. Two to three times a week is plenty.

If you want to know a few proven exercises to raise your hops, read on.

Box Jumps are a fantastic plyometric technique to work on your vertical leap. Today, plyometrics have been proven to work. While on top of a solid object such as a wooden box, jump down to the floor, and bound back up onto the surface as quickly as you can. Do three sets of ten reps.

Calf raises are tremendous for building power in your calves, which are utilized without fail whenever you leap. To do this exercise, stand up straight and explode onto your toe tips, subsequently slowly lower your heels to the floor. Repeat 50 times.

Virtually all boxers utilize the jump rope in their training programs, and it's no accident. It builds speed and quickness in the feet, and adds power to your calf muscles. Incorporate the jump rope into your jump training to add some valuable inches to your jump, as well as a quicker take-off.