Plyometrics is the definitive method of increasing your vertical jump and overall athletic ability. You can read a lot of information online telling you that plyometrics is the answer and how to perform the exercises.

However, unless you truly understand the goal of plyometrics you will not be able to make the most out of your training.

Understanding Plyometric Method

Plyometrics are a relatively new training concept, but this does not mean it is not an effective way to train. Plyometric training is a series of movements that tighten certain muscle tissue.

At the same time, it trains the nerves to deliver a specific pattern of muscle contractions to generate deliver the most strength in the least amount of time.

This muscle contraction is the center of plyometric movement. It is typically broken down into three phases. The first phase, or eccentric phase, is the rapid muscle lengthening movement.

Then, there is a momentary resting period known as the amortization phase where potential energy builds.

Finally, the contraction ends with an explosive muscle shortening during the concentric phase where all the muscles work together to deliver the desired motion.

In plyometrics, you are training your myostatic reflex. This reflex is how the automatic contraction of your muscles occurs when the stretch sensory receptors are engaged.

It is important to note that this does not train the muscle to maximize strength, it trains the muscle to react reflexively with the most strength possible.

Plyometrics also trains the tendons and all other supportive tissue to respond simultaneously with this contraction. In laymen’s terms, you are training the muscle to contract and deliver the most explosive output before you even consciously think about it.

The Physics of The Training

A muscle’s ability is measured by how long it takes your strength to be transformed into speed. People can be very muscular, but they lack athletic power because they cannot convert their strength into speed in a short time.

They may be able to lift 300 pounds for more than a minute, but they cannot do an 11 or 12 second 100 meter sprint.

On the other hand, someone who could never hold 200 pounds for 30 seconds can still get a maximum vertical jump force output that is several inches over their counterpart.

During the concentric phase of the plyometric movement, there is a limit to the amount of force with which the muscle can contact. If the muscle is loaded while it is being lengthened it will increase the storage of potential, elastic energy.

This elastic energy, when released, will produce the powerful “snapping” reaction that is similar to a rubber band that is stretched to its limits and then released.

This elastic energy fades quickly. Therefore the contraction must occur immediately after the eccentric stretch. This movement is called the “stretch shortening cycle” which is an essential of plyometric vertical jumping exercises.

Of course, there is also a “brain training” portion to plyometrics. The stretch shortening cycle involves thousands of nerve reactions that must move the muscles, tendons, and bones.

Reflexes must be quickened both physically and mentally. This is why plyometrics uniquely applies repetitive actions to train reaction time but balances the intensity and volume to prevent too much strength gain.

Now It Is Time to Commit

Now that you know a lot more about the principles and physiques behind plyometrics, you may be able to see why they are so beneficial. There simply is no better method for reaching the explosive power you need.

Once you commit to a plyometric program, you will finally get the vertical jump you have always wanted.

Related posts:

1. 3 Plyometric Exercises To Increase Vertical Leap
2. Understanding Plyometric Training Exercises To Improve Vertical Jump
3. Increase Vertical Jump With Your Own Plyometric Workout

Use this guide to help you design your very own plyometric workout routine designed to increase vertical jump. Use all of this advice, but remember that you can change the routine around as much as you need to fit your specific needs.

Remember, that you can do more than just one routine per workout and these routines are supposed to be combined with other routines to fit your needs.

Plyometric exercises are designed to connect force and explosive power. In other words, increasing the ability of your muscles to become stronger and move faster. Plyometrics are simple exercises that almost never require extra equipment. Athletes around the world use them because of their simple yet extremely effective methods to increase vertical jump.

Having routines for your workout is what makes the workout unique for you. There are a few major types of routines you can perform. Determine what type of routine you want to do, and do exercises in that type of routine. Here is a list of the major routines, their purposes, and their exercises:

1) Low Intensity Plyometrics - These exercises are less intense than other plyometric training drills and are usually performed as warm-ups. They are great exercises to start off with as a beginner, but should still be done by anyone regardless of experience. You should not become very fatigued after this exercise routine because it is supposed to be harder than a normal warm-up, but it still is not supposed to be very intense. An example of a low intensity plyometric exercise is the box drill (also known as “4 star drill) where you jump around in a square shape. Here are some other low intensity exercises:

• Ankle Bounce
• Slalom Jumps
• Box or “4-star” drill

2) General Jump Plyometrics - These exercises are moderate intensity and consist of average exercises without many major changes. The exercises classified in this routine are usually supposed to be performed with a high amount of repetitions. Everyone should do these exercises, but they should be the hardest routine that a beginner performs. Once you have become experienced at these plyometric routines first, then you can move on. An example of a general jump plyometric exercise is squat jumps where you squat down and jump as high as you can. It is a generic exercise that can be mixed up into many different forms. Here are some other general jump exercises:

• Squat Jumps
• Paused Squat Jumps
• Consecutive Broad Jumps
• Leapfrog Jumps

3) Power Development Plyometrics - These workouts usually involve using a lot of power when going from a paused or stopped position into movement. Power development plyometric exercises are designed to use as much power as possible and transfer into motion as quickly as possible. These drills are usually very intense and you should be fatigued afterwards. Only people that are experienced at plyometrics should start this routine or any routine below. An example is the standing broad jump where you go from a crouched position to exploding forwards. Here are some other power development exercises:

• Standing Broad Jump
• On-box jump
• Box Squat Jump

4) Full Extension Plyometrics - These exercises usually include full range movement with your muscles extending as far as they can. Full range strength is important for athletes. These exercises are great for improving acceleration and agility as well as improving your vertical leap because they usually strengthen your hips and hamstrings. An example of full extension exercises is rhythmic squat jump because it requires you to extend your body to its full range. Here are some other full extension exercises:

• Rhythmic jump squat
• Low squat ankle jump
• any other exercise where you fully extend your muscles

5) Short Range Plyometrics - These exercises are the opposite of full extension except that you are supposed to perform both with full intensity. These exercises involve as little ground contact as possible. Short-range exercises focus mainly on speed and less muscle extension. A great example of short-range exercises is sprinting because it requires speed and less contact with the ground. Here are some other short range exercises:

• Sprinting
• Power skipping
• 3 steps + jump as high as possible

To design your own plyometric workouts you need to decide what aspect of your vertical that you want to improve. For example, you can jump really high but you are a slow jumper and take too long to get that high. This should be your workout routine:

1. Low intensity plyometrics workout to warm up
2. Short Range plyometrics to improve jumping speed
3. Low intensity plyometrics workouts or general jump plyometrics to cool down

If you are quick to jump up, but cannot jump very high, then this should be your workout routine:

1. Low intensity plyometrics to warm up
2. Power Development Plyometrics to improve jump height
3. Low intensity plyometrics or general jump plyometrics to cool down

Maybe you are average at both jumping speed and height. Then follow this workout:

1. Low intensity to warm up
2. General jump to work everything
3. Full extension to improve jumping ability and also agility
4. Low intensity to cool down

You can do more than the suggested routines in a workout, or you could do less. It depends on you. If you have just done the three from an example and still are not tired, then add another one. Or if you are too tired after the second exercise, then you can stop there. It all depends on how you feel after each exercise. Always work your hardest though, or else you will never be able to increase vertical jump.

Make sure that you do not do the same combination of routines every day because then you will become weak in other areas. You can do a certain combination more frequently than others because that is where you need work, but you still need to mix things up a little bit.

Also, plyometric workouts fatigue the nervous system quite a bit. The nervous system usually takes five times longer to recover than your muscles. So, make sure to never use plyometrics as endurance training.

The e-book Jump Manual is the place to find more plyometric exercises that you can fit into your routine.

The author is a trainer of countless professional basketball players and has helped increase their vertical by huge amounts. He has trained professional and Olympic basketball players.

If you really want to increase your vertical then you need to read the Jump Manual.

Related posts:

1. 3 Plyometric Exercises To Increase Vertical Leap
2. Understanding Plyometric Training Exercises To Improve Vertical Jump
3. 3 Vertical Jump Exercises to Increase Jumping Ability

Plyometrics are probably the most popular exercise among athletes and trainers who are looking to improve vertical jump. They are uniquely simple exercises and usually do not require equipment. It would be hard to find a successful vertical jump trainer who does not use plyometric training. There is simply nothing like it.

Ask any basketball player who has ever trained to increase their vertical and succeeded. Nine times out of ten they increased their vertical using plyometric exercises.

Origins - The term plyometrics come from an American track and field coach named Fred Wilt. It is based on Latin with “plyo” and “metrics” meaning “measurable increases”. The original plyometrics was basically just two types of jumps: depth jumps and shock jumps.

Depth jumps are stepping or jumping off of a raised bench or platform and jumping as high as possible after landing. Shock jumps involve stepping or jumping off of a raised surface as well, but you jump from much higher than depth jumps. Instead of jumping up when you land, you bend your knees and absorb the impact.

As plyometrics became more popular, people started adding more and more similar exercises to the list and calling them plyometrics.

Purpose - Plyometrics are exercises that enable a muscle to reach maximum strength in as short of a time as possible. The combination of speed and maximum strength is referred to as power.

Power = Speed x Strength

Power is needed to perform almost every movement and skill in sports. It is the ability to perform maximum strength rapidly. Power is the key in plyometrics training. It is what helps you jump high. Without power in your legs, you would never be able to jump high for basketball.

Plyometrics revolve around jumping and then quickly pushing off. Plyometric exercises focus on two aspects of speed strength: foundation strength and explosive strength.

Foundation strength is the ability to have as many muscle fibers as possible work for you in an instant. Explosive strength is the ability to keep a motion going against opposing forces.

Both speed strengths are used in jumping. When you bend down and start to push off to jump you are using foundation strength because your muscle fibers are instantly working for you to jump. As you push into the air you are using explosive strength because you were able to transfer the foundation strength into motion by jumping against the force of gravity.

Reactive strength is a big part of plyometric exercises. Reactive strength is basically “spring-loaded” strength. It requires one movement followed instantly by another. Transitioning from one movement to another instantly adds extra force to the second movement.

Reactive strength can be used in a lot of activities. But, if you hear the term plyometric activities do not confuse it with plyometric training. Plyometric activities are things like walking, where plyometric training is intense drills and exercises.

A key to plyometric trainings effectiveness is reducing the amount of time that you are on the ground while training. The time between when you are on the ground and able to jump up again is referred to as the “amortization” phase. Plyometrics are great for reducing the amount of time you spend in the “amortization” phase.

Plyometrics training exercises have many benefits. Here is a list of just some of them:

• Develop explosive power
• Teach nervous system to react quickly and forcefully with muscles
• Increased muscle speed
• And much more

Other training tips - Everyone’s body is different, which is why everyone should have a different plyometric training program. You should determine what aspect of your vertical needs the most work, and execute drills and exercises designed specifically for improving the muscles involved with that aspect.

Your nervous system is just as important as your physical strength in plyometrics. Plyometrics are basically a combination of reflexes and muscle movement to jump higher.

Before every workout it is extremely crucial that you warm-up, and after every workout it is extremely crucial that you cool-down. Warm-ups are important because they develop movement skills and warm up your muscles to really work during the plyometric training exercises. Cool-downs are important to help your muscles relax and reduce soreness for later. It also helps to keep your legs trained in the motions used in plyometrics.

While most plyometric drills do not require equipment, there is always different equipment that you can use to make drills easier or harder to perform. Here is a list of some equipment that can be very helpful for you to use:

Cones - Cones are a great way to mark a goal for a certain distance you that want to go. They can also be used as obstacles that you have to move around, enhancing the exercise.

Plyo Boxes - Plyo boxes are sturdy boxes that are as low a six inches and as high as thirty inches. Plyo boxes are great because they are sturdy enough to hold your weight and can be used in any exercise where you need an elevated surface.

Body Weights - Body weights are any type of equipment that you can wear to increase the weight that you have to carry when exercising. You can use a body vest, which will add extra weight to toughen a jumping exercise. Ankle weights are also great for jumping exercises.

Whatever you use the body weights for, make sure that you do not use too much weight because you might get hurt.

If executed correctly, plyometric exercises can be a vertical jump trainer’s best friend. Make sure you do not overwork yourself, but also do not under-work. If you really want to jump higher, then you should commit yourself to doing plyometric exercises and developing a routine of your own.

The ebook Jump Manual is a great book that provides an in-depth explanation of plyometric training for basketball.

The book’s author is a professional basketball trainer and has worked with plyometrics for years. He has helped athletes around the world increase their verticals exponentially. He has also trained Olympic and NBA basketball players.

If you really want to increase your vertical using plyometrics then Jump Manual is one of the best training guides you can refer.

Related posts:

1. 3 Plyometric Exercises To Increase Vertical Leap
2. Increase Vertical Jump With Your Own Plyometric Workout
3. 3 Vertical Jump Exercises to Increase Jumping Ability

Plyometric exercises are one of the most effective types of exercises you can perform to increase vertical leap. Plyometric exercises are designed to increase your reactive strength. Reactive strength is sort of like a spring. The more reactive strength you have, the faster you can react from one motion and do another motion.

The reason so many athletes use plyometric exercises is that they are a great way to connect force and explosive power. Essentially the drills are designed to tune and strengthen your leg muscles to be able to jump higher faster. They are relatively simple exercises and usually do not require any equipment, but they can give incredible results.

These are three plyometrics exercises that you should work on to increase your vertical leap. Make sure that you do all of these plyometric training exercises correctly.

1) Slalom Jumps - Start by standing with both feet on the same side of a line. Keep your feet together and jump to the other side of the line without touching it. Keep jumping back and forth for as long as you can.

Make sure that you jump as fast as you can while doing this plyometric exercise because you will see the most results in your vertical. You can measure the exercise by the amount of times you have jumped over the line, or you could keep jumping over a certain period of time. Either way works.

If you want to mix up this plyometrics exercise, then imagine that you are jumping over a basketball from side to side. Do not actually try to jump over a basketball because your legs might get tired and you could accidentally slip on the ball.

Another variation you could perform is jumping with one foot. Make sure you jump and land with the same foot on both sides of the line. So, if you jump with your right foot on one side of the line land on that same foot on the other side. Do this as fast as you can.

2) Squat-Thrust (Burpee) - This exercise is one of the most effective plyometric exercises. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down low enough so your hands can touch the floor on both sides of your legs.

Once you have gotten into that position kick your legs out behind you like a push-up. Then, bring your legs back in and jump as high as you can. Continue to repeat this exercise for as long as possible.

Make sure that you keep a good form throughout the exercise. When you are in push-up position make sure that your back is straight. When you bring your legs in and jump make sure you are jumping straight up with your arms swinging into the air.

This exercise increases the ability of your legs to react and jump sooner. It is great for basketball players who want to win more jump balls or grab more rebounds.

Move through all of the motions as fast as you can to increase your agility. Moving slowly will hardly help at all.

There is a great variation of the exercise that you can do. When you are in push-up position you might as well do a push-up. Not only are you strengthening your leg muscles, but you are also building some upper-body strength. Every little bit counts in basketball, so you should do everything you can to gain the upper edge over your opponents.

3) Low Box Depth Jump - All you need for this exercise is a box or platform that is around a foot off of the ground. Start by standing on the box with either your entire foot on the box or just your heels with your toes hanging off.

Step off of the box and immediately when you land jump as high as you can. If you want you can jump in front of a raised object like a basketball goal and try and reach for that whenever you jump.

If you have more than one box that is the same height as the first one you can try a variation of the exercise. Place one box and then place the next one between three and four feet ahead of the first box. Start the same as before and step off, but when you land and jump off of the ground, jump onto the next box. Turn around quickly and do the same thing to the first box.

If you are lucky enough to have more than just two boxes or raised platforms that are the same height then you can just continue the drill without having to turn around. Make sure you move quickly because this drill is a great way to build normal and reactive leg strength and tune your legs for speed.

Plyometric exercises have proven time and time again that it is possible to increase your vertical jump. Doing plyometric exercises is a must for anyone who is looking to dunk the basketball that cannot at the moment. Your workouts should always include some form of plyometrics. Plyometric leg exercises are supposed to be performed fast, so that means training slowly will get you nowhere.

It is recommended that you heavily integrate plyometrics into your daily workouts. All of the athletes that need to increase their vertical do plyometrics, so why wouldn’t you? You will never be able to reach your full jumping potential without doing plyometrics training exercises. Plyometrics and other types of exercises combined into the same workout can be an incredible combination and it is highly recommended that you use that combination.

The e-book Jump Manual is a great reference to find more plyometric training exercises that you can perform.

The author has helped basketball players increase their vertical by over 15 inches and trains professional and Olympic basketball players.

If you really want to increase your vertical leap then you need to do plyometric exercises and the best way to find the right ones to do is to read the Jump Manual.

Related posts:

1. Increase Vertical Jump With Your Own Plyometric Workout
2. 3 Vertical Jump Exercises to Increase Jumping Ability
3. Understanding Plyometric Training Exercises To Improve Vertical Jump