Jump Higher
Affiliated jump program linked here. (*If you purchase this program, I will receive a commission since I am a Click Bank affiliate*)
When athletes want to jump higher, a common mistake made by beginners is solely focusing on calves. Although calves and tendons in the ankle are important for jumping, the main force in an efficient jump comes from explosive hip drive initiated by the muscles surrounding the hips–quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
When I was a beginning lifter, I primarily focused on my calf strength which I’ve come to learn was beneficial, but it was not optimal for increasing my vertical. Although calf and ankle strength is crucial to an efficient jump because your lower leg must be strong enough to hold the force created by your hips and upper leg muscles the main force comes from the upper leg. Increased balance and stability is also a benefit of calf and ankle strength which is essential for consistent takeoffs.
To really increase vertical jump, first, actually learn how to jump and practice your form. As athletes, we jump while we are in motion. A volleyball player has forward momentum before they jump to spike a ball. A basketball player is running before they jump for a dunk or layup. There are specific forms that are correct for jumping off of one and two legs from a running motion. Once you have learned the proper technique, lift with your legs with the purpose of jumping in mind. For me, I consider my jumping motion in the workouts that I do. Since I prefer jumping off one leg, my toes face forward when I jump. I incorporate a squat workout where I do heavy half squats with my toes facing forward, rather than flared. I make sure to feel the force coming from my hips as I propel the weight up as fast as I can.
For every workout where my feet are connected to the ground and I lift in an upward trajectory (i.e. squats, half-squats, Bulgarian split squats, deadlifts, etc.) I feel the load before exploding upwards. Train your foot-ground stability by paying attention to how your foot feels under weight at the bottom of your squat motion. Then be explosive on the way up and emphasize the feeling in your upper legs. Paying attention to the foot-ground connection will help you load jumps efficiently. Feeling the load of a squat at the bottom of the rep will train you to efficiently load jumps unconsciously, and create optimal force with your hips and upper leg working in unison.
For all of your sets lift for explosiveness and power. Either lift with light weight for high reps (10-12) that are super fast with slow negatives, or lift heavy weight for low reps (3-5) where you feel your hips and the explosive muscles in your legs creating force. Although it’s important to lift lighter on some days and heavy on others, I prefer lifting heavy with legs because it makes me feel lighter once the weight is gone.
While training to jump, I developed patellar tendinitis which up to this point has proven to be challenging despite my relentless treatment attempts. I have written a blog about this–linked here. Here is an official treatment program for knee pain (Click Bank product– I will receive commission if you decide to purchase) should you decide you need an organized treatment program.