When it comes to learning how to increase vertical leap many athlete think that it all comes down to working on strength and technique. This is correct, but it is only part of the formula for learning how to increase vertical leap. When you want to learn how to increase vertical leap it is a good idea to find out what you are getting yourself into first. Trying to increase your vertical leap takes had work, consistency, patience and good work ethic. Once you start doing a jumping program you cannot just simply stop and expect to keep and still be making gains, Vertical leap is like any other muscles they need to be constantly worked to keep your vertical.

When it comes to questions on how to increase vertical jump many people recommend affiliate products on the internet such as air alert I and air alert II. Now these are some good resources and I am not saying they are not, however for people learning how to increase vertical leap a great thing to do is incorporate a program such as the air alert with the advice and tips from a personal coach at a gym. The reason I recommend this is that by having a professional watching over your training program they are able to provide expert advice and tips, plus they also ensure you are performing the exercises correctly. Getting the correct jump technique/form and then using the correct training techniques is the most optimal way to increase your vertical jump.

So before I started rambling on about what is important to know when learning how to increase your vertical jump here are the 9 key area's that are going to help you increase your vertical leap;

1. Strength:

Strength is classed into 3 categories for vertical leap that is;

- Absolute strength: Your raw amount of power you can generate in one lift.
- Explosive strength: The maximum amount of force you can produce in a minimum amount of time and
- Reactive strength:The amount of force you can apply after your muscle/tendon is stretched prior to contracting

When it comes to learning how to increase vertical leap in relation to strength the absolute/limit strength is the base strength or foundation that supports the 2 other styles of strength so you should look at working on that first.

2. Quickness:

Your ability to move fast and also transfer that energy from a running to jumping motion will help greatly in increasing your ability to jump higher.

3. Stability & Balance:

When a new athlete is learning how to increase vertical leap, stability and balance not only prevents injury. It also helps to increase the vertical leap as it allows the body to be stable and balanced when transferring energy through the body as it's preparing to jump. This means their will be a smooth fluid motion when the jump is performed so there is minimal loss of energy from stagnated movements.

4. Flexibility:

Flexibility is key when looking to develop your reactive strength. This is because reactive strength requires a full Range Of Motion (ROM) of muscles and tendons so they are able to store energy like an elastic band. Flexibility also helps to prevent injuries like hyper-extension and tears in the ACL and PCL ligaments inside the knee. Those ligaments are vital to providing stability, balance and support to the entire body during a jump.

5. Neurological Recruitment & Conditioning:

This is something that is talked about in depth in the Jump Manual, which was a nice refresher that professional performance coaches understand that there is more than just physical aspects to increasing vertical leap. Neurological recruitment is how your body recruit's muscles to contract and expand.

6. Jumping Technique and Form:

When you are learning how to increase vertical leap technique and form is one of the fastest way you can increase your vertical leap without doing any weight or plyometric/ shock exercises. Many athletes have problem's with their jumping form that results in a staggered movement. This result's in a loss of energy and thus force when the body is transferring the energy from the toes to the hands in the motion upwards.

7.Body Type/Composition:

The type of body you have and your body fat to muscle ratio has a major effect on how to increase vertical leap. Because no athletes body type is the same workout programs need to be tailored to the individual athletes needs and body type.

8. Hereditary factors

Yes, the way you where born does have an effect on how well you can jump as it results in the amount of fast and slow twitch muscles you have in your body. You cannot increase or decrease these muscle types however you can increase the amount of maximum force these muscles produce by training them.

9. Nutrition:

When young athletes are learning how to increase vertical leap this is often one of the most overlooked areas of helping you to increase your vertical leap. Did you know that when your body does not have enough carbohydrates or protein in the body it begins to break down your muscles for energy. So in fact when you are in the gym working out you could actually be losing muscles instead of gaining them. Scary isn't it!