Vertical Jumping Exercises - 3 Great Exercises to Get You in the Air

So you want to know some good vertical jumping exercises? There are several out there. There are a few in particular that can boost your ability to jump higher. You need to make sure you follow them exactly. Many people perform the right exercises, but they don't do them correctly. Add these three exercises to your vertical training and you will be well on your way to adding major inches to your vertical.

You may think the only muscles you need to work on during your vertical jumping workouts are your leg muscles, but that's not the case. Your lower back and erector muscles need to be strong too. The erector muscles are the strongest in the back and take on the most work. Vertical jumping exercises should include working on this area. Dead lifts are great. Arch your back, bend your knees while holding the weighted bar. Come to an upright position while holding the bar. Slowly lower the weight back down. The first 3 sets of 6-8 reps should be done quickly but steadily to avoid injury. Take a rest. Then do the next set, but this time take your time and feel the full range of your muscles.

Another good exercise is leg presses. Load a leg press machine with weights. Place feet high and away from you. Bring the plate down slowly until your knees bend at your chest, and then quickly push it away. It's not about the slow and steady here. You need to practice the explosive force to get the most out of the muscles you will use when jumping higher. Do 5 sets of 6 reps. Allow muscles to rest between sets.

Finally, use a heavy medicine ball in place of a basketball. Pretend you are going to slam dunk, but don't actually throw the ball! Exaggerate the movements and reach for the rim. This will help strengthen all the muscles you will be using when you slam dunk for real. Remember to push yourself to the max. This is still exercise!

These three exercises are just three of many that can help increase your vertical jumping. Combine these with more jumping exercises. Make sure you do them correctly, though. You don't want to do all that work for nothing.