Spokane Stars Basketball

Archive for January, 2008

Airn Dupree asked:




Basketball stars like Michael Jordan making jumping high look easy, when in fact it is based on strong thigh and leg muscles, along with a coordination of strong ab muscles. Many athletes do not like to lift weights, so the question is often asked, how do you jump higher without lifting weights? The truth is that there are other exercise methods that can build your leg and abdominal muscles without lifting weights. It’s best to find a workout that suits you best, or you will not want to do it daily or every other day.

There are two types of jumpers- the leapers and the vertical jumpers. Both are highly effective in different circumstances, leapers use more of their abdominal and upper body muscles to assist a one-legged jump, while vertical jumpers rely on their thigh muscles to thrust into a two-legged jump.

The Quadriceps, hip, calves, hamstrings, arms and abdominal muscles all need to be strong. These are called “fast-twitch” muscles, which are those that control the impulsive or explosive jumps. Some of the best jumpers are those found in ballet, hurdles and basketball, so flexibility is important. Stretching and improving your flexibility is crucial to jumping higher. Some athletes even study ballet as part of sports training for stretching and flexibility.

You should plan to work out every other day to strengthen the leg muscle groups with jumping exercises, and work on strengthening your inner ab muscles, dorsi-flex muscles, (which are the group used for pedaling a bike). Toe muscles are important when it comes to increasing your jumps, so you can strengthen those muscles by curling and uncurling them, and pushing up onto your toes, which strengthens calf and hamstring muscles, as well.

Jump rope at least three times a week and add daily exercises such as squats, jumps, calf raises, lunges, leg presses. Jumping exercises such as one arm jumps, one leg hops and stair jumps, should be mixed into your routine, along with any leg muscle building exercises such as jogging and riding a bike. There are many great abdominal muscle exercises such as leg lifts, crunches, and of course sit-ups. Jumping jacks are a good way to work all muscle groups and mix in aerobic exercise, as well.

Be consistent with daily routines around an hour or less. Increase reps on exercises when you do not “feel the pain”. To build muscles, they have to be pushed slightly above their current capacity, and the idea is to bulk them up for the best results.

“How Do You Jump Higher Without Lifting Weights?”-

o Find a routine that you enjoy doing, such as riding a bike or jogging, or ballet

o Stretch for 5 minutes before and after your workout.

o Keep workouts around an hour to prevent over-exertion to the muscle groups.

o Increase your reps when you no longer feel the pain

o Be sure to include Jumping exercises, such as jumping rope and jumping jacks

o Be sure to schedule time daily or every other day for your workout

If you practice this easy steps, you will be jumping higher with little effort, and have some strong abdominal and leg muscles to show for it.