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Increase Your Vertical Jump With Plyometric Training

Posted: February 13th, 2010 | Category: Recreation and Sports

Plyometric training can give you an enormous edge over your competitors. Plyometric training programs are effective for increasing your speed and explosiveness in movement. Plyometrics is gaining popularity because of the tremendous benefits for both the competitive and non competitive athlete. For those interested in increasing their vertical jump, plyometric exercises is a must.

Plyometric training is simply exercises involving jumping in order to enhance certain muscle developments of speed and explosiveness. Even though jumping does help strengthen your legs muscles, there are other factors needed to increase vertical jump abilities. Besides the legs, the rest of your body also need to be challenged to enhance the full body workout. Thats why plyometric exercises are necessary to get the full benefit in jumping higher.

Plyometrics exercises are typically intense and focuses on the development of explosive movements thus enhancing the athletes muscular power and quickness. Although plyometric training is not used by the novice athlete, competitive athletes are gaining enormous advantages by applying the exercises in the workouts.

There are many different plyometric exercise you can do. A simple exercise could be jumping up and onto a box and then jumping off of it. Typically, they are just jumping onto, off, or over an object. Each rep repeated should be done to full maximum to insure increase in explosiveness and quickness. Endurance or fatigue of the muscle is not necessary the goal, but working on jumping higher and quicker. It helps develop the quick twitch muscles used in speed and explosiveness.

If you are just starting out, it is possible to lower the intensity of your plyometric training. But the goal is to do each exercise rep with high intensity and at full maximum. This is how you will grow and increase your vertical jump faster.

To help ensure your plyometric training is safe and effective, it is important to listen to your body. If you are in pain or your knees become achy, take a break. Allow time for your body to recuperate and do not over do it especially if you are just starting out.

Yes it is possible to learn how to jump higher, and plyometrics is one of the keys to your success.