Jumping is a critical aspect of most major sports. The ability to get off the ground and up into the air is useful in baseball and soccer, but it’s an essential part of both basketball and football. That’s why there’s such a focus on the vertical jump in the NBA and the NFL.
Both organizations have combines that test players’ jumping abilities as a way to measure their athleticism. Though people can be athletic without a high vertical, it typically correlates to general fitness. That’s why so many basketball players seek to increase theirs.
There are several ways to jump higher, but nothing works quite like dedicated drills. Many exercises are effective, but physical therapist Brian Schulte has a few that he believes stand out from the pack due to how they combine agility, quickness, and general leg strength.
1. Half-Kneel to Single-Leg Hop
One of the best ways to jump higher is to increase a combination of leg strength and flexibility. There are several movements that promote both, but the half-kneel to single-leg hop is one of the best. That’s because it forces the body to both bend and explode at the same time.
To do this exercise, start kneeling with one foot planted on the ground. Next, move up by driving the knee into the air and jumping up with the planted leg. That combination strengthens the leg muscles, while also promoting strong balance and coordination.
2. Drop Squats with Posterior Arm Throws
Few leg exercises enhance strength like squats. There are several ways to do the movement, but drop squats with added in posterior arms throws are great for jumping because they help with landing and upward propulsion.
This exercise is done like a normal squat, with the exception that it’s important to drop the hips backward rather than going all the way down. At the same time, swing your arms backward in the air to generate extra energy and create a stronger base.
3. Broad Jump to High Jump
Of course, the best way to get better at jumping is through jumping. Doing a broad jump into an immediate high jump is a testament to that. This drill works by standing in place, jumping out forward as far as possible and then jumping straight up into the air.
Doing those two movements back-to-back does a great job of building stronger thighs and practicing in-game movement. In that way, the drill improves different parts of the jumping motion and results in much stronger legs over time.
These are a good warm up to do as well. While broad jump to high jumps can be easily incorporated into any workout routine, doing a few before a game or practice quickly warms up the jumping muscles and steadily builds jumping ability over time.
4. Lateral Bound to Jump
Another jump-focused exercise, lateral bound to jump is like the broad jump to high jump but rather than going forward at the start, the first jump goes from side-to-side. That movement hits different muscles, developing hips flexors and creating strong all-purpose mobility.
There are several ways to perform a lateral bound to jump. The standard version is perfect for vertical jump training, but gathering with both feet before going into the jump or landing and jumping off of one leg mix up the exercise quite a bit.
Variations are key when doing leg workouts, especially ones like the lateral bound that activate so many different muscles at once. The core movement is strong, and it doesn’t take much to tweak it to your specific needs.
5. 180 Degree Jumps
One of the more straightforward ways to improve vertical height, 180 degree jumps are simply doing a regular jump (as high as possible) and then using momentum (arms/torso) to spin around and turn 180 degrees before landing back on the ground.
This is a great exercise that builds the regular jumping muscles, while also enhancing aspects like balance, power, and hip rotation. That makes this a full leg workout that also improves a lot of small aspects beyond just vertical jump height.
Just note that, while the explosiveness of the jumping is important, focusing on proper landing is a big part of it too. It’s easy to get lazy when the jumping up part of the exercise ends, but orienting correctly at the end pays big dividends too.
6. Back Leg Elevated Single-Leg Jumps
The back leg elevated single-leg jumps are not easy, but they do a great job in terms of balance, strength, and coordination. These can be done by standing in front of any bench. Next, place one foot on the ground and put the other behind the body up on the bench.
From that position, extend the forward leg upward into the air by driving the knee and jumping up. That won’t just strengthen the jumping muscles for vertical purposes, but it does a great job of providing extra balance that is so critical when playing in a game.
7. Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps are perhaps the best vertical-focused exercise when it comes to raw power. They are all about explosiveness and trying to go from a squat position into the air as fast as possible. That’s especially true for those who can do them in rapid succession.
To achieve a proper tuck jump, tuck the knees in towards the chest while jumping straight up. That will create enough of a differentiation on other exercises to work new muscles, while also engaging both the hip flexors and the core at the same time.
8. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a standard HIIT exercise that increase endurance, hip strength, mobility, and coordination. To do them, get into a plank-like position with your arms fully extended outwards. Then, bring the knees up to the chest as controlled and as quickly as possible.
Doing that motion will increase cardio and enable a higher jump by building up explosiveness, thigh strength, and flexibility. These should be done in short bursts of thirty seconds to a minute, or in a much slower pace by pausing once the knee comes up to the chest.
After doing mountain climbers for a while, it’s possible to expand them by incorporating other exercises (like a jump) into the routine. Don’t just settle on something that feels comfortable. Getting a better vertical is about pushing the legs, which jump mountain climbers can do.
9. Jump Rope
Though it’s usually used for agility and quickness, jump roping is another way to strengthen the leg muscles. The general movement builds endurance while helping the muscles that also aid in a higher vertical leap. It’s just important to mix up the jumping motions or try different variations.
Doing regular forward rope is a great start, as it builds a good base and gets you used to the motion. However, those who want to increase their vertical jump need to do a little bit more if they want jump rope to have a positive effect on their leg strength.
Do it backwards and side-to-side when possible. Focus on hip rotation and change up the speeds to get the most out of the exercise. Double jump or other small changes can also go a long way, especially if they can be incorporated into an entire rope routine.
10. Single-Leg Leg Press
Another strength-focused exercise, the single-leg leg press is a normal leg press on a press machine just with less weight and only using one leg at a time. By doing that, the movement targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also greatly building explosiveness.
This exercise is all about controlled motion. It might be tempting to go quickly, but the best results are from exploding up and then slowly letting the machine go back down. Being able to dictate the pace leads to a better stretch, more power, and increased gains over time.
Conclusion
There are many leg-focused exercises and workouts basketball players can do in order to improve their vertical jump, but the above ones are some of the most effective. Each works on a different aspect of jumping, which then translates to getting a higher vertical.
Don’t just focus on one aspect. A good vertical is one of the most important athletic abilities to have in basketball, but it’s not just about strength or explosiveness. Flexibility, mobility, and general all matter as well.
Many players dedicate single days to the above exercises, but they don’t need to be done all at once. It’s easy to mix-and-match them into normal workout routines. That keeps them fresh and builds a strong base without anything getting stale.
