Top 5 Vertical Jump Training Techniques | Vertical Jump Training Program

Edited by: Danielle Abel

If you're training like a bodybuilder, you're not going to make many gains in your vertical jump; it's as simple as that. But, if you train like a basketball player, incorporating 1 or more of the following 5 techniques, you'll probably see an improvement in your vertical jump. 

Athletes need to spend more time improving power output by performing movements that are fast and explosive. 

For this article, we collaborated with Darius Clark (@kingdac) to go over the top 5 movements you should be using if you want to increase vertical jump height:

Extensive Plyometrics

Plyometrics can be categorized into 2 different groups:

• Intensive Plyometrics
• Extensive Plyometrics

Intensive plyometrics are maximal jumps or maximal bounds, with the highest intensity. Whereas, extensive plyometrics are submaximal jumps that are preparatory for your muscles, ligaments, & tendons to be able to handle more intense, maximal jumps.

Some examples of extensive plyometrics

• Rhythmic, low-intensity jumps, skips, & hops
• Random jumps up & down or side to side

Extensive plyometrics prepare your body to be able to move in a variety of directions. Plus, extensive plyometrics help prepare your muscles, ligaments, and tendons for more intensive, Intensive plyometrics. 

Since doing many intensive jumps in one session can put you more at risk for injury, supplementing your training with more extensive, lower-intensity, preparatory jumps can be helpful. 

If you're not doing any extensive plyometrics, consider adding 5 minutes of submaximal jumps or hops to your program. 

Overcoming Isometrics

Overcoming isometrics involves pushing into a fixed object to maximize the isometric phase of the muscle contraction (i.e. Overcoming Isometric Squat).

Typically overcoming isometrics are performed for 2, 3, 4, or 5 seconds at a time. These movements train both your muscles and your tendons. 

If you're not already, consider incorporating a squat overcoming isometrics or a mid-thigh pull for the deadlift as an overcoming isometric. You could also do a calf raise against weight that you can't move as another option for an overcoming isometric. 

• Work up to 5 sets of 5 seconds, working as hard as you can with adequate rest in between sets

Quarter Squats

Most people train squats with a full range of motion, but quarter squats help you train a specific portion of hip & knee extension to maximize power output needed for jumping. Quarter squats translate well to vertical jumping due to the shin angle being similar seen in a vertical jump. 

You might consider doing something like this:

• In-Season: Quarter Squats (Quarter Barbell Back Squats)
• Off-Season: Full Range of Motion Squats (Barbell Back Squats)

Approach Practice

By practicing your approach, you're helping to develop the biomechanics & skill development (psychomotor/nervous system cueing) required for jumping itself (ie: Dunking Practice).

Improving your ability to dunk is an actual skill. It's not just about improving your vertical jump, because dunking requires timing of your limbs as you get closer to the rim as well as having strength and power unilaterally as well. You need both:

• Training in the gym
• Practice dunking

Training in the gym will help you build capacity, but you still need the technique required for jumping. When you're practicing dunking you might try dunking a tennis ball first, then a volleyball, and then a basketball. 

Unilateral Training

Training each side separately instead of together can improve your single leg strength & rate of force production. When you're stronger on either side of your body, this has carryover benefits for single & double-leg jumping because you can put more force into the ground on one leg. 

Some examples you might try here include:

• Limited Range of Motion Bulgarian Split Squats
• Explosive Machine Single Leg Calf Raises
• Eccentric Single Leg Hamstring Curl

Keep in mind you want to focus on moving the bar at a high rate of speed, and not being as concerned about going through the full range of motion. As a result, you'll want to do lower reps, of say, 4, 5, or 6 so you can stay explosive. 

Keep in mind, if you really want to improve your vertical jump, you need to be doing plyometrics at least 3 times per week. It's also not ideal to have a heavy hypertrophy or strength day a day or two before an intensive plyometrics day. Ideally, separating these days by 48-72 hours would be most ideal. 

Support Available 

Looking for a program supported by science that helps you make progress without the hassle of having to write your own program? The Movement System Vertical Jump Program is a progressively overloaded, 12-week program, that uses our 3-step, phased approach:1. Base Hypertrophy & Plyometrics, 2. Strength/Power & Plyometrics, and 3. Power & Plyometrics, click here to check it out.