Although calf-raises, squats, and lunges will help your leg strength, you need to work more on explosiveness. Try the following things:
1. squat-jumps- do a squat (using just the bar to no more than 25% of your max), and then explode out of the squat into a jump. Do in sets of four or five.
2. Wall-jumps- Find a wall and repeatedly jump and touch as high as you can on the wall without recoiling (pausing before each jump). This will help more for jumping quickness, but you’ll need that for rebounding, too.
3. Box-jumps- Jump onto and off of a box. Use shorter boxes for foot quickness (do timed sets), and use taller boxes for jumping power (15 to 20 per set). When looking for a taller box, make sure the height is challenging, but not too tall (or you’ll end up having an accident like I did). Make sure you have a friend making sure the box doesn’t tip over or move.
Remember, if you’re looking to improve your vertical, working on explosiveness is the key.
You’ve got to concentrate on your polymeric muscle fibers (fast twitch fibres) that increases your explosive power. Google (or yahoo)polymeric leg exercises and you should get a bucket load.
Here’s a good site that’s free
Or this one I’ve heard a whole heap about and sounds quite good. Will cost you a little bit though
I don’t have the specific information (very detailed), but a Plyometric program works great using miscellaneous box jumps. I will tell you, though, that if you are trying to improve your vertical for this year’s season you won’t want to use plyometric box jumps extensively, as it can actually hurt your vertical for the first month or so and requires more rest than you can achieve while playing organized sports (it would have to be an off-season program that you start shortly after the season).
Some “free” exercises, though, would be:
1. Find a lower rim that you can dunk on and practice on it…it’s more fun, strengthens your jumping ability, and helps with your technique.
2. Do “rim jumps” and variations….description available at:…
3. Stretch every night (go to the stretching page from)
4. Do weight lifting that also focuses on your hamstrings
5. Include lunges in your weight training routine.
November 23rd, 2008
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Yes, all of those will help.
they all work
Although calf-raises, squats, and lunges will help your leg strength, you need to work more on explosiveness. Try the following things:
1. squat-jumps- do a squat (using just the bar to no more than 25% of your max), and then explode out of the squat into a jump. Do in sets of four or five.
2. Wall-jumps- Find a wall and repeatedly jump and touch as high as you can on the wall without recoiling (pausing before each jump). This will help more for jumping quickness, but you’ll need that for rebounding, too.
3. Box-jumps- Jump onto and off of a box. Use shorter boxes for foot quickness (do timed sets), and use taller boxes for jumping power (15 to 20 per set). When looking for a taller box, make sure the height is challenging, but not too tall (or you’ll end up having an accident like I did). Make sure you have a friend making sure the box doesn’t tip over or move.
Remember, if you’re looking to improve your vertical, working on explosiveness is the key.
You’ve got to concentrate on your polymeric muscle fibers (fast twitch fibres) that increases your explosive power. Google (or yahoo)polymeric leg exercises and you should get a bucket load.
Here’s a good site that’s free
Or this one I’ve heard a whole heap about and sounds quite good. Will cost you a little bit though
squats, running with a weighted vests, lunges,
I don’t have the specific information (very detailed), but a Plyometric program works great using miscellaneous box jumps. I will tell you, though, that if you are trying to improve your vertical for this year’s season you won’t want to use plyometric box jumps extensively, as it can actually hurt your vertical for the first month or so and requires more rest than you can achieve while playing organized sports (it would have to be an off-season program that you start shortly after the season).
Some “free” exercises, though, would be:
1. Find a lower rim that you can dunk on and practice on it…it’s more fun, strengthens your jumping ability, and helps with your technique.
2. Do “rim jumps” and variations….description available at:…
3. Stretch every night (go to the stretching page from)
4. Do weight lifting that also focuses on your hamstrings
5. Include lunges in your weight training routine.