Training Exercises to Increase Your Vertical Jump and Slam Dunk

In this article I am going to cover exercises to increase your vertical jump and slam dunk. There are two main categories of training that you should incorporate into your routine. The first is plyometric exercises, which train your body to increase its muscular power. Muscular power is what drives your body when it explodes and jumps up. The second is strength training exercises, which trains your body to increase its overall strength. Strength can be looked at as the amount of horsepower your body has. The stronger your muscles are, the more force they can exert and the higher up you can jump. Plyometrics and strength training have different styles of training but when used together in a single program, they can be very effective in increasing your vertical jump to slam dunk.

Plyometric Exercise: One plyometric exercise that I have found effective is squat jumps. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees a bit so it is at about 45 degree angle with the ground. Your arms should be flexed at about a 90 degree angle. Explode vertically by extending your legs and using your arms to drive you up. Land in the position that you started in and repeat after a second or two. Shoot for about 10 reps per set for this exercise.

Strength Training Exercise: Dumbbell lunges are a very popular strength training exercise. Like the name goes, you'll need a set of dumbbells for this exercise. Grasp the dumbbells in each hand and take a long stride with your right foot. You should stride far enough so that when you bend your right knee, your legs form a 90 degree angle with the floor. Your left knee should a few inches from the floor when you are taking your stride with your right leg. Pause briefly in this position and bring your right leg into its original position. Repeat this with your left leg. Aim for about 6 reps per set for this exercise.

Important Things To Note: Although plyometric and strength training exercises are vital to include in your routine, if you are really want to increase your vertical and slam dunk, having a proper mix between the two exercises is even more important. Some athletes will get much more out of plyometric exercises than strength training exercises and vice versa. You should definitely include both into your training but most people will need more of one style and less of the other. Your body type will determine which type of exercise style is best for you. Make sure that you are training smart because you could be working your tail off and not see the results you wanted because your program didn't fit your body type.

Which type of body type are you and what types of exercises will you benefit the most from? Many vertical jump programs out today have tests to determine your body type and will tailor a program to that. Click here to find out the 2 main categories of body types and to read our unbiased reviews of the top vertical jump program out today.