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"How to Jump Higher"

By Arthur Zanelli

One of the most fundamental and functional movements in athletics is the vertical jump. Athletes from every sport strive to improve their vertical each year, hoping for just another inch or two. So, how can you dunk like LeBron James or leap like Marvin Harrison? I decided to do a little research and see what types of exercises would have me jumping higher in 2007.

I consulted Walter Theis, MD of the VERT Fitness Training Center in Santa Monica, CA which has an alumni list of pro athletes like Shaquille O?Neal, Johnnie Morton and Holly McPeak, to name just a few of their big jumpers. Dr Theis told me that the key to improving your vertical is not based on raw strength or speed, but power, which is the combination of force and velocity.

Next, I spoke with Walter Osias, a sports trainer with a Master's Degree in Exercise Kinesiology from the University of Sydney, Australia. Walter told me that in addition to power; one must develop range of motion and neuromuscular facilitation, the speed at which your brain can fire muscle fibers.

So, what are the best exercises to improve power, range of motion and neuromuscular facilitation? After testing numerous exercise modalities, I narrowed it all down to this list of the five best vertical leap training movements.

1) Box Jumps - Repeatedly jump from the floor to a plyo-box 24 in height. This is a very basic, but beneficial movement that will help develop technique through repetition. If you want to get better at shooting free throws, you shoot free throws. If you want to get better at jumping, jump.

2) Depth Jumps - Slightly better than the box jump, the depth jump focuses on the loading phase as well as the explosion phase of the jump. Jump off of a 12 box landing onto the floor, then jump up to a 24 box.

3) Olympic Lifts - Olympic lifts are the good and traditional method to develop power, but there are a few limiting factors. First, Olympic lifts only provide resistance in the initiation of the movement which limits range of motion. Second, Olympic lifts, such as the clean-and-press and snatch, are not jump-specific.

4) Shuttle Jumper - The MVP Shuttle Jumper, manufactured by Shutttlesystems and available at VERT Fitness of Santa Monica, utilizes spring loaded resistance to create opposing force in both directions. This exercise is functional, jump-specific, and trains for both power and neuromuscular development.

5) High-Speed Isokinetics - This is the Cadillac of vertical jump training. High-speed isokinetics provide constant resistance throughout a range of motion and force more fast-twitch recruitment than any of the other exercises I did. Additionally, I performed a jump-squat movement at VERT Fitness of Santa Monica which not only made the movement jump-specific, but explosive from start to finish. This equipment is also used by Dr. Tim Grover of Attack Athletics in Chicago, where greats like Michael Jordan have trained.

Next time you're playing basketball, football, or volleyball with your friends; remember that the difference between dominating and being dominated is separated by only a few inches.

For more information and to learn more about VERT's (Velocity Enhanced Resistance Training) unique performance program check out www.vertfiness.com

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For more information, please visit www.VERTfitness.com