The vertical jump has long been touted as a marker of power and athleticism, but how valid is this? And if it’s a useful indicator, how do you become better at it? From post-activation potential to plyometrics, these ten articles are all you need to improve your vertical jump.
2 Skills You Need For a Better Vertical Jump (Doug Dupont)
Power is certainly a prerequisite for a high vertical jump, but so is skill work. A new study identified two skills to work on if you’re looking for a higher jump.
Heavy Squats Improve Vertical Jump (Jeff Barnett)
Imagine your vertical jump is just about to be tested. Suddenly, you tell the test administrator, “Hold up, I gotta do some heavy squats first.” Sound ridiculous? A new study suggests it might not be.
Vertical Jump Performance: The Effects of Strength, Power, and Training Surface Stability (Tom Kelso)
Serious athletes know the ability to generate power is one of the keys to performance. But how to you train to develop power? Is the fabled vertical jump really an indicator? Science takes a look.
Complex Training Methods With Hang Cleans Enhance Vertical Jump (Mindith Rahmat)
In a previous article we discussed the use of complex training systems as an effective tool to elicit maximal performance gains in athletes.
Push Jerks Enhance Vertical Jump Performance – Maybe? (Katherine Derbyshire)
Developing jumping power is vital for many athletes, but is the push jerk a good way to do it? Science takes a look at the actual mechanics involved and says, maybe not.
Proper Plyometrics: How to Box Jump, Vertical Jump, and Broad Jump Correctly (Ryan Kish)
Some coaches don’t use plyometrics, for fear they may be dangerous or to hard to teach. Done properly plyometrics can be the tool that makes the difference between average and great.
Is There a Correlation Between Sprint Times and Vertical Jump? (Doug Dupont)
A new study investigated the correlation between sprinting and vertical jump performance, and found that athletes who are good at one tend to be pretty good at the other.
Back Squats Just Prior Improve Vertical Jump Performance (Jeff Barnett)
Post-Activation Potentiation or PAP – what is it? It means if you squat heavy, you can jump higher. Science looks at how much weight it takes to activate this potential and how you can apply it, too.
Got Vertical? How to Measure for Explosive Strength (Dresdin Archibald)
Most laypersons will bet that weightlifters have little jumping ability. They are just too big and slow, right? This is now refuted frequently, but the Soviets actually refuted it decades ago.
Using Kettlebell Swings to Improve Vertical Jump (Andrew Read)
Years ago I used the kettlebell swing to improve jumping ability. I didn’t know why it worked at the time, but new research looks into the relationship between the swing and explosive strength.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
