To Increase Vertical Leap:
Players Need a Complete Program

To really increase vertical leap, players need a complete training program that will help make them stronger and quicker. Stand alone exercises may help a little; a cohesive set of exercises may help a little more. But to really increase vertical leap, a player needs to take into account more than just the physical exercises. He needs to consider:

• strength training - with and without weights, training the appropriate muscles in the right way
  
  
• the importance of flexibility, balance and form to proper jumping form
  
  
• proper nutrition that will build lean muscle while providing lots of energy
  
  
• adequate rest, since it is during rest that the muscles get stronger
  
  
• good hydration, important for any workout but particularly important for jump training since most jump training takes place during the hotter summer months
  
  
• how to combine all these aspects and more into a progressive system that builds genuine, lasting leaping performance
  

There are plenty of programs that promise to increase vertical leap, but The Jump Manual seems to me to be the best one out there. It does a good job of combining all these elements and has received good mainstream press supporting it.

I've had players use this program in the past and they have been quite happy with it, but I have never tracked their results or studied their progress formally. So, as I am writing this my team has just entered the off-season, and in the interests of scientific research (and hoping to see some improved rebounding next year and maybe a few dunks), I am now walking a couple of my players through the program with the intention of tracking their progress and results. I'll update this page on occasion to provide progress reports.

One additional element of this jump training is that it works the same type of muscle fibers that help athletes improve their quickness, so in trying to develop jumping ability, they also become quicker on court. As one proponent of the program says,

"I recommend the Jump Manual to any athlete who is serious about maximizing their quickness and vertical explosion. I have seen the program work time and time again. It's an intense regimen but there are tremendous gains to be had." - Brandon Peterson, Former Strength and Conditioning Coach, Utah Valley University.

There are plenty of testimonial videos on YouTube as well; this one particularly caught my attention since it features in-game results:

So I'm excited about using The Jump Manual with my players and seeing them increase vertical leap; I'm excited about the prospect of owning the boards next season; and I'm excited about my players becoming more dominant offensive players.