The Top 3 Leg Exercises To Make You Jump Higher
Doing the right exercises for your legs is a key component of any serious vertical jump training program. And when it comes to training to increase the strength in your legs, there are many ways to go about doing it.
Should you use machines, free weights, or resistance training? Well, I’m going to break all of this stuff down for you when it comes to building those all important leg muscles needed for jumping higher.
First, the primary muscles you’ll want to build are you’re lower body (legs) and don’t forget your core (abs). So many athletes underestimate how important a strong core is in strength training.
When training legs there are a few basic fundamentals. First you have to understand which exercises work what and have an idea of a program that incorporates an effective amount of sets and repetitions of each exercise.
For basketball, I usually like to do around 10 repetitions of each set for my legs and I don’t do more than 12 sets per muscle group for starters.
A single set is a group of repetitions done one after the other with no rest. I usually shoot for about 3-4 sets per exercise per muscle group. So if I’m doing quadriceps, I’ll usually do no more than 12 sets, which could be about 3 different exercises at 4 sets each.
If any of this is confusing for you and you’re new to strength training, don’t worry. It will all make sense once you start doing it.
As far as what equipment to use, I highly recommend using machines if you’re new to strength training versus using free weights right out of the gate.
While many consider squats to be the king of all leg exercises when it comes to building strength, this exercise can be performed incorrectly if you’re not experienced, which can lead to injuries.
Once you have a few months under your belt with machines such as nautilus etc. then you’ll want to move up to squats.
When training for strength in your legs, you’ll want to focus on your quadriceps (front of legs), hamstrings (back of legs), butt, hips, and calves.
Here are the 3 top leg leg exercises to make you jump higher:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Leg Press
When training your legs, you’ll want to have controlled motions and focus on squeezing the muscle with good form and breathing at the top of each movement. Also, you’ll want to have adequate rest time in between workout days. I recommend at least 48 hours.
Put together a plan for yourself that includes those five muscles groups and focus on getting stronger. The stronger your legs get, the higher you’ll jump. For maximum gains in your vertical, I recommend adding a plyometric training program to the mix to help with your power and explosiveness.
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