A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The problem is that coaches and parents equate fast feet with fast and quick feet with agile. However, fast feet don't equal fast any more than quick feet equal agile. In some cases, fast feet might actually make an athlete slow--often I see fast feet as a detriment to speed. In fact, some of our quick turnover guys, those who would be described as having fast feet, are very slow off the start.

The problem is fast feet don't use the ground well to produce force. Fast feet might be good on hot coals, but not on hard ground.

Think of the ground as the well from which we draw speed. It is not how fast the feet move, but rather how much force goes into the ground. This is basic action-reaction physics. Force into the ground equals forward motion. This is why the athletes with the best vertical jumps are most often the fastest. It comes down to force production. Often coaches will argue the vertical vs. horizontal argument and say the vertical jump doesn't correspond to horizontal speed, but years of data from the NFL Combine begs to differ. Force into the ground is force into the ground.

The best solution to slow feet is to get stronger legs.

Feet don't matter. Legs matter.

Think about it this way: If you stand at the starting line and take a quick first step but fail to push with the back leg, you don't go anywhere. The reality is that a quick first step is actually the result of a powerful first push. We should change the buzzwords and start to say "that kid has a great first push." Lower body strength is the real cure for slow feet and the real key to speed and to agility. The essence of developing quick feet lies in single-leg strength and single-leg stability work… landing skills. If you cannot decelerate, you cannot accelerate, at least not more than once.

One of the things I love is the magic drill idea. This is the theory that developing foot speed and agility is not a process of gaining strength and power, but rather the lack of a specific drill. I tell everyone I know that if I believed there was a magic drill we would do it every day. The reality is it comes down to horsepower and the nervous system, two areas that change slowly over time

How do we develop speed, quickness and agility? Unfortunately, we need to do it the slow, old-fashioned way. You can play with ladders and bungee cords all you want, but that is like putting mag wheels on an Escort. The key is to increase the horsepower, the brakes and the accelerator. I think the answer for me is always the same.

I love ladder drills. They provide excellent multi-planar dynamic warm-up. They develop brain-to-muscle connection and are excellent for eccentric strength and stability. We do less than five minutes of ladder drills, one or two times a week. I don't believe for a minute that the ladder is a magic tool that will make anyone faster or more agile, however I do believe it is a piece of the puzzle from the neural perspective. People waste more than five minutes on biceps curls, but we have long debates about ladder drills.

These are also a great tool to show to coaches who want "foot speed." Sometime it's easier to "yes" them than to argue with them. Give a guy with "bad feet" a jump rope and you get a guy with bad feet and patella tendonitis.

PSS- I have never used the term "speed ladder." We always call it an agility ladder if we call it more than the ladder.
Free ebook-on how to get quicker and jump higher.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How To Improve Your Vertical Leap

A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See

How To Improve Your Vertical Leap

A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See

A vital part of basketball training is improving your vertical leap. As an athlete, you should be incorporating exercises into your basketball drills and fitness training that focus on increasing muscle strength and leg speed. Simply put, you won’t turn into Vince Carter or Andre Iguodala overnight, but learning how to work the appropriate muscles on a daily basis will go a far way towards improving your overall vertical.

By emphasizing certain muscles in your legs, you can train your body for the force needed to leap high. Increasing your vertical jump will improve your rebounding, blocking, dunking, and make you an all-around better basketball player. Here are some exercises for improving your leg strength and vertical jump. 

Toe Raises 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.
• This exercise builds up your calf muscles which generate a lot of the force that a vertical jump requires. Once you feel you’ve strengthened these muscles, you can add reps and hold dumbbells at your sides to increase the resistance.

Depth Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box and take a step forward off the box with either leg, landing on the balls of your feet without letting your heel touch the ground.
• Immediately after landing, reverse the downward force by jumping straight up into the air as high as you can.
• Use your arms for momentum to jump higher! Then, get back onto the box and repeat.
• This exercise focuses on the speed and strength used to leap into the air.

Drop Jump 

• You will need a box or platform to use for this exercise
• Start on top of the box, then take a step forward off the box to the ground.
• Again, you should land on the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground.
• Try not to bend your knees too much when you land, your legs should absorb the force from the jump. The goal is to reverse the downward force as quickly as possible.
• This prepares your legs for the explosive force necessary for increasing your vertical jump. The Drop Jump is also known as the Shock Jump because your knees are subject to loads of potentially harmful force. Try wearing shock absorbing basketball shoes or sneakers when performing this exercise.

Squat Jump 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a squat.
• Keep your back straight and knees above your toes, then once you squat all the way down, leap straight up into the air.
• This exercise actively works out all the muscles you use when jumping in a basketball game. Go for as long as you can, even past the burn! The harder you work now, the better you'll dunk later.

Jump Rope 

• Jumping rope can be a particularly convenient and easy way to break yourself into shape -- it can be done anytime and anywhere! Do it while you’re watching TV, listening to music, or waiting for a phone call.
• Make sure to bounce on your toes, using them explode upwards and landing them as well. Use the rest of your feet as little as possible.
• As an added bonus, this will help improve your cardio -- that way, you can still dunk or grab the game-clinching rebound, even if it’s late in the fourth quarter.

(Related: Free Dunking Ebook here.)

However, if you’re still struggling with these improvements and exercises, consider booking getting our free e-book he

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.