How To Train For a 40 Inch Vertical Leap

So you want a 40 inch vertical leap? I'm not going to lie to you, it doesn't come easy. If it did everyone would be jumping high and dunking the basketball. The good news is that YOU CAN increase your vertical leap if you are willing to put in some hard work and implement the right training routine.

I can say this from experience because I personally increased my vertical jump from 31 to 43 inches! Now this didn't happen overnight, in fact it took me 7 months to hit that mark. Unfortunately there is not a magic pill that you can take to help you increase your vertical. (At least that I know of, if you find one please let me know :)

The better you understand your body and WHY you are performing certain exercises, the faster your training will yield results. So, before we begin your 40 inch vertical training we need to understand some basic principles:

Principle #1 - Focus on Quality instead of Quantity

One of the biggest mistakes people make is performing a bunch of sets and reps. They spend hours each day doing drills and are dedicated to them. They feel the burning in their legs and calves but get no results. So why is this?

Well, this type of training focuses on your muscle endurance rather than your jumping strength. This individual may be training very hard but he is training the wrong way. QUALITY not quantity and INTENSITY not repetition are the proper characteristics of effective explosion training.

INTENSITY must be the focal point of your workouts. If you are pacing yourself during your workouts you will not see the results in your vertical jump that you are looking for. Instead you need to do fewer reps.

Principle # 2 - Overload Your Muscles

The main muscles involved when a person jumps are the quads, hamstrings, and calves. In order to increase your vertical jump we need to improve our EXPLOSION and POWER with these muscles. If we want to increase our power they have to become stronger. To gain muscle strength we have to workout with VERY HEAVY weights with low reps. Overloading the muscles in this way makes muscle fibers stronger and capable of contracting with greater force, which results in more EXPLOSION. Which is exactly what we are looking for. This is an important step in training for a 40 inch vertical.

Principle #3 - Complex Explosion Training

Complex training is the combination of plyometrics and weight training. There is ABSOLUTELY no other training method that will increase your vertical jump better than the correct implementation of these two techniques. Stop looking for the perfect gadget or gizmo to help you achieve that 40 inch vertical jump that you are looking for they don't exist. Nothing beats hard work.

For suggestions and examples of some of my favorite exercises to help increase your vertical jump check out the links I have below. You can find several exercises that I recommend that are VERY effective at helping you increase your vertical.

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A little about me....

Brayden Fisher is a basketball player, athlete, and just a regular guy who has increased his vertical jump from 31" to 43". He has several articles and websites dedicated to teaching others how to increase their vertical jump. If you would like more information on the subject visit his other sites at:

http://www.40inchvertical.net/ - This is the program that I used to gain 12" on my vertical in 7 months!

Increase YOUR Vertical Leap - This site includes several exercises that are VERY effective at increasing your vertical leap.

Comparing Vertical Leap Programs: Which is the Best? - Compares the top vertical jump programs.

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Do Jump Strength Shoes Really Work? Let's Find Out...

Jump strength training shoes can be expensive. They range in price from $89 - $149 depending on the manufacturer. So, are they really worth the money? Let's take a look.

Strength shoes are designed with a 1.5" hard rubber platform attached under the balls of your feet which prevent your heels from directly hitting the ground. This will make your calf muscles have to work harder in any exercise that you perform in them. In reality, I'll admit that many people DO increase their vertical jump using platform shoes. However, the improvement is because of the drills and exercises they do not by the magic of the shoes.

A Scientific Study on Strength Shoes

There have been several scientific studies that have compared two focus groups. One group of people using jump strength training shoes and one group without them. Both groups used the exact same training program, and the group without the shoes increased their vertical just as well, if not better than the other group.

The workout was provided by the manufacturer. It randomized 12 intercollegiate track and field participants to a Strength-Shoe group and a normal-shoe group. After 8 weeks of a training program supplied by the manufacturer, the normal-shoe group showed a tendency to improve more than the Strength-Shoe group on all performance measures!

The individuals training in regular shoes improved more in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, strength at slow speed, and strength at fast speed. Only calf circumference tended to improve slightly more in the Strength-Shoe group. Two of the six athletes in the strength shoe group complained of shin splints, and one of them had to drop out of the study because of the pain.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against jump strength shoes. If you want to use them that is great. I'm just trying to give you some solid information. I have never used strength shoes in my vertical jump workouts and I was able to increase my vertical by 12 inches over a 7 month period of time.

However, just using strength shoes alone probably won't bring you the type of gains that you are looking for. A step-by-step program will enable you to reach your goals faster. An extensive customizable vertical leap program that covers all aspects of training is needed to see REAL gains (like the 12" gain that I got).

Simply, targeting improvements on your form alone and mastering the proper techniques can increase your vertical by 2 - 4 inches! You can find out more information about increasing your vertical leap and the program I used at the links I have below:

http://www.40inchvertical.net/

How To Train for a 40 Inch Vertical

Increase YOUR Vertical Jump