Increase Your Hops for the Holidays

It is hard to believe that Basketball season starts in only 10-12 short weeks. The period of time from September to November for a high school basketball player is a vital period for improvements that will dictate the success or failure of the off season training program. This 13-15 week period of the yearly training plan should focus on improving both strength and power. One of the most effective ways to measure one’s strengths or weaknesses in the ability to develop strength and power in the legs is the Vertical Jump. Improving your vertical jump will improve your legs overall ability to generate both strength and power.

To test your vertical jump it is very simple and inexpensive. All you need is a brick wall, some chalk, a tape measure and five minutes. Knowing your vertical jump is a useful tool for knowing if your legs are strong and or if you could use some improvement. The procedure to test your vertical jump is very simple. First you want to find a brick wall that is free from obstacles and the ground surface is flat and stable. Second you want to stand next to the wall with your shoulder up against the wall and reach up with the arm next to the wall. With the other hand and a piece of chalk mark where your finger tips are at the highest with your feet remaining flat on the ground.

Next, you will mark the tips of your fingers of the hand that will be next to the wall (it is your choice which side, right or left, you use). Finally to test your vertical jump you are going to jump from two feet flat on the floor as high as you can and hit your finger tips against the wall at the top of your jump marking your highest point of the jump. To measure your results take the tape measure and measure from your mark at the top of your jump to the line you marked while standing flat footed. Be mindful to keep the tape measure perpendicular to the floor and not at an angle. This measurement will be the estimate of what your true vertical jump is. This method is not as valid as others more technical ways using equipment designed specifically for measuring vertical jump. Here at Ullucci Sports Medicine we utilize the Vertec System which is the world’s most popular device to measure vertical jump. This tool allows us to accurately measure ones vertical jump and also train to maximize improvements.

Training to improve your vertical jump is very simple and does not require expensive equipment or gym memberships. To train to improve vertical jump an athlete can utilize a training technique known as plyometrics. Plyometrics is defined as activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in the shortest amount of time. The theory is that by using plyometic activities you are training the muscles to increase the power of the muscle by utilizing the natural elastic components of muscle, tendon and ligaments. Plyometrics can be performed 1-3 times a week and full recovery of at least two days from plyometric training should be given to allow the muscles being trained to recover and adapt. The appropriate volume of training for a high school athlete should be between 80-120 repetitions depending upon experience in plyometric training. An individual new to plyometrics should be at the lower 80-100 repetition volume and a more experienced individual should be in the 100-120 rep range. If you are combining your plyometric training with weight training you should perform lower body plyometrics on days that you perform upper body weight training. If you are going to incorporate your plyometric training in with lower body weight training it is important to realize that the overall volume of your training in the lower extremity will include both the plyometrics and weight training so both types of training should have the volume modified to prevent overtraining.

Now that we have a basic knowledge of plyometric training here are the four best plyometric exercises for Basketball players to improve their vertical jump. They are the squat jump, single leg push off, tuck jumps, and depth jumps.

Squat Jump

Starting position: Begin in the starting position of feet shoulder width apart, low back in a neutral position or slight posterior curve, Abdominals are tight and shoulders are upright and not hunched forward with your head up.

Procedure: Perform a squat keeping weight on the rear of the foot. Bend at the hips and maintain the neutral low back position. Do not allow the shoulders to shift forward over the feet keeping your knees out over your feet and do not allow them to “buckle” inwards. Squat to below a quarter squat and as low as the thighs being parallel to the ground if possible and still maintaining good squat form. Once in the lowered squat position push your weight through the rear of your foot pushing your body off the ground. Do not allow your weight to shift forward on to your toes coming out of the squat. Your power is developed by keeping the weight on the rear of the foot and using the powerful muscles of the posterior hip and thighs (glutes and hamstrings) and by pushing this way to achieve full extension. Try jumping as high off the ground as possible. When landing make sure to land soft and balanced on both feet absorbing the force of the landing by lowering into the squat position again with good form.

Progression: Until the exercise is mastered you should perform one squat jump at a time taking the time to reset your posture between reps. Once mastery is near and your technique is improved begin to try to repeat squat jumps one after another during a set trying to keep the time on the ground between reps short and getting as vertical as possible on the jumps continuing to land soft and with good form.

Squat jumps should be performed in sets of between 3-6 reps.

Single Leg Push Offs

Starting position: Standing with one full foot on a step or any stable elevated object which will have your knee bent to not above 90 degrees but over 45 degrees. Have your torso upright with shoulders back and head up just like the squat jump. Your lower back is also neutral with the abdominals tight like in the squat jump.

Procedure: The object of this exercise is to push with the foot that is elevated to achieve maximal vertical height. To do this you are going to push off with just the elevated foot keeping the torso upright and not leaning forward. Push through the mid to rear of the foot which is elevated and try to attain full extension of the hip, knee and ankle to elevate vertically. When returning down you want to land with the same foot elevated on the object softly and maintaining a upright posture.

Progression: Until the exercise is mastered you should perform each rep and then reset your posture and complete another rep. Once mastery is near and technique is improved begin to repeat the exercise with out breaking. To progress the exercise to increase the difficulty try alternating the foot which is elevated after each rep.

Single leg push offs can be performed in sets of 6-10 reps.

Tuck Jumps

Starting position: the starting position is the same as with the Squat jump.

Procedure: The procedure will remain the same as with the squat jump up to where you reach the maximal height of the jump. Here you are going to tuck your knees in front of your body up to waist height or above. Then returning to the ground in the same manner as the Squat jump.

Progression: Until the exercise is mastered you should perform one tuck jump at a time taking the time to reset your posture between reps. Once mastery is near and your technique is improved begin to try to repeat squat jumps one after another during a set trying to keep the time on the ground between reps short and getting as vertical as possible on the jumps continuing to land soft and with good form.

Depth jump

Starting Position: Same as the squat jump and tuck jump except you are standing on a step or elevated object of under 24 inches.

Procedure: Step off the object ( Do not jump off) and land on the ground with two feet soft and in good squat mechanics just as you would land in the squat and tuck jumps. Then cutting the time on the ground as short as possible push off the ground through the rear of the foot and using mechanics just like the jumping phases of the squat and tuck