Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 2Home Work
The best way to increase your vertical leap is not in the weight room, but rather during the journey that you experience every day. If you keep an eye out for opportunities to boost your jumping skills, you can start seeing a difference immediately.
Stretch:
This is probably a good idea to do even if you could care less about being able to dunk. Stretching daily will help strengthen your muscles, allow your body to gain flexibility, and just plain make you feel better. I have always heard that stretching before a workout (weight or aerobic) is a smart thing to do, but I have also had a few people tell me that stretching prior to exercise diminishes the maximum power that your muscles can generate. I am certainly no doctor, so whatever you decide to do, try doing it in moderation (unless you are drinking beer).
Stay on Your Toes:
It sounds like something ballerina might do, but trust me, it works wonders. Try walking around your house on your tip-toes. This will force your calf muscles to work overtime and is a great endurance exercise for increasing your vertical. When this starts to get tiring, switch it around and attempt to walk on your heels with your toes pointed as high as you can. This walk makes you look stupid, but forces your dorsi-flexor muscles to become rock hard.
Might as Well Jump:
Jumping rope is (surprise) a great exercise. Not only will this get the heart pumping, but the short jumps that you are forced to repeat over and over again help to promote explosiveness.
Stair Raises:
You can mimic the great exercises that you perform in the gym in the comfort of your own home if you have the right technique. If you have stairs in your house (or substitute any kind of platform), position yourself so that your heels hang off the back of the raised area. Lower yourself as far as you can go, then raise yourself up onto your toes. This can be much more straining for your calves than the machine, so try not to over do it when doing this exercise.
Last but Not Least:
Just as important as any dichotomy in life, work is meaningless without rest to accompany it. Make sure to give your body and legs a rest at least two days a week. As when doing any sort of weight or cardiovascular training, the results occur when your muscles have the chance to repair the small tears in tissue when you work out. So just do it.
Stretch:
This is probably a good idea to do even if you could care less about being able to dunk. Stretching daily will help strengthen your muscles, allow your body to gain flexibility, and just plain make you feel better. I have always heard that stretching before a workout (weight or aerobic) is a smart thing to do, but I have also had a few people tell me that stretching prior to exercise diminishes the maximum power that your muscles can generate. I am certainly no doctor, so whatever you decide to do, try doing it in moderation (unless you are drinking beer).
Stay on Your Toes:
It sounds like something ballerina might do, but trust me, it works wonders. Try walking around your house on your tip-toes. This will force your calf muscles to work overtime and is a great endurance exercise for increasing your vertical. When this starts to get tiring, switch it around and attempt to walk on your heels with your toes pointed as high as you can. This walk makes you look stupid, but forces your dorsi-flexor muscles to become rock hard.
Might as Well Jump:
Jumping rope is (surprise) a great exercise. Not only will this get the heart pumping, but the short jumps that you are forced to repeat over and over again help to promote explosiveness.
Stair Raises:
You can mimic the great exercises that you perform in the gym in the comfort of your own home if you have the right technique. If you have stairs in your house (or substitute any kind of platform), position yourself so that your heels hang off the back of the raised area. Lower yourself as far as you can go, then raise yourself up onto your toes. This can be much more straining for your calves than the machine, so try not to over do it when doing this exercise.
Last but Not Least:
Just as important as any dichotomy in life, work is meaningless without rest to accompany it. Make sure to give your body and legs a rest at least two days a week. As when doing any sort of weight or cardiovascular training, the results occur when your muscles have the chance to repair the small tears in tissue when you work out. So just do it.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
5
comments
|
Add Comment
|
Jun 21, 2010. 9:30 PMGenericBadness
says:
My kind of chick. I'd never again have to answer that landmine question: "does my butt look fat in these pants?"
Reply
Jun 25, 2010. 12:11 AMRomanader
says:
LOL "Look for yourself!" I... well, I might actually be a little afraid of her. If she puts her foot down, it'd be serious.
Reply
Jun 26, 2010. 4:19 PMGenericBadness
says:
Funny indeed, my friend! And if she throws a true tantrum, she could 'end' up dancing cheek-to-cheek...with herself. That would be better than a bobble head figurine! This picture opens the imaginative floodgates for a new vein of instructables!
Reply
Sep 1, 2009. 6:42 PMDrum_Dude
says:
wow... i couldve never imagined that your butt could get that close to your face!!!!
Reply
1
Sep 9, 2009. 4:03 PMiamtoats
says:
Think of the possibilities.... Not sexual of course..................... But there is so much you can do with that much of a stretch....
Reply
2
Feb 21, 2010. 5:58 PMJohnJY
says:
Think of the possibilities...sexual of course.
Reply
Feb 16, 2010. 2:52 PMblrosenberg
says:
that's hot
Reply
Oct 3, 2009. 8:17 AMnick9321
says:
:O
Reply
Aug 5, 2009. 10:16 PMpancho del rancho
says:
foo that aint right by that i mean thats impossible and scary
Reply
 |
Add Comment
|
