How high can you jump? Would you like to jump higher? Mica Moore, a British Commonwealth sprinter, and Olympic bobsleigher, will demonstrate her go to exercises that she uses to increase her jump height.

Training to Increase Jump Height

Explosive and plyometric training is often used to increase movements like jump height. While using this method is without doubt an excellent way to increase your power, it can’t be done on its own. You can only fully develop your power if you have a solid maximal strength base from which to work.

Maximal strength training improves the neuromuscular recruitment to muscles so that the nervous system sends a stronger nerve impulse, resulting in more muscle fibers being recruited and a stronger muscle contraction.

Explosive power, on the other hand, focuses on how fast you can complete a movement. This trains the nervous system to fire faster, creating a quicker contraction.

By combining both types of training you can increase the strength and speed of muscle contraction which ultimately increases the force that you can push down into the ground with, leading to an increased jump height. Ideally you should have a solid 8 week maximal strength base before you switch your focus to power training.

Exercises to Increase Jump Height

Barbell Back Squat

The squat movement will have a large cross over to jump height. You are effectively loading the muscles that are used for jumping so that when it comes to the explosive movement you will be conditioned to overcome gravity easier due the increased contraction strength.

Anderson Squat

This squat version eliminates the eccentric portion of the squat. The eccentric is an important part of the stretch-shortening cycle where your muscles act like an elastic, generating more force after a stretch. However, when you begin from a static start such as a pushing out of the sprinter blocks, the Anderson squat will be beneficial. You are also able to make it more specific to your sport by adjusting the height of the safety pins. For instance a bobsleigher will be starting in a higher position than a sprinter.

Barbell Squat Jump

The squat jump is an excellent exercise to improve your ground reaction force. This increased force that you push down into the ground results in an improved jump height. You need to select a light weight for this exercise. If you are not moving the weight fast enough, then it becomes just a squat.

Hex Bar Squat

Resistance bands differ from normal weight in the fact that the resistance increases the further you move through the movement whereas a normal weight gathers momentum and gets easier. The resistance bands can be used with the Hex Bar in an explosive movement to train you to keep contracting explosively all the way through the full range of motion.

Banded Jump

The banded jump is a form of plyometric exercise with some added resistance. Instead of just performing a jump squat, the band requires you to contract explosively through the full range of motion and ensures that you are still powerfully contracting your glutes through to full extension.

Single Leg Jump

While we perform the jump squat with both legs, it is always a good idea to develop the legs individually. This prevents a power imbalance and can lead to greater ground contact forces. With this being a single leg jump, you should reduce the weight that you are using and focus on how fast you can explode off the floor.

Medicine Ball Push

First step quickness is key when it comes to an explosive start or agility. It is a progression of vertical jumps and focuses on exploding forwards. The medicine ball not only provides resistance in the form of a weight but by explosively throwing the ball, you are doing a plyometric exercise for the upper body.

Power training is an essential part of the development of speed and agility. One of the best ways to both measure your power and improve your power is to develop your jump height. Before you rush into performing power exercises make sure you have done the groundwork and developed a strength base. Remember to also use lighter weights for your power training where the focus is on how fast you can move a weight, rather than how heavy you can lift.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Exercise Type > Conditioning ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc. > Mirafit Ambassadors