In order to have an explosive vertical jump, you must perform exercises that target all the muscles involved in jumping.
Like everything in life, not all exercises are created equal…
Here are the top 7 vertical jump exercises (complete with video):
1.Squats
The squat is widely regarded as the ‘king of vertical jump exercises’ because it targets multiple muscles simultaneously.
It targets all the leg muscles and posterior chain muscles.
This means that it targets your lower back, glutes (butt), hamstrings, quads, and calves.
The great thing about the squat is that it works all these muscles at the same time, and trains them explosively.
Here is a great video showing you how to perform squats correctly:
Tips on How To Squat
- Focus on proper form and start at a low weight before moving on to heavier weights.
- Keep your feet shoulder width apart, and point your toes approximately 30 degrees outward to enable you to target your hips/glutes properly.
- While squatting, focus on placing most of your weight on your heels – this will help you target the posterior chain muscles better.
- Always keep your abs tight, and NEVER arch your back (this can cause serious injury)
2. Deadlifts
The deadlift is another great vertical jump exercise that targets multiple muscles simultaneously.
It is very effective in targeting all the muscles of your posterior chain, which are the most important muscles in jumping.
Here is a great video showing you how to perform deadlifts correctly:
Tips on How To Deadlift
- Focus on proper form and start at a low weight before moving on to heavier weights.
- If you discover that you can’t lift a particular weight because your hands hurt, it is because of poor grip strength. (Read step 3 of my article on how to dunk to learn how to improve your grip strength)
3. Depth Jumps
The depth jump is a great plyometric drill to increase your vertical jump.
Depth jumps are excellent at improving your speed and explosiveness.
Here is a great video showing you how to perform depth jumps correctly:
Tips on How To Do Depth Jumps
- Start with a low box (approx 12 inches) and get accustomed to it before moving on to higher boxes.
- If you have never done depth jumps before, begin by just stepping off the box and landing on the ground to absorb the force as shown in the video below (don’t jump off the ground).
- As you become comfortable with the mechanics and form of the exercise, incorporate the jumping portion of the exercise.
- Depth jumps are deceptively difficult on your body and put a huge strain on your body’s nervous system. This may cause serious injury so do not overdo them.
4. Jumping !
It sounds stupidly simple, but one of the best ways to jump higher is to JUMP.
This will improve your jumping technique/form and hence increase your vertical jump.
The key is to jump for your sport.
If you are a basketball player, focus on jumping toward the hoop and also practice dunking on lower hoops to increase your vertical jump.
If you are a volleyball player, practice your spiking.
You get the idea…
It is widely know that many athletes fail to jump high because they have poor jumping form.
By working on your jumping form, you will jump higher.
5. Weighted abs exercises
Your abdominal muscles are crucial in jumping.
Along with your lower back, they form the CORE muscles that link your upper body to your lower body.
You can have the strongest upper body and the strongest legs, but if you have a weak core, you will remain grounded forever.
Sure, anyone can do 3 sets of 20/30 crunches.
Solely performing regular crunches therefore limits the amount of core strength you can have.
To perform weighted ab exercises, simply incorporate weights to your current ab workout.
For example, hold a weight plate on your chest as you perform crunches on a medicine ball.
6. Bench Press
I believe that in order to skyrocket your vertical jump and achieve your athletic potential, you have to develop your upper body strength.
The bench press is a great exercise that targets all the major muscle groups of your upper body simultaneously.
It simultaneously targets your chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and forearms.
It also targets your upper back muscles to an extent.
Here is a great video showing you how to bench press correctly:
Tips on How To Bench Press
- Focus on proper form and start at a low weight before moving on to heavier weights.
- When you are lifting heavy, ALWAYS have a spotter assisting you so that you don’t let the damn bar fall on your head and crack your skull!
7. Pull Ups
This is another great upper body exercise that will increase your vertical jump.
Pull ups primarily target your shoulder, back, and arm muscles.
You can peform pull ups in two ways depending on how you grip the bar:
1. Overhand grip (palm facing away from you)
- With the overhand grip, you will feel it more on your forearms and back .
2. Underhand grip (palm facing you)
- With the underhand grip, you will feel it more in your biceps.
Here is a great video showing you how to perform pullups correctly:
If you are not yet strong enough to perform pull ups, here is a video that will show you how to progessively increase your strength to finally perform a proper pull up:
Tips on How To Perform Pull Ups
- Focus on proper form and start with few reps.
- If you can’t perform pull ups yet, watch the video above to learn how to increase your strength to that level.
There you have it! The top vertical jump exercises.
If you incorporate them into your workouts, you will see a tremendous improvement in your vertical jump.
Where to go from here…
Ok, great.
Now you know what the best exercises to increase your vertical leap are.
So where do you go from here?
The best thing you can do is to purchase a great vertical jump program like the Jump Manual that incorporates all the exercises into a comprehensive workout schedule you can follow.
- Get updates and cool extras that I won't (or can't) share on this blog.
- Stay up to date on the latest vertical jump training tactics and strategies.
- Receive free special gifts, along with deals and discounts on the best training programs in the market.
September 11, 2009 at 2:03 am
The last video was removed… just to let you know. Thank you though for posting this. = )
September 14, 2009 at 1:22 am
these are the great exercises i did them in reps of 12 and gained 6 inches. Thanks for putting this up. I was just wondering, are you going to put a dunk mix of yourself on the website because i want to which dunks you can do with your 40 inch vertical.
January 8, 2010 at 2:24 pm
hello rashawn i was wondering how many days a week did you docthis and how long for
September 20, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Why do you need to do upper body, that won’t help you dunk will it? I mean pullups and bench press can someone explain this to me.
December 31, 2009 at 4:04 pm
well you need upper body strength. This is very crucial because when you bend down to jump you need to throw your arms up in the air to help you throw yourself higher. Jumping is a full body motion so every muscle is crucial.
September 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I think you need to add calf raises in their.
January 5, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Calf raises are an isolation excercise, you have to train your jumping muscles as a group in order to acheive the best results. Isolation excercises like calf raises only target one area and may cause over development of that area resulting in a lower vertical leap
September 25, 2009 at 12:11 am
What type of reps range and sets are best for these exercises to increase vertical?
October 11, 2009 at 11:53 am
the “The Evolution of Pullups (A Must Watch Video” video does not work anymore. you should consider replacing it.
October 11, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Thanks. I’ll replace it as soon as I find a good video.
October 11, 2009 at 1:04 pm
i need to be able to jump high because im a volleyball player, will these exersises help me like they do basketball players?
October 11, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Yep. They will work for whatever sport you play
October 11, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I am an almost 13 years old and i dont lift. If i do the non-lifting drills will it still work?
October 11, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Yep, it will still work Blake.
October 11, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I am interested in your programme for my 13 year old son. he is a soccer goalkeeper and needs to improve his spring. Can you help me by : is this programme ok for young sportsmen and would it be ok for his sport. How easy for him (us) to follow?
Thanks,
Peter Simmonds.
October 11, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Hello Peter. Yes, the Jump Manual will work for your son. It works for any sport. Also, if you are concerned about your son lifting weights, there is a no-weights program within the Jump Manual that he can follow and still see excellent results.
P.S. I am NOT the creator of the Jump Manual. It was created by Jacob Hiller, who is a world-renown trainer. I am a satisfied customer of his product
October 11, 2009 at 4:42 pm
If any tips feel free to email me…. Thanks!!!!!!
October 20, 2009 at 9:50 pm
is it ok to add weights to these exorcises? i have boughten the jump manual and it has helped me big time! But can i add weight to increase my vert even more?
P.S. thank you for this post
October 22, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Hey Robert. Congrats on getting results! Yes, you should progressively increase the amount of weight you can lift to see more gains.
October 21, 2009 at 3:54 pm
hia i was just wondereing, are thier and disadvantages of someone using wieghts, i am 15, will it affect my growth or anything? thanks
October 22, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Hey Dan. Contrary to popular belief, weight training will NOT affect your growth.
October 24, 2009 at 9:01 am
hi,
can u plz add some videos of how to do ab excercises.. to build good core strenght..
October 24, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I’m working on an ab training article right now. It should be up on the site soon
October 24, 2009 at 10:50 am
I’m a girl who plays volleyball–are these exercises okay for me?
October 24, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Yep. They will help a lot in volleyball.
October 27, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Hi, I Have A Question, How Long Should It Take Before I Benefit In My Vertical Jump, How long will it take before i see a difference, How Many Squats should I do ? Can i actually increase by 6 inches in a month or so ?
October 28, 2009 at 11:01 am
Hey Eldon. I cannot give you a specific number of gains you will make. It all depends on your current level of training and dedication. Regarding squats, I would start by doing them 2 days per week.
October 28, 2009 at 7:16 pm
excellent advise Dan very useful thanks
October 29, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Hey Dan,
just wondering. Would dips be a
good exercise for your vertical?
October 30, 2009 at 10:29 am
Hey Dylan. Dips are great for increasing your arm strength but not that great as a vertical jump exercise.
October 30, 2009 at 7:11 pm
thanks for letting me no about this website. i have really strong thighs i do squats like crazy but I am trying to find a good exercise to help build my calf muscle but in away that will mess up your knees
October 31, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Generally good advice I think, but I wouldn’t include any upper body work in the ‘top 7′ if jumping higher is all you are concerned about.
November 5, 2009 at 10:28 pm
i am 14 i am 6 foot 4 and i weight 100kgs
and i am just able to touch the rim i need to increase my vert fast and i am a poorbie and i cant afford any programs and no gym accses
what do you think i should to to increase my vert?
November 6, 2009 at 4:42 pm
thanks its look like its a great work out and it might be affective im going to give it a try…
November 9, 2009 at 4:29 pm
thanks for this information but please do not send me anymore information on how to in improve my vertical jump at the email above!!!
November 13, 2009 at 8:58 am
hey spenser! just read your post. i play volleyball and i’m only 5’8″! if you know anything about the sport, i’m a foot undersized! i decided to try some stuff to increase my vert and the best thing i found for calfs are the jump soles! i’m a natural jumper and i gained from just walking in them! they are great if you run in them, depth jumps, squats, weighted jumping (my favorite!), and more! as with all workout equipment you must be cautions and i would suggest you break in slowly. start just by wearing them around for a week. you should still see gains! i’m 5’8″ and i can get higher than the 6’2″-3″ guys on my team!!!!!!!!! try them and let us know what you think! train safely and God bless you!
November 14, 2009 at 10:54 am
hey this is spencer i do wear jump soles i jump rope in them run in them and do high skips but when i get done with them my kness start to ache a lil bit in my kness.. but u r right they help alot i can dunk on a 10 foot rim and im only 5’7
November 14, 2009 at 2:22 am
hey dan,
my name is filip and i have very bad thighs, my friends can all dunk but i cant, can u give me some workouts with no weights, that will improe my vertical
thanks
November 16, 2009 at 8:45 pm
hey filip,
my name is spencer.. i have really strong thighs jus from doin body squats, if you have a baby chair at home or something that is below yours kness that u can sit on. Get that and act like your sitting dwn on it but asoon as your butt hits the seat spring up and jump high as you can. Come back down on to feet and do 3 sets of 20 reps.
Thats how i got my vertical up and legs stronger and now i can squat 315lbs and im only 5’7 weighing in at 125lbs and can dunk on a 10 foot goal and im 14 years old.
But the big thing to get your thighs stronger is to run up hills full speed and jogg back down it, or do suicides on a basketball court.
Hope I helped some.
-Spencer Ray-Taylor
November 14, 2009 at 10:07 am
ok, i’m not trying to be negative here but for people who are under eighteen and have not fully grown yet, i wouldn’t recommend the squat exercise. The reason for that is that you will reduce your height. Now, if i’m correct, you’re looking at this website to improve your vertical jump right? But by doing squat exercises you’re actually reducing your maximum vertical jump. I’m not saying it’s a bad exercise though. It’s great! Just don’t do it until you’re 18…:) Besides that, love all your exercises and I’m sure they’ll help a lot!
November 17, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Squats will NOT decrease your vertical jump. They are one of the best exercises out there for strengthening all of the jumping muscles. Most untrained people will see an increase in their vertical jump just through increasing strength with the squat. As for starting squats under the age of 18, I don’t really think that’s much of an issue. I seriously doubt that there is any high school football player that didn’t squat before he turned 18 that made a collegiate football team. For that matter, there probably are very few kids that didn’t squat and were able to make a good high school football team. It is true that you need to be careful with really heavy squats when kids are young and have open growth plates, but that doesn’t mean you need to cut out the exercise completely. Just don’t have them max out. I work at a training center that trains a lot of young athletes, including middle school kids, and to the best of my knowledge we’ve never had one of them get injured doing squats.
November 19, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Hey Dan,
Do you think i will be able to dunk after 6 months if i do these exercises on a good schedule (im 5’9″)?
And do you know if the only place to get the jump manual is online?
for example like a bookstore,athletic store…etc
November 22, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Yep, I think you will be able to dunk if you train hard and smart for 6 months. With regards to the Jump Manual, it is only available online.
November 21, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Hi I’m 13 years old and I’ve been wondering what the jump soles actually do I’ve heard about them but never seen them in the shops. I’ve heard that they increase your vert right now Im 5 feet and 3 inches is there any good excersises that could help increase my vert excluding squats and weightlifting (I’ve heard so much about squats I thought there must be other excercises to help I already do the bit where u jump off a box and explosive jump) thx
November 25, 2009 at 2:07 pm
they help build your calf muscle up so you can explode fast and high but if your 13 dont even touch them yet cause your body is growin and if you start to early then you will stunt your growth and have knee problems in the long run. my advice is to run suicides and just jump and touch the back board over and over till you cant touch it any more then take a break fro bout 2mins then do it again
November 22, 2009 at 8:03 pm
hey dan, I’ve tried air alert and got only a couple inches, what makes this program so much different from air alert, also, I do 100 calf lifts almost every night and i am 6’4 190 pounds, I am 15 and pretty athletic, besides calf raises what are the best ways to strengthen my calves, I have dunk a few times but im not consistent yet, I want to be soooo bad though!! please help me!
November 24, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hey Jimmy. It’s different because it focuses on developing strength and explosiveness instead of endurance (Air Alert mostly trains endurance). I think you are focusing too much on your calves. I would train my other muscles instead (lower back, glutes, and quads).
November 27, 2009 at 5:51 am
hey, so if i do these excersises leaving out the upper body strength ones every night this will work?
November 29, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Yep, it will work very well.
December 4, 2009 at 4:29 am
hey dan, ive been doing squats and deadlifts for the past 3 weeks now im 6,2 and i use to have a vert of about 18-19 its now about 21-22, stoked with how it actually works
November 27, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Hey Dan im 11 and i have about a 10 inch vertical im really short and i want a higher verticle. What exercises should i do except for calf raises and squats and i want to know about how much inches the jump manual will give me
November 29, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Hey Jimmy. The Jump Manual should increase your vert by more than 10 inches. As far as exercises, check out the vertical jump exercises section of the website.
November 29, 2009 at 7:52 am
Hi what stretches could I introduce into my excersises to build more strength and flexibility.
November 29, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I would do the stretches I link to in this article: http://verticaljumpzone.com/how-to-jump-higher/how-to-dunk They are great for building flexibility and strength
November 30, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hey Dan, can you give me other exercises for weighted ab exercises? Also is a 10 inch vertical good for an 11 year old?
December 1, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hey Jimmy. Check out these weighted ab exercises or this ab training video. As far as your vertical goes, you are only 11 years old, and you will gain more inches as you grow older and your body gets stronger, so don’t worry too much
December 1, 2009 at 6:35 am
Halo Dan, I m Jordan, did you still remember me?
I try this 7 exercise and been about 6 week…
I have no ideal about my fast twitch muscle, I can run more faster,
but about the vertical jump still not effective.
I do each with 5 sets 4 reps, two day a week.
Some people do such exercise like dead lift, bench press or squat every night,
or my friend suggest me to do in everyday in a month then rest a month…
Did you think anything I should change or keep work…??
December 1, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Wsup Jordan.
Yes, I remember you (welcome back)!
It’s great that you can now run faster, so let’s look at how you can increase your vertical jump more.
How much weight have you been using for each exercise?
I think that is the missing piece. If the weight is too light, you won’t see much gains.
I would still recommend you do the workout 2-3 times a week, but reduce the sets from 5 sets to 3 sets.
Try to lift weights that are 85% of your 1RM (1 rep max).
Also, what are your weakest and strongest muscles in your body?
Do you jump higher off one foot (LeBron style) or two feet (Dwight Howard style)?
This info will help me know more about your specific needs to jump higher.
December 1, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Will ,my body weight is about 59kg and
I lift about 40kg weight…
I always jumping off with two feet and i will swing my hand,
once I run to the jump point , my jumping motion will slow down…
My weakness muscle maybe is my arm, my strongest muscle maybe is my hamstring.Should I push-up & calf raise every night, or do jumping rope
December 3, 2009 at 4:14 pm
How much can you squat? If you currently cannot squat a lot of weight, you can dramatically improve your jump by just squatting heavier weight and progressing.
January 6, 2012 at 3:00 am
A really good answer, full of rationality!
December 1, 2009 at 6:23 pm
can running suicide & keep tip the basketball on the board increase vertical jump or building fast twitch muscle too?
December 3, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Hey Jordan. Running suicides won’t help your vert, it will only improve your conditioning. The board taps will help out a bit to build your fast twitch fibers.
December 4, 2009 at 7:28 am
ok thanks Dan…
now i know jumping rope,calf raise,running suicides
just for condition and warming up.
So now i will keep do squat,dead lift,bench press,pull up, depth jump
,rim jump and board tap…how about Hanging leg raise pull-ups, is it for core muscle… anyway my friend say me the “double vertical leap program”
I think I will start used it soon
December 8, 2009 at 2:41 am
hey dan this really does work its already improved my jump and ive only done it for the second time
December 9, 2009 at 10:07 am
Congrats Phill! Keep me updated on your progress.
December 12, 2009 at 12:37 am
dan i am 16 and i have about a 25inch vertical i get up easily on 2feet jumping, but it is extremely diffucult for me to jump off 1foot? what excercises would be best for me??
December 15, 2009 at 4:13 pm
this is just making my thighs hurt why is squats hurting my thighs
January 1, 2010 at 7:52 pm
squats work out your quades witch are located in your thighs
December 19, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hey Dan,
What do you think are the best execises for glutes??
December 21, 2009 at 10:54 am
Gary I got one for you, if you have some sort of ankle weights strap them on and lie on the floor on your stomach, lift one leg up as high as you with letting you hips come off the ground, if your hips come off it isn’t working your glutes anymore, hold it for ten seconds then put it down and raise the other leg, do each one 5 or 6 times, but concentrate on keeping you hips glued to the floor don’t twist just raise your legs, another one you can do is putting a tight elastic band around your ankles and side stepping In a defensive stance, keep you feet straight and move your following step back slowly, step as far as you can and stay low, do this about 5 times left and right 3 times taking a break in between one. Once you get stronger increase the # of reps. Do both of these 3 times a week. Hope it helps you!
January 1, 2010 at 7:49 pm
hey im 6’1 with a 6’6 windspan, and about a 20′ inch verticale. I’ve tried alot of different workouts to improve my verticale, I paid for the Strength Shoe program and i’ve had minimal results. I’d like to know if i should stop using the Strength Shoes and upgrade to your program, or is there something i can change about the workout with the shoes to maximise my results?
January 4, 2010 at 11:35 pm
thank you XD
January 11, 2010 at 1:44 am
thanks Dan, these exercises are great to add to the workout program, i am on now..thanks bro..:):):):)
January 14, 2010 at 12:55 am
Hey Dan, Since the Evolution of the Pull up video isn’t working, do you think you would be able to explain to me what it involves? I really want to try these exercises but I can’t quite pull up. Thanks.
January 15, 2010 at 1:17 am
hey, im 5ft1 and weigh 88 pds. have a reach of about 6ft5 and my vertical is 24to25 inches and im 13 1/2 7th grade and can touch almost every net. i know that is reaaly good for my age but i want a 30 inch or so by next school season. i do lift all muscles every other day too not too heavy yet just for form mainly and gettin a lil stronger and do plyos too. i hope it works.oh and how much will it improve. like inches in 2 months or so? thanks
toby
January 19, 2010 at 11:47 pm
I’m 5’10″ 5’11″ I’m tryin to improve my verticle to be able to dunk wat exercises could i do without weights
January 20, 2010 at 8:28 am
the exercise are great for jumping i have been doing them for about three weeks,can wait until I go and play some b-ball with the fellow so i can dunk on them i am only five feet six
January 24, 2010 at 5:33 am
i have tried these exercises for about two weeks and i am already seeing results!!! i recomend this to my friends and they love it!!!
thanks dan
January 24, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Congrats! That’s great man. Keep working hard and keep me updated on your results.
January 26, 2010 at 3:34 am
Great site! I absolutely LOVE the content on here. Be sure to keep up the good work and update regularly, I will check back quite often. Very informative!