Exercise to Jump Higher

The ability to jump high is useful in many sports, including track events, basketball and volleyball, to name a few. Achieving a high vertical leap requires explosive strength in both the leg and abdominal muscles. Some exercises useful for developing a higher vertical leap include toe raises, crunches, box jumps and burpees. Jumping exercises should be performed four or five times a week to achieve results, according to InsideHoops.com.

  1. Toe Raises

    • Toe raises help strengthen calf muscles, allowing for a more explosive jump because calf muscles are used when you elevate yourself off the ground using your feet. Perform toe raises by standing regularly and raising yourself onto your toes, then lowering yourself back down. Slow down if you feel like you are rocking --- the motion should be steady and fluid. Repeat this process between 30 and 50 times. You may hold dumbbells in each hand to make the exercise more strenuous. Start with 5- or 10-lb. weights and work your way up as you become stronger.

    Crunches

    • Crunches help develop abdominal muscles, which are used to extend your body explosively as you jump. Perform crunches by lying straight on your back and placing your feet on a wall so that your hips and knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Slowly lift your head using your abdominal muscles until your shoulder blades are a few inches off the ground and then slowly return your head and shoulders to the ground. Repeat until you feel muscle fatigue. InsideHoops.com recommends performing this exercise for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night.

    Box Jumps

    • Box jumps require you to develop jumping force from a dead stop, which makes them excellent for developing explosive strength in the legs. Perform box jumps by standing in front of a stable box or platform that comes up just past your knees and quickly jumping onto it. You should stand approximately arm-length away from the box when you jump and try to land on it as softly as possible. Carefully step backward off the box and into the starting position. Repeat until you feel muscle fatigue for two or three sets.

    Burpees

    • Burpees are a high-intensity exercise useful in both developing leg muscles and burning calories if you have body fat you wish to shed. Begin in a standing position and then squat down until your arms touch your thighs. Place your palms on the ground in front of you and extend your legs behind you so you are in the push up position. Then pull your legs back into a squatting position and use them to jump vertically into the air. Upon landing, repeat by moving back into the squatting position, then to the push up position and so on. Do two or three sets of between 10 and 20 repetitions.