Lebron James is an amazing athlete and is without a doubt one of the top players in the NBA. His 41 inch vertical leap helps him gain that competitive edge over his competition. Just think about it….his vertical leap helps him grab rebounds, block shots, and dunk over his opponents. It makes the game of basketball easier overall. Now, I can’t promise you that you will be dunking the ball from the free-throw line like Lebron James, but if you put in some hard work and have the right training program you CAN improve your vertical leap.

If you want to increase your vertical leap then you need to strengthen the muscles used to propel you into the air. So which muscles do we want to focus on? We will get the most benefit from the quads, hamstrings and calves. These muscles are responsible for about 80% of your power when jumping.

The following exercises will help strengthen these muscle groups and increase your vertical leap at the same time. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites:

Squats – If you were only going to do one exercise to improve your vertical leap then choose this one. Use HEAVY weight when squatting, you should not be able to do more than 8 reps. This exercise hits every muscle group that we need to focus on.

Jump Squats (With a Pause) – Use this exercise as a variety to the standard squats. You will use much less weight with this exercise, about 20 percent of your max. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground and then hold this position for 3 seconds. Now, EXPLODE UP and jump as high as you can. Perform 3 sets of 8.

Sprints – Doing 50 and 100 yard sprints are the perfect exercise to improve your top speed, explosion, and your vertical leap. A few times a week you should do 3 to 5 sets of sprints at full speed.

Most people do not focus on their form when they are jumping, and this is usually an area that could use improvement. You can instantly receive 3-4 inch gains just by practicing the proper jumping techniques. This was an area in which I had trouble and once I made a few adjustments to my form I got an immediate 2.5 inch increase! So that was time well spent :) For additional information on the correct jumping form check out the links I have below:

Are you interested in more information on Lebron James Vertical and how you can improve YOUR vertical leap? Then head over to Brayden Fisher’s site at www.40inchvertical.net for the latest exercises and workouts.