Strength training has benefits that go beyond just getting stronger. Athletes often find that they can throw better, kick better, run faster, and jump higher when their strength improves. This article will focus on the benefits of strength training to help you jump higher.
Olympic Weight Lifting and Jumping
Olympic weightlifters (who compete in the Clean And Jerk, and the Snatch) must combine explosive moving with heavy lifting. When both strength and explosiveness are developed to a high level, an athlete will usually excel at jumping. You can see the Korean weight lifting team demonstrating their jumping ability in the video below:
Powerlifting and Jumping
Some powerlifters also have exceptional jumping ability. Fred Hatfield was an exceptional squatter and an exceptional jumper as were Ed Coan and Franco Columbu. Jonnie Candito is another powerlifter known for his squatting ability. His strength translates into outstanding jumping ability which you can see in the following video.
You can see an example of how strength and jumping ability often go hand in hand in the next video.
Three Factors That Help You Jump Higher
For the most part, the ability to jump high comes from three main factors which include:
- Strength
- Explosive speed and power
- Form and technique
Identify The Factor You Need to Improve at To Jump Higher
If you want to improve your jumping ability as fast as possible, you must identify which factor needs the most improvement. For example, if you can already squat at least twice your bodyweight, but you can’t jump very high, the most probable cause is lack of explosive speed and power. In contrast, if you find it very hard to squat your body weight, the starting place for a better jump is probably a basic strength training program with squats to improve your leg strength.
Build Strength with 3 x 5 using 80% of Your Max Squat
If you need to improve you strength in order to jump higher, work up to three sets of five reps with 80% of the maximum weight you can lift for the squat.
Build Explosive Power with 8 x 3 using 30% to 50% of Your Max Squat
If you need to improve your explosive speed and power in order to jump higher, do eight to ten sets of three to five rep using 30% to 50% of the maximum weight that you can lift for the squat. Make sure to lift the weight with as much speed and force as possible while maintaining the best form possible.
Include Power Jumping
The exercises in the following videos will also help you if you need to develop explosive power for jumping.
Avoid Fatigue
When developing explosive jumping power, do not do high reps within the same set. You must avoid fatigue as it robs you of the ability to train with explosive speed and power. Stay fresh and strong when training to improve your vertical jump.
Jump Training Can Increase Your Strength
Those who are primarily interested in getting stronger may find that the various aspects of jump training actually facilitate an increase in strength and a better squat. Many powerlifters include jumping and plyometrics in their training protocol. If your main goal is simply to get stronger, think about using the training information from this article as it may aid your strength gains. Best of training to you.
For jump programs from elite jump coaches, check out the following links: