3 Critical Exercises to Increase Your Vertical Jump

If you've looked online for exercises to increase vertical jump, you've probably realized that the advice is plentiful and varied. From my years of experience working with athletes, I have realized there are 3 critical exercises you must do to increase your vertical leap:

1. Squats, More specifically free weight squats. You want to do free weight squats as opposed to squats on a leg press or other machine because free weight squats, when done correctly, will also strengthen your core. This is extremely important as the core is a key area you need to strengthen if you want to increase your vertical leap. Free weight squats are one of the key exercises to increase vertical jump because they will strengthen your quads, hamstrings and glutes, which are all essential for vertical explosion off of the ground.
2. Calf raises are another one of the critical exercises to increase vertical jump because your calves are a key muscle group that give you both power and explosiveness. There are a multitude of ways to do calf raises to increase your calf strength, but you want to make sure you pick a calf raise exercise that is both comfortable as well as challenging.
3. Leg raises, What I mean by leg raises are the kind where you hang from a chin-up bar and lift your knees to your chest. This is a critical exercise to increase vertical leap because it not only strengthens your abs (part of your core), but it also strengthens your hip flexors, which provide additional explosiveness. There are additional exercises to increase vertical jump, but these 3 are the primary ones I like to target. These should get you on the right path to increasing your vertical jump.

For details on how to do these exercises to increase vertical jump, including recommended sets and reps, be sure to check out my award-winning blog, Vertical Burst, where you'll discover the latest tips and resources to skyrocket your vertical leap.