QuestionI am a powerful hitter, but I'm lacking in a vertical because I've never really focused on strengthening those muscles. Any tips on increasing my vertical??
AnswerGood morning Molly and welcome to www.allexperts.com
VERTICAL: There are so many people with ideas on this topic. Many people try to make money helping desperate teenagers improve their vertical. I played for about 20 years, have been coaching for 30, and I've never paid anyone a cent to help me with my vertical. I don't think my players have either. Now, I'm sure some have paid a trainer at Golds Gym to make them bigger, faster, stronger. But, to go to a www.jumphigher.com site and pay them? I hope not.
The bottom line to improving your vertical is (a) get in shape. We're not going to do much lifting, box jumping, etc. at first. You need to make sure you can comfortably do some lunges, squats, sprints, etc. Then (b) JUMP! Jump a lot. Jump everywhere. You can jump with weights, jump w/o weights, jump 100 times a minute or jump maximum 15 times a minute, jump on boxes, jump up steps, jump up the football bleachers, etc. But jump, jump, jump!
If you go to a Gold's gym, you will pay for some great exercises and great instruction. But, I imagine, most of what you'll do is what I said above. They will(a) start off by making your legs generally stronger and then (b) you will jump. A lot.
And you can a lot of that yourself!
Other ideas:
* Ask you vball coach at school for some jumping exercises.
* Ask the basketball coach.
* Ask someone who works at a Gold's Gym, or ask someone to ask someone who works at Gold's Gym.
* Maybe you can find some ideas by googleing "increasing my vertical"; however, like I said above, those people are trying make money from their ideas, and you may not find any exercises without paying.
Finally:
Please realize: There is no magic dust to improving vertical. It is a slow & trying process. Many people give up after a few weeks b/c they either get tired of it, or they don't see the *poof* results that they were expecting. Well, I just told you, there will be no *poof* magic results. It takes weeks & months to improve vertical. (It become even a SLOWER process if you eat a lot of junk food.) So you have a choice: either be patient and work 3 or 4 times a week for 3 or 4 months.......or don't even start.
I hope this has helped some. Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com! I think you'll enjoy the smiling faces! And you or your parents can also contact me at
[email protected]. My staff and I are directing 11 camps this summer in Va, SC and Calif. We can't wait for summer to start!!!
