HOW TO JUMP HIGH
When I write, I try to provide practical information. I hope that after reading it, people know what to do. There are plenty of topics in training that require nuance and balance; the answer to many questions is, “It depends.” I do love diving into those topics, but here I want to give a simple, actionable formula for achieving a high vertical jump over time.
5 Key COMPONENTS
THE ATHLETIC FOUNDATION. Years of coaching experience have taught me the importance of a foundation of a high volume of diverse athletic activity. Think of a young kid playing multiple sports for hours almost every day. This develops coordination, problem solving capabilities, tissue resilience, rate of force development, elasticity, the list goes on. Any method that relies on intensity like maximum strength training or plyometrics is decisively more effective when there is a foundation of volume and variety laid first. A young athlete who starts a training program without this athletic background will likely not see the fast results one might expect from a beginner. Similarly, adults who are years removed from their athletic foundation may have the same experience.
A HISTORY OF JUMPING. To become a great jumper, at some point you will have to practice jumping a lot. Ideally this is done at a young age, since kids can generally jump every day without running into pain and injury. This is great for their athleticism. After puberty, jumping all the time is likely to lead to patellar tendon problems. An approach to stay healthy is to aim for a more conservative amount like 50-70 approach jumps per week in 1-2 sessions. Athletes who already have a long history of jump practice may not need a lot of jumps any more.
ELASTIC VOLUME. I use the term elastic to refer to foot contacts that are relatively fast off the ground. Accumulating lots of these foot contacts develops the ability to harness kinetic energy in jumps. Playing a speed sport, running, sprinting, and plyometrics can be used to get elastic volume. Again, young kids should be including this type of activity all the time. Experienced athletes may not always need a lot of this, but at the same time they should not spend too much time away. It is easy for adults to slip into the trap of primarily lifting weights, doing a small amount of jumping, and neglecting elastic volume. Losing touch with your elastic foundation leads to decline in athleticism over time, even if strength is higher than ever. This discussion obviously overlaps with the aforementioned athletic foundation, but elasticity is a particular component that needs to be given attention.
GENERAL STRENGTH. Achieving a good strength to body weight ratio is a necessary piece of the puzzle for jumping high. (Yes, there are good jumpers who have not lifted much. These athletes are still strong due to genetics and athletic background, even if they do not know it.) A double body weight deep back squat is a good long-term goal for a lot of athletes. That may be unrealistic for really tall athletes; shorter people and elite athletes will benefit from going even higher. More specifically, you want to increase strength in a way that also improves power. To do this, keep jumping and other athletic activity a priority, strength train as a complement to that, and use lots of high-quality faster reps in strength training rather than lifting close to failure all the time or number chasing with frequent max outs.
ADEQUATELY FLEXIBILITY. The extreme flexibility of a gymnast or ballet dancer is not necessary for a jumper, but a decent level is useful for athletes across the board. Defining exactly what range of motion is needed is not easy, but I do have some targets in the stretching videos in my training programs. Flexibility can be improved by strength training with full range of motion and a daily stretching routine.