I don't know if you remember, but back in the day when Michael Jordan was in his prime it seemed he could defy the laws of gravity. when he jumped for a dunk I could usually get off the couch, go into the kitchen to get a snack and come back and he would still be in the air. Okay, maybe he didn't have that much hang-time but it was still very impressive and fun to watch. What if I said, you could jump even higher! Well, I'd probably be lying, but even so by doing just some basic exercises you will be well on your way to jumping higher.

When doing exercises that will increase your vertical, you want to be specific on strengthening the right muscles. Really, the key to increasing your vertical is to do some really basic exercises over and over again, that focus their attention on certain muscle groups.

Just simple exercises like running up stairs or using a jump rope can do wonders on your jump. These are also good warm up exercises because not only do they get your blood pumping, but they are also helping to strengthen your leg muscles without wearing them out before you start your workout. Make sure you do the proper stretching before you warm up to prevent injury and any damage that could be done.

Some specific exercises include the deep knee bend, toe raises, and even stomach crunches. With the deep knee bend you work on strengthening your legs by doing squats and rising back up repeatedly. With toe raises, you just lift your legs and try to touch your toes. You do this over and over again while alternating legs. You might not think the stomach crunches would increase your vertical but they can really help. Just make sure you are doing actual crunches and not full sit-ups. Being strong around the waste can help you get up faster and higher.

There are many more exercises that you can do to help increase your vertical. Just remember that just by doing some or even all of the exercises, you will not instantly increase your jumping ability. For example, if you do 3 sets of 30 crunches and immediately go try and dunk for the first time, it isn't going to happen. You must be dedicated and do these exercises over and over again. In about a month's time you can begin to see some results, but you still need to keep working at it to constantly improve. The worst thing you can do to your jump is to take time off. By taking time off you will most likely have to start all over and your previous progress will be lost.

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About the Author

For more exercises to jump higher, or for tips on how to jump higher. go to the Jumping Higher blog. Bart Icles is a writer and avid sports fan. He enjoys teaching others how to improve their athleticism.