How To Jump Higher By Increasing Your Starting Velocity.

During a vertical jump there is limited time/space to fully recruit the prime movers and consequentially reach a high velocity get maximum air! This means that during a vertical jump, you will not attain the maximal recruitment and velocity. Also, understand that the velocity you reach at “toe off” is DIRECTLY correlated to the vertical jump height.  If you tell me your jump height, I can tell you what your toe off velocity was, and vice versa.

LESSON: Velocity at time of take off / toe off = vertical jump height (this is a scientific formula).  Thus, our training must focus on increasing this velocity.

So our distance/time is limited in order to create this power and velocity. One way to improve the ending velocity is by increasing the starting velocity of the movement. If you are able to start the movement at higher velocities, your ending velocity will increase proportionally to the increase in speed at the beginning. Think about a short sprint.  If you start very slow, you won’t have time to reach higher velocities.  The same is true with the vertical jump.  If you start slow, you are wasting precious space/time in order to create velocity.

LESSON: By focusing on the initial velocity of your vertical jump movement, you consequently improve the toe off velocity and height of your vertical.

Hopefully this is making sense, because it’s very important in the mindset of your training and the effort you put into each rep. In this particular article we won’t go into all the details of how to maximize the starting velocity of the movement (there are other articles about this, and my jump training manual covers this in great detail).

Here is a few things to think about:

• Focus on reversal speed and initial velocity of plyometrics, strength movements, and ballistic lifts.
• Use bands to create accelerated eccentrics.
• Your eccentric strength and ability to absorb the countermovement sets you up for explosive starting velocities.
• Perfectly performed altitude drops, coupled with depth jumps.
• Measure each jump to improve quality.
• Do sitting jumps, and pause or box squats to improve explosive concentric ability independent of any plyometric effect.
• Improve strength in all the prime movers.
• Focus on and measure (if possible) low ground contact time.
• Don’t over train, or train sore or fatigued.  You will be reinforcing slow movements.
• Isometric holds at the starting joint angle.

Simply knowing this will allow you to place proper emphasis during movements and lifts in order to improve your progress on your initial and toe off velocity.

LESSON: Take a comprehensive approach to your training.

On an ending note…

We talked about how initial velocity increase your toe off velocity.  While we are mentioning toe off velocity, it should be noted that lifts and techniques that include deceleration will eventually have a negative effect on your ending velocity.

A decelerating lift is when the muscle recruitment, effort, and/or velocity is slower at the end of the lift.

Traditional lifts like the squat, deadlift typically involve this deceleration.  This happens because the lift become easier as the weight become lighter because of inertia, and joint angle combined with the fact that we must stop the lift rather then “release” it.  This causes the body to slow and recruit less power at the end of the lift, which is the exact opposite of what we want!  

Here are a few very effective methods:

• It is useful to couple decelerating lifts with explosive and ballistic movements like depth jumps, squat jumps etc..
• Proper use of chains and bands as progressive resistance to increase the weight and thus effort required throughout the range of motion.
• A preference for ballistic lifts (releasing the weight or jumping in the air) when possible.