Calf Explosion : Another Top 5 Vertical Jump Exercises.

The calf muscle can best be isolated for use of jumping on any equipment that allow you to stand, and place a load on your back like a squat machine.  You can also do this standing on a step with on or two legs and holding a weight.  If you are doing this with one leg, hold the weight in the same side as the calf being worked so the “over correction” is towards the instep of your foot.  Sitting calf machines do not target the gastrocnemius (calf muscle most heavily activated during jumping), as well as standing exercises.  You may work on a sitting machine after you have worked the muscle in a standing position.

Load enough weight so that you can do no more than 8 reps. WARNING: This is very heavy. If you have not squatted before I highly recommend doing 15 reps for your first workout to avoid injury. If you do not know how much weight you need err on the light side for a warm up set and judge how much weight you need to add. Allow the weight to rest mostly on the front part of your foot. Smoothly and slowly lower the weight (you should never feel that the weight is falling, it should always be under control.) When your heels are as far down as they can go EXPLODE back to a starting position with the intensity of a jump. Repeat this 7 more times. If you are able to do more than 8 you need to adjust the weight DO NOT DO MORE REPS. Make the necessary adjustments.. but do not do extra reps. Give yourself 2 minutes or more to completely recover so you can do it with just as much intensity. Stretch you muscles during the interim. Repeat for another set. On the forth set add more weight than normal and ask a spotter to help you. If you are using a leg press machine you can push your own legs to spot yourself. Repeat this exercise with the heavier weight and the same intensity.

On you 4^th set lower the weight considerably and do 8 slow and steady reps. Do not allow the weight to either fall or get thrown up as before. Feel the weight pushing down during the entire contraction. The 5^th set you will want a partner, or move very quickly. During this set we are going to completely fatigue the muscles so we can strain every last fiber of the muscle. Do the first 8 reps as before… if you can do more go to complete failure. As soon as you are finished take off a little weight off each side and do 8 more set or to complete failure as before. As soon as you finish take off more weight from both sides and go to failure… then have your spotter help your force out 3-4 more reps.

By now you should feel unstable walking because your legs are so exhausted. Remember the muscle burn you feel during this will be different from the HIGH repetition exercises that are less effective for training explosion. It may feel counter-intuitive… and it is.  Good luck with the rest of your vertical jump training.