It’s never too late to increase your jumping ability

Yeah I said it. It’s never too late to increase your jumping ability. All you gotta do is to train yourself to jump higher. How ? Let me count the ways.

1) Train with Weights – Incorporating strength training as part of your lower body routine will not just help build muscle and burn fat, it will also develop strength and power . If you find yourself being able to back squat your own body weight, chances are you can jump higher than what you remember.

2) Incorporate Plyometrics in your Routine – Plyometrics refer to exercises that enable muscles to reach maximal force in the shortest possible time. If you don’t think you have the potential to jump higher because you’re old, you’re wrong. You can train your body to react faster. Just gotta use the proper exercises for it.

3) Include Dynamic Stretching – Dynamic stretching is a more functional way of preparing your body for activity. Recent research have shown that static stretching can lead to decreased force production…which translates into a lower jumping ability. Dynamic stretching is the wave of the future.

These are just guidelines on how you can increase your jumping ability. Like anything else, a solid training plan and discipline will definitely get you the results you want. But first , you gotta get it our of your head that you’re too old to jump higher.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Tip #1: Don’t be afraid to lift more

Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images

For the last 10 or so years that I’ve been training I’ve encountered a couple of people who just want to coast along with their training program. I have no problems with that but when they question my training methods and wonder why they haven’t made any progress for some time, I ask them if they’ve made any significant improvements in the weights they’re lifting. They usually say no. They like sticking within their comfort zone and before you know it, a year has passed and they’re still lifting the same amount of weight. If you were someone who wanted to lose weight and stuck to the same diet plan, do you think you’ll lose weight? Of course not right! Same thing with lifting weights and building on muscle. It has to follow the principle of progression. Try to challenge yourself by trying to break your own personal record ( PR ) or PR zone every month. It could be another 5 lbs on the bench or another 1 lbs. with your curls but its all gonna add up. Are you hitting the gym today? Give it a shot with your first exercise and let me know how it goes!

The Core

Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images

What is The Core?

I believe the term “core” is being thrown around so much by different people without really understanding its true meaning. I’ve even heard trainers define them as your abs. They often go…

“Alright. So we’re done lifting weights. It’s time to train your core. Give me 12 reps of sit-ups.”

So right there. Abdominal training is prescribed.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Sit-ups do hit your core. But what is your core?

Is it your abs?

Is it your hip flexors?

Is it your core muscles? Meaning your chest, back and legs?

Is it your obliques?

Well, the core remains a somewhat nebulous concept; but most researchers consider it the corset of muscles and connective tissue that encircles and holds the spine in place.

Corset.

Now who doesn’t want to see a girl in a corset?

Sorry I got lost there.

Anyhow, world renowned back expert and a highly regarded professor of spine and biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Stuart McGill, defines the core as the following:

1. The Rectus Abdominis
2. The Transversus Abdominis
3. The External and Internal Obliques

So, that my friends, is your core.

But how do you know whether you’re activating your core during exercise?

Just brace yourself for a punch.

Yep. You heard it right. Imagine that you;re showing off to your girlfriend and you tell her nephew to punch you in the stomach.

That’s activating your core right there.

Now do that when you’re doing bench presses, deadlifts, squats… heck, even bicep curls.

It’s actually called abdominal bracing, which is being advocated by Dr. McGill.

Sucking in your gut whenever you see a gorgeous girl pass by is not a proper way to activate your core. That’s called abdominal hollowing. I mean, it does ensure that your stomach is hiding but it doesn’t ensure that your core is stable. Not a very good idea when you’re lifting heavy loads.

So I hope that clears any confusion about the core.

Balanced training is very important when training your core.

A common mistake of people is that they only concentrate on one area of training and neglect the other parts. It’s bad enough that they don’t know their bodies well enough to engage the right muscles, even worse if they do less.

A core exercise program should emphasize all of the major muscles (Tranversus Abdominis, Rectus Abdominis and Obliques) that girdle the spine, including but not concentrating on the abs. Side planks and the bird dog exercise the important muscles embedded along the back and sides of the core. Crunches are good too. Sit-ups are a no no. According to Dr. McGill, sit ups place devastating loads on the disk of your back. Again, no hollowing of the stomach.

These three when done regularly can provide a well-rounded core stability.

So next time, if your trainer or your friend asks you to do a sit-up, tell them to hollow their stomach first to demonstrate the proper way of doing it.

If they correct you and tell you that hollowing is not the proper way to do it, do your workout and give them a pat on the back.

If they get it wrong..

Punch them in the stomach.

Power Clean

If you want an exercise that can immediately improve your vertical jump, do the Power Clean. This amazing power exercise consists of quickly and forcefully pulling the bar from the floor to your shoulders in one motion. I guarantee every single muscle fiber in your lower body will be worked once you have mastered this move!

Level-Advanced

Power Clean, posted with vodpod

Clap Push-ups

Clap Push-ups or Plyo Push-ups are not for the faint of heart. Before you perform these push-ups you should be able to at least bench press your own weight or do 20 strict push-ups with ease.

Level: Advanced

Clap Push-ups, posted with vodpod

High Pull

A High Pull is power exercise that is a precursor to a power clean or a hang clean. This is a great exercise that works almost all the major muscle groups of the body. If you wanna be able to increase your vertical jump and improve your explosiveness, integrate this into your routine!

Level: Advanced

1st collector for High Pull
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