Having a good vertical jump is pretty important in most sports (Captain Obvious, I know).  As such, it’s a pretty important goal for most of the athletes I work with.  Most equipment manufacturers know this and try to sell various products like jump shoes and various band contraptions to improve this.  In this post, I’m going to outline five strategies for improving vertical jump that don’t need any of these.

1.  Move Better

Movement quality is the first thing we look at when an athlete walks in the door.  Can the athlete squat without their knees falling into valgus collapse?  Do their heels lift?  Do they have poor shoulder/t-spine mobility?  If the athlete has tight hip flexors, they aren’t going to be able to access their posterior chain as well.  If the athletes knees are falling in, their heals lift, and they have poor mobility, they aren’t going to have the best jumping ability.  Vertical jump – and jumping in general – is all about force production relative to your bodyweight.  If the athlete has the poor movement skills mentioned above, they won’t be able to apply as much force to the ground.  This means a lower vertical jump.  Continue With The Awesomeness...