Vertical Jump Training: Don’t Keep Making these 5 Mistakes

Improving an athlete's vertical jump ability is a worthy endeavor. Not just overall height jumped but also how quickly an athlete can jump. This can lead to more blocks, dunks, headers and catches. The speed at which this happens can be the difference in making a play or not. 

Doing countless calf raises and box jumps won’t get you there. 

You need a balanced approach of proper weight training, plyometrics, jumping in a variety of ways and sprinting at max effort. 

Here are a few common traps athletes often fall into that hinder their progress or even lead to injury over time.  

1. Overemphasis on Strength Training

• Strength Training is a key way to improve overall force development especially in underdeveloped athletes. It is an important piece of the puzzle. However, we cannot solely rely on this tool alone. 
• The Mistake: Spending too much time doing barbell lifts slowly. 
• Why It’s a Problem: Jumping is not just about strength but also speed, elasticity, and coordination. Excessive focus on lifting can reduce movement efficiency and lead to slower jumps.
• Solution: Emphasize the bar speed over just the weight lifted. Combine strength training with plyometric exercises like depth jumps, pogo hops, and bounding to enhance the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC).
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2. Neglecting Max Effort Sprint Work and Plyometric Training

• The Mistake: Failing to train quick, elastic movements, which are crucial for explosive jumping.
• Why It’s a Problem: These movements train the Stretch-Shortening Cycle. This stores and releases energy efficiently, allowing for a powerful rebound. Without it, your jumps will feel heavy and sluggish.
• Solution: Incorporate exercises that train quick ground contact times, such as repeated jumps and max effort sprinting. Focus on minimizing the time spent on the ground.
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3. Not Jumping enough in a Competitive or Diverse manner

• The Mistake: Not jumping enough with a target or goal to be reached or doing the same type of jumping over and over again. The jumping needs to be stimulating and challenging to drive adaptations.  Doing a lot of the same type of jumping can also contribute to overuse injuries over time (i.e. Box Jumps, Vertimax). 
• Why It’s a Problem: Jumping is a SKILL that requires practice. Athletes need practice and a challenge to learn how to load efficiently and be able to contract and relax at the right times. 
• Solution: Challenge your jump in a variety of different ways. We like to provide our athletes with a number of different jump scenarios each week in a competitive environment. 
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4. Inadequate Recovery and Underfueling

• The Mistake: Training too frequently, doing too much conditioning or underfueling your body.
• Why It’s a Problem: Overtraining can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and injury. Vertical jump training is intense and requires proper recovery to maximize results.
• Solution: Limit additional conditioning sessions outside of playing your sport.  Make sure to have rest days each week. Get 8 hours of sleep each night and fuel your body like an athlete.
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5. Too much Tension

• The Mistake: Overloading the body with tension, often from too much heavy lifting or poor technique, making movements rigid. 
• Why It’s a Problem: Jumping requires the right balance between relaxation and contraction. Excessive stiffness hinders energy flow and slows reaction time.
• Solution: Use proper technique when lifting, make jump training fun,and include things like repeat tuck jumps that help the athlete learn to feel when to contract and when to let go for optimal explosiveness.

Key Takeaway

Improving your vertical jump isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can unlock your explosive potential, jump higher, faster and train more efficiently.

Reach out to us if you are ready to improve your vertical jump and explosiveness 🚀

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