A vertical jump is one's ability to launch themselves into the air vertically and is important for many sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer. There are five primary factors that determine vertical jump height: genetics, jumping form, relative strength, rate of force development, and reactive strength. To improve one's vertical jump, it is important to focus on building relative strength through exercises like squats and deadlifts, improving rate of force development through power exercises like power cleans, and increasing reactive strength with plyometrics.

1. A vertical jump is one's ability to launch himself to the air in a vertical plane. Vertical jump is an
important ability for different kinds of sports and so many athletes from professional to
recreational, look to enhance their vertical jumping strength. Examples of these sports include
basketball, volleyball, football, soccer, track and field, and many more.
Figure 1 - An athlete's vertical jump measurement
What Determines The Height of your Vertical Jump?
There are many factors that come into play when determining the height of a vertical jump. The
Five primary contributors are:
 Genetics - Tendon length, muscle fiber composition, bone structure, etc...
 Jumping form.
 Relative strength / maximal muscular strength.
 Rate of force development (Referred to as ROFD)
 Reactive strength / Plyometric strength.
The first factor is out of your control, so the only action you can take is make sure you maintain
a healthy diet and keep your body fat percentage low.
How to Improve Your Vertical Jump
The second factor about jumping form is already quite good for most people, however it is
always a good idea to make sure you're executing it correctly for an easy way to increase
vertical. The other factors require a bit more information and there are lots of things that you can
do to improve.

2. Relative strength refers to the jumping muscles strength compared to your bodyweight. The
muscle groups used in deep squats are the same muscles used in a vertical jump, so it is generally
believed that the ratio of your maximum full squat to your bodyweight is among the biggest
factors in determining the height of your jump.
Figure 2 - simple model of musculoskeletal system
Additionally, those same muscles together with several more are employed in the deadlift.
Because of this, the first thing you need to examine is your squat strength, and begin
implementing deep back squats in your training and supplement these with some deadlifts. As
the weights you can squat and deadlift increase, your vertical leap will increase.
Rate of force development refers to power, often known as strength x speed. It's the speed at
which force can be generated, and plays a major part in your jump. In order to improve vertical
jumping ability it is imperative that you work this in by carrying out explosive lifts that are
directly powering vertical jumping. To do this, I strongly suggest variations of the Olympic lifts
known as Power Cleans and Power Snatches.
Reactive strength is the ability to switch rapidly from an eccentric to a concentric contraction. If
you have problems switching from the yielding (eccentric) point to the overcoming (concentric)
point in your jump, you'll have difficulty executing the jump strongly, and consequently, you
will not jump very high.

3. That is why it is crucial to increase your reactive strength levels, and this is done by carrying out
some plyometric training and also some reactive lifts within your workouts. If you're serious
about increasing your vertical jump then it's important to go through the above factors. Find your
weak spots and work on them for a fast way to elevate your vertical.
When it comes to reactive strength, it is recommended to be squatting 1.5 times your own
bodyweight or higher before you begin using them in your workouts.
Figure 3 - Deep squats
With this, you now have the fundamental information and facts you need to improve your
vertical jump. For an in depth information about what goes into a vertical jump, the different
types, and ways to increase it, check out the beginners help guide to improve your vertical.
For further in depth and comprehensive information on increase your vertical jump, check out
Jumpmanualblog.com where you will find advanced programs and lots of methods to improve
your vertical jump.