When it comes down to it, in order to increase your vertical jump you have to improve your EXPLOSIVE POWER. The best way to accomplish this is to lift with VERY HEAVY weights. When performing each exercise we should not be able to do more than 8 reps per set. If you can lift more than this, then you need to increase the weight.

The main muscles involved when performing a jumping motion are the hamstrings, quads and calves. So these are the muscles that we are going strengthen in order to get you dunking in 4 weeks or less. The exercises below are the best exercises you can do to improve your vertical leap. It is important to not only do strength exercises but also use a combination of speed exercises as well.

The Strength workout: (Do 3 Sets of 8 reps with VERY HEAVY weight.) Do not do a bunch of reps. You will feel a burn but doing a bunch of reps defeats our purpose. That will increase your vertical endurance and not your explosion. Do this 3 times a week.

Squats

Lunges

Good Mornings

Hamstring Raises

Dead Lifts

You probably recognize most, if not all, of these exercises since they are very common. I am not going to explain how to perform them. If there is an exercise that you are not familiar with then do a search for it on Google and you will easily be able to find more information about it.

The second workout we have is the Plyometric Workout. You should do this workout twice a week on your off days.

Run 50 or 100 yard sprints – 3 sets

Jump Rope – Do 1 minute drills

Knee Highs

Depth Jumps

Focus On Your Jumping Technique First

Improving your jumping technique just might give you the extra height you need to learn how to dunk. It’s an area that most people neglect and they are not jumping to their full potential.

I have created a squidoo lens dedicated specifically to improving your jumping form. You can view the lens through the Learn How To Dunk link below. If you practice the techniques I have listed on that lens you can increase your vertical jump anywhere from 3 to 6 inches. That is pretty impressive considering you haven’t even implemented any workout routines yet. So head over there and check it out.

By performing this workout and practicing the proper jumping form CONSITENTLY over the next 4 weeks, I am certain you will increase your vertical leap and learn how to dunk. I hope you liked this information, now let’s get started

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For more information on how to dunk and the best exercises to help you increase your vertical leap then head over to www.40inchvertical.net and start jumping higher TODAY!!

Sometimes, dunks can even determine the name of the outcome of a competitive and exciting game. That is why most basketball players nowadays are aiming to get the perfect dunking skills for them to be able to show off or flaunt.

However, doing such or attaining such a skill, requires a lot of discipline. That is because to be able to dunk better, the basketball player has to improve and work out his larger muscle group – the legs.

Jumping

It is very elementary. The knowledge that jumping requires agility and strength of the leg muscle group is a basic and very apparent and logical.

Jumping requires applying force to the feet, and to be able to jump higher, more force is needed.

That is why to be able to jump higher and dunk a basketball better, here are some useful tips that can be of great help to you, the basketball player.

1) Do leg exercises

There are a number of leg exercises. The good thing about it is that these exercises can be done even outside the gym. These exercises can be very simple and can be performed even if you are just standing in the bus terminal, waiting for the next ride.

a. Stand firmly on the ground. Then stand on your toes, down to the ground, and do the procedure repeatedly.

b. Jump up and down. It does not necessarily be higher.

c. Jog round if you have time. Jogging is not just a good leg exercise but also an effective cardiovascular activity.

d. Jump using a jumping rope.

e. Stretch your leg muscles every now and the. It does not only relaxes you but also improve the circulation in that muscle group.

2) Wear the best shoes when playing the game

There are good shoes out in the market nowadays that are very comfortable and ideal for basketball games. Basketball shoes currently are considered necessities in the lives of basketball players.

Sometimes, shoes add up to their confidence, which in turn boost agility, inspiration and then, performance. Imagine having a dunk, people will be staring at your shoes, so prepare for the occasion and wear the best shoes. Your shoes tell stories about you, don’t you think?

Overall, jumping higher to dunk a basketball depends on your mood during the play. Open up your mind, be happy and relaxed while playing the game.

To learn more tips on jumping higher, please visit http://www.how-to-go-up-strong.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Lee

Author: Anthony Lee

Ever noticed that even ballers who can jump really high, can’t do some special dunks like 360s or windmills? They may do it in a powerful way because of their vertical leap but they can’t do a certain things.

Why is that?

Do you think that even if you are as tall as Vince Carter and have his vertical leap you’d be able to dunk the way he does it? Hell no!

Not only does he have developed the right muscles for dunking but he has the “touch” for the ball. Now that’s important right there. He has control over the ball.

Every time he spins for a 180 or 360 degrees he knows where he is.

Or how about this? Spud Webb winning the slam dunk contest in 1986. That little guy can’t even palm the ball.

Well who said he needs to?

I can teach you with a little practice, how you can maintain control when you spin for a 360 and how you can do a one-handed dunk without having to palm the ball (except if you want to slam dunk in someone’s face:) which I’ll also cover later in this article)

First of all, dunking demands your devotion. You can’t just hope that someday when you grow taller, or gain inches to your vertical you’ll try something else.

**TIP – You can’t never be TOO fancy when trying new dunks.

Use your imagination, it will push you far.

Even though I’ve been practicing day and night in my back- yard basket I couldn’t see some measurable improvements at first. I’ll show you some very useful tips so you don’t have to learn them the hard way (and the hard way ain’t pretty:)

Probably the most important thing when spinning is your head. The head is the leader. That’s the way it is in gymnastic, that’s the way it is in BASKETBALL too!

Always remember, when you spin, always turn your head toward the rim first and your whole body follows. This sounds really simple but believe me it can help you when you practice.

Palming the ball. Most of my friends say that you can’t do one-handed dunks without palming the ball unless you are tall enough. Not necessarily! Sure it helps if you can palm the ball. You have better control over the ball and thus you are more confident in your dunks. This is important too.

**TIP – Lick you fingertips for better palming.

But instead, you can do it this way. The next time you go for a one-handed dunk, catch the ball with two hands right before you jump. Bring it up as your body goes up after you jump. As you extend your arms, turn away your left hand (if you are right handed which of course means you dunk with your right hand, if you are left handed turn away your right hand) and as soon as you reach that point slightly above the rim you can dunk the ball. Read that carefully.

For those of you with true passion for this game!

Let’s look at some ways you can do in-your-face-dunks. For doing in-your-face-dunks, it’s far easier if you can palm the ball. That’s for sure. Unless of course you want to dunk with both hands which is little harder to do because of two reasons.

1.) – You can’t jump as high. That’s a fact. If you dunk with both hands the level where the ball is can never be higher than if you dunk with one hand. And..

2.) – When you go up with a palmed ball in one hand is very easy to extend your whole body to the MAX and thus “hide” the ball from the defender.

So if you decide to dunk in someone’s face with one hand you can do it this way. While you are going against the rim and you see that the defender is trying to block you, you simply put the arm that is not holding the ball (with your wrist pointing at the defender) in front of you so that he won’t be able to reject you that easy. It really helps because this way you are in a better position.

You can even “hide” the ball by extending the arm that you are holding the ball with even further. And assuming that he is not really 10 inches higher than you and 2 times stronger, you should be able to *DUNK IN HIS FACE* Let him know who he is dealing with. It will scare him even more the next time he tries to reject you because subconsciously he knows that you’ve already “dunked in his face”.

Another way you can do it is if you decide to dunk with two hands. This helps if you are not as tall as your defender but you are little stronger. If you are somewhat stronger you can do it because of your body. Your body will dominate in the air and it will push his body away thus getting *you* closer to the rim.

If you decide to go with two hands you should “hide” the ball by bringing it behind you head if you have the time to do that (meaning you have a decent vertical leap)

Now, there is another very important factor and that is the positioning. If the defender is ready to reject you (assuming he is as tall as you are, and has about the same vertical leap and is about as strong as you are) then it’s more difficult thing to do as opposed to if he was 2 seconds late (meaning you’ll be in a better position – CRUCIAL)

If you find this article interesting you can check out my website www.aware-jump.com for the most effective program for increasing your vertical leap with FREE bonuses included for a limited time offer.

Warmly,

Trajko Dangov

About The Author

Trajko Dangov has been helping basketball players improve their vertical leap for 2 years and he is constantly trying to find better and more effective exercises that will make you jump higher than ever.

http://www.aware-jump.com

mysupport@aware-jump.com

Before We Get Started

Before an average player can even think about dunking, he needs to take an inventory and be realistic. A player’s height and his athletic abilities are the two main factors that determine from the beginning if he will ever be able to dunk. Not to say it isn’t possible, but there are very few 5-6 players that will ever be able to dunk. In fact, an average sized person will have to have above-average jumping ability in order to be able to dunk. Be realistic with yourself. At the same time, don’t limit yourself before you even try. Many people have made spectacular increases in their jumping ability. It takes hard work, but you can reap the rewards.

Things you should evaluate before you start:

1.) Is height a problem? This won’t change. You CAN learn to jump higher, but you still might never be able to dunk a ball. But, that is okay! Develop other aspects of your game.

2.) Are you overweight? By being overweight, you are limiting your jumping ability.

3.) How athletic are you in general? Some players just have the “gift” of being able to jump. It can be developed as well, but know where you are starting. Get a messurement of your vertical leap before you start so you know how you are progressing.

4.) Are you in good physical shape? Jumping involves muscles from the entire body. Just having strong legs alone is not the answer.

Let’s Get Started

Begin by making sure you are in the best overall shape you can be. This includes every area of your body as well as your legs. In order to reach your ultimate jumping potential, you need to start in good shape overall. You use every part of your body while performing a jump, so it stands to reason that your entire body needs to be in shape. While this part of the process isn’t glamorous, it needs to be done. A strong foundation is necessary to achieve the best results. Begin with this and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

For the rest of our instructions on How To Dunk a Basketball, see our website on How To Jump Higher.

About The Author

Tom Beagle is writer for EInfoHound. He does extensive research in many areas to “sniff out” and report the information you are looking for on the internet.

Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to find out How To Jump Higher.