| If you want to stand any chance of increasing | | | | how much of an impact this can have on their |
| your vertical leap, you have to be willing to put in | | | | leaping ability. |
| the hard work and long hours. However, no | | | | If you really want to increase jumping ability you |
| matter how many hours you dedicate to your | | | | need to build fast twitch muscle fibers. In order to |
| workout, you will see little to no results if it is not | | | | do this properly, you have to build the workout |
| the right method. Here are some things to focus | | | | according to your needs. Determine whether you |
| on when trying to increase jumping ability. | | | | are looking to build power or endurance which will |
| The first thing you will want to strengthen is the | | | | help determine how to build fast twitch muscle |
| Tibialis Anterior. This is the muscle that is located | | | | fibers. |
| on the shin and can actually have a drastic impact | | | | Typically, you are best off focusing on |
| on your jumping ability. In addition, it will improve | | | | high-intensity drills that are short like sprinting or |
| your quickness when jumping from the ground. | | | | box jumps. This trains your muscles to react |
| This muscle helps stabilize the lower leg thus | | | | quickly while taking on the force that is required |
| allowing you to jump with far greater force. | | | | to lift yourself into the air. |
| So how can you strengthen the Tibialis Anterior? | | | | The last tip to help increase jumping ability is to |
| One method is to simply walk around on your | | | | actually trick your nervous system into thinking |
| heels without touching the ground with the ball of | | | | your body is lighter than it is. Baseball players do |
| your foot. This is a starting point that can be | | | | this before every bat by loading a weight on their |
| done anywhere at any time, but there are | | | | bat and taking some practice swings. When it |
| countless other ways to increase the strength of | | | | comes time to step up to the plate, they feel the |
| this muscle. | | | | bat is much lighter than it really is allowing them to |
| Next, focus on building the strength of your toe | | | | swing quicker. |
| muscles. Become familiar with Flexor Hallucis | | | | You can do this by jumping with a medicine ball, |
| Longus, which are small muscles that go from the | | | | wearing weighted shoes, or wearing a weighted |
| lower leg down to the big doe. You can work | | | | vest. When you remove the weighted shoes or |
| these muscles by curling in or crunching your toes, | | | | vest you will feel lighter than a feather making |
| or pushing up onto the tip of your toes and | | | | you think you can jump higher than usual. |
| staying like that for 10 seconds. Few recognize | | | | |