Did you see LeBron James' in-game dunk from the free throw line? How about his left handed jam over Dwight Howard? Seeing LeBron James dunking is simply amazing.
Just in case you didn't know: the 24-year old forward is in fifth place in dunks (90) this season (2008/2009). Only Dwight Howard (125), Amare Stoudemire (96), Nene (95) and Andrew Bynum (92) dunked more till the 02.06.2009.
Believe it or now, James, standing at 6'8'' and 250 lbs, has a 41-inch vertical. Now, how did he manage to get such a vertical jump?
Here's the secret: Olympic Weightlifting. Just like Baron Davis, LeBron used Olympic Weightlifting to increase his vertical jump. And here's why:
Several independent studies have proved the effectiveness of Olympic weightlifting in order to increasing your vertical jump. For example a group of lifters used Olympic lifts (High pulls, Power Clean, and Clean and Jerk) was compared to those using vertical jump exercises (Single and Double Leg Hurdles Hops, Alternated Single-leg Hurdle Hops, etc).
After 8 weeks the Olympic weightlifting group had significantly increased their standing jump and their 10 meter basketball speed over the basketball group using standard vertical jump exercises (Tricoli, 2005). Of course, this isn't the only exercise LeBron used to increase his vertical jump. Squats, Lunges, Leg Presses, Leg Extensions and Jump Rope are things you need to know about if you want to improve your vertical jump.
But two things are crucial here: the right number of repetitions and the proper execution. That means you need a concrete workout plan.
But keep in mind: jumping ability is about power AND quickness. So you also need to work on your quickness. Here's a highly effective exercise to improve your quickness:
Wind sprints (6 sets, 50 meters, 3 times a week). That means to sprint or to run very fast for a short period of time, several times, 20-30 seconds in between.
So, next time you see LeBron James dunking, turn off the TV and start to workout!
P.S. Bonus tip: Drop some pounds! Every extra pound is the extra weight you have to get up in the air. If you are already in good shape, try to get your body fat under 15-10 percent).
personal trainer
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