Develop Fast Twitch Muscles to Increase Your Vertical Jump

In this article I am going to explain the importance of developing fast twitch muscles to increase your basketball jump. Although muscle typing is overrated, all things equal it is advantageous to basketball a greater fast muscle twitch fiber because they produce a greater peak power and more force at higher velocities. Although fast twitch muscles are the sort that you want to focus on if you want to jump higher, understand that there are slow twitch muscles also. Most sprinters and jumpers generally have more developed fast twitch muscles while marathon runners have slow twitch muscles. Thus, if you want to increase your vertical jump, develop you fast twitch muscles.

The ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers are a result of two things. The first is what you were naturally born with. The second is the transformation of slow to fast twitch muscles through training. Although you can't take a completely pure endurance fiber and turn it into a completely fast twitch fiber - you can with intermediate fibers. Intermediate fibers are muscles that are made up of both fast and slow twitch fibers. It is encouraging knowing that these intermediate fibers can be developed purely into fast twitch fibers. You can also train slow twitch fibers into a bit more of a fast twitch fiber.

So what sort of exercises can develop your fast twitch muscles to increase your vertical jump? You can develop fast twitch muscles by focusing on strength, power, and speed training. Exercises such as plyometrics utilizing loads, plyometrics, "drop and catch movements", jump squats, olympic lifts, drop jumps, depth jumps, speed squats, speed benches, Reactive squats, as well as most ballistic type activities in which either high speeds, and or supramaximal forces are employed will develop these fast twitch muscles.

Did you know was a study done by Canadian scientists Dr. J. Simoneau and C. Bouchard that found that you can control up to 40% of your muscle fibers? Popular vertical development programs can help you effectively develop this 40%?

There are many programs out there that focus on these types of exercises that will most effectively develop your fast twitch muscles. Click here to read our unbiased reviews of these programs.