How to Jump Higher - Weight Training vs. Plyometrics

Everybody seems to be looking for the best methods on How to Jump Higher. They are generally broken down in to two categories: Weight Training (or resistance training) and Plyometrics (jump training).

How does weight training and plyometrics allow you to jump higher?

With proper weight training, your muscles become stronger and allow you to generate more force during your jump. If you train more explosively, lifting the weights faster (lowering it slowly), you are also able to generate much more power. Olympic weightlifters lift explosively using full body movements such as the clean & jerk and the snatch, have some of the highest vertical jumps in the world. This is because the muscles used in these lift are the same muscles groups used in jumping.

Plyometrics training is an advanced form of jump training. Plyometrics are exercises that train your muscles contract quicker and harder. Basically, the muscles are quickly overload, and causes an in volunteer, contraction. Once trained, the contractions of the muscles increase. Think of it as an elastic band that you stretch and let go quickly. That is the same type of idea that happens in your muscles when it gets stretched and stress quickly.

So what is the best way to jump higher? Weight Training or Plyometrics?

This answer depends on the amount of training you current have participated in. Olympic weightlifters, who don't train for jumping, would benefit greatly from plyometric exercise to jump higher. Although they may still be making improvements in their lifts, they would make greater improvements using plyometrics. If you only have training in plyometric exercises, weight lifting would provide you with greater improvements in your jump. Specifically, if you train your lower back, glutes and hamstrings as these muscle groups can account for upwards of 80% of the force generated in your jump.

If you are a beginner or haven't trained at all with weights, you will see the greatest improvements in your jump by weight training. Only have a minimum of 8 weeks, would I recommend any plyometric exercises and even then, the majority of my training would still be in the form of resistance.

Although this is a very general and basic article on How to Jump Higher, you are able get more information on how you can double your vertical jump at The Vertical Project.