How to Jump Higher Off One Foot
In sports such as basketball, it is important to be able to jump high off of one foot as well as two feet. However, when jumping off of one foot or one leg (or off the approach as I like to call it) you can usually get up much quicker. Sometimes in basketball you don't always have time to plant and jump off of two feet. So here are 5 ways to increase your jumping off of one foot.
Step Ups
This is an exercise that will without fail help to increase your one-foot jumping. To do this exercise simple grab a chair. The starting position is with one foot up on the chair and one foot on the ground. Then the next step is to explode up using the leg that is up on the chair to push you up into the air.
As you go up into the air, switch legs and lower your body to the ground with your other leg.
I also recommend you do this exercise with weight. When doing this exercise with weight there's a slight difference. What you'll do is grab two dumbbells or a barbell with weight placed on your shoulders.
Then with weight either in your hands or on your shoulders step up onto the bench and then step down. With weights you start with both feet on ground and step up with one leg followed by the other and then back down.
Both of these exercises are great for improving your jumping power off of one leg.
Sprinting
The faster you get, the higher you'll be able to jump off of one leg in most cases. You ever notice those players in basketball who are just so fast, that it looks like they just run off of the ground when they jump? Or you ever watch a high jumper in track & field? These are the athletes who usually can jump very high off of one leg.
If you also want to jump higher off of one leg I recommend you go out and work on your sprinting. Sprint work has always beat up my legs. I can remember days of grueling sprints on the track. But when I got on the court, I usually noticed results in a fairly short amount of time from my efforts. Sprinting is very important if you want to jump higher.
Lunges
The great thing about lunges aside from the fact that they flat out help you jump higher, is this. Not only do they build your quadriceps, but they help your balance, hips, and glutes (butt). All of which, are very important if you want to jump higher.
This exercise can be performed with or without weight. Simply grab some dumbbells or a barbell and put it over your shoulders and get to work. With this exercise I recommend you use light weight and work on maintaining good balance. If you have never done lunges before they can kind throw you off balance at first. But with practice and proper form you'll get great results with this exercise.
High knees and Butt Kicks
Both of these exercises are great because they increase your range of motion and your stride when running. And they help you get up higher. Aside from being two great plyometrics, they are also great for your hips, hamstrings and quadriceps.
Flexibility is also key when it comes to one-foot jumping. And high knees and butt kicks will help you with your flexibility.
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