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Athletes who can jump really high developed their skills over time though hard work and training. They learned some of the best possible exercises to increase their vertical jump so they would be more valued as an athlete, this in turn would increase their value on the open market when they're trying to negotiate contracts and the like. But what if you're not a professional athlete?

Exercises will not be enough if you're serious. It's going to take a little heart to make sure you stay on course to get to the level of some of these athletes. Don't say you don't want to be like the pro's, you don't have to be like the pro's, but that doesn't mean you can't master some of their dynamics so you can impress your friends every once in a while. Use these two exercises as some of the pro's do to help you get there.

Running With Resistance:

Have you every seen athletes running with those parachutes on their backs and skipping along as they go? This may look foolish at first but this helps to build tremendous leg strength for anyone who applies it consistently. You can find the equipment in any magazine related to athletics.

Running while in a pool:

You may have seen the popular commercial with the NBA stay Lebron James running in a pool of water. You've seen how high he can jump right? He is one of the best in the business and you would do good to try out this exercise for yourself. If you don't have a pool then go to a public one. This is probably one of the fastest ways to see results.

These are two powerful exercises to help you increase your vertical jump like no other. If the pro's like Lebron James practice some of these exercises then they can at least help you see a change in your own vertical jumping skills if you apply them as well.

Hands down, the absolute best exercise that you can do to increase vertical leap is squats. This is the best exercise by far out of all the workouts available.

Squats.
Muscles worked:
Primary: Quads (front thigh muscles), glutes (butt muscles), and hamstrings (rear thigh muscles).
Support: Calf and shin

Positioning
Stand in front of a chair or bench, two feet away. Position feet parallel to each other, at hip-width distance. Maintain bend at the knees.

Movement
While inhaling, slowly lower body, bending your knees and bringing your glutes back toward bench, as though you were going to sit. Lightly tap bench with glutes or stop before touching bench. As you exhale, slowly transition to the opposite direction, moving upward until you are fully standing again.

Prevent your knees from passing your toes, keep your back straight as possible and use your abs for support and balance.

When you are able to perform 10-12 reps of this exercise easily, increase the intensity by performing squats without any support (chair or bench). As your strength and balance increase further, add resistance by carrying a dumbbell. Start with 10 pounds and build up from there.

About the Author:
These are just some of the tips I use to help me improve my vertical. However, I do much more and also use these Free Tips On Jumping Higher as well. Visit my How To Jump Higher Blog