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Help needed!!!

A-Train (old)

Well-Known Member
What's going on guys?

Well, as some of you know I am 16 and am around 5'10" - 5'11" and I am white haha.

Today, I was able to touch the rim at our school's gym today.

I didn't grab it, but I didn't just touch it, it was something in between.

My question is, what can I do to make myself jump higher and be able to dunk it?

I obviously know, calf raises and squats, etc., but do you know any other tips.

Thank you, and any knowledgeable response is appreciated.
 
Keep your weight down.

When your doing your leg exercises push through as explosively as possible on each rep.

Don't over-train and hurt yourself. I was probably two inches from being able to dunk my senior year of HS when I got really bad shin splints that set me back a lot.

Right now I can grab the rim (with one hand). I need to start doing more pylometric stuff, but I'm super lazy.

I'm about 6'3 with shoes on and have a 8'2 standing reach though, so I really have ZERO hops.
 
There is a lot of stuff on the internet about it. It's pretty easy to find different exercizes, just have to google and make your own workout schedule.

You should probably ask Archie, he is the resident Doctor of Dunking around these parts.
 
What causes you to jump higher are bigger muscles and you can get bigger muscles by working out and nutrition. There are also other things that P3 specializes on for example regarding form. I've found articles on both online by just searching google.
 
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Plyometrics. Seriously. When I was your age I bought these shoes that wrapped around my hoop shoes and didn't have a heel (so they elevated my calf muscle). The goal was to add extra pressure to your muscles when you jumped and ran, so when you took the shoes off you were more explosive --it definitely worked. I'd wear those shoes and do squats while climbing stairs, jumping in them alone, running in them alone, etc.

Frog leaps also give you nice hops and endurance (position yourself like your doing a squat, but jump in the air and smack your thighs when you reach your peak and keep repeating, I'd do 3 minute intervals).
 
Keep working those leg muscles. Remember Ronnie Price's story, he couldn't jump for crap. But he kept working on his leg muscles and one day, all at once, he was jumping out of his shoes.
 
Plyometrics. Seriously. When I was your age I bought these shoes that wrapped around my hoop shoes and didn't have a heel (so they elevated my calf muscle). The goal was to add extra pressure to your muscles when you jumped and ran, so when you took the shoes off you were more explosive --it definitely worked. I'd wear those shoes and do squats while climbing stairs, jumping in them alone, running in them alone, etc.

Frog leaps also give you nice hops and endurance (position yourself like your doing a squat, but jump in the air and smack your thighs when you reach your peak and keep repeating, I'd do 3 minute intervals).

This^^^^ all of it!!
 
All studies agree that the two best exercises for increasing your vertical are squats (proper form to depth which is thighs slightly below parallel) and Hanging Power Cleans done from mid thigh. There are lots of things that can help. I would highly recommend against the shoes that claim they are a plyometric workout which they are not but I would recommend doing plyometrics but only after being able to squat 1.5 times your body weight. You also need to be careful with plyos since you can overtrain and injure yourself with them, you need to perform plyos based on a number of ground touches in a session.

As someone who works in sports performance industry I would recommend finding a good sports performance place near you to train at. The best money you will spend and get the most out of your training.
 
Plyometrics. Seriously. When I was your age I bought these shoes that wrapped around my hoop shoes and didn't have a heel (so they elevated my calf muscle). The goal was to add extra pressure to your muscles when you jumped and ran, so when you took the shoes off you were more explosive --it definitely worked. I'd wear those shoes and do squats while climbing stairs, jumping in them alone, running in them alone, etc.

Frog leaps also give you nice hops and endurance (position yourself like your doing a squat, but jump in the air and smack your thighs when you reach your peak and keep repeating, I'd do 3 minute intervals).

Ouch. I cringed just reading that.
 
PS: your growth isn't always done by 16. I grew 3 inches during/after my eleventh grade.


I'm 6'4" now, but I am the most damning example of an athletic stiff. I am competent at soccer, but literally nothing else
 
Leg presses
Squats
Jump rope
Jogging
Sprinting
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Core exercises

Most importantly - practice jumping.

Least important - Calves. Most overrated body part for jumping. Its all in your Thighs, Core, and butt. You can work them out but don't make it all about your calves. Besides, the less you weigh, the better


Ideally you want a really really strong thighs and stomach and a really light upper body. Strong but not heavy upper body.

At 15 I could dunk two hands and I'm only 6'0, I was 6'0" then too. 7'10" standing reach.
 
Keep your weight down.

When your doing your leg exercises push through as explosively as possible on each rep.

Don't over-train and hurt yourself. I was probably two inches from being able to dunk my senior year of HS when I got really bad shin splints that set me back a lot.

Right now I can grab the rim (with one hand). I need to start doing more pylometric stuff, but I'm super lazy.

I'm about 6'3 with shoes on and have a 8'2 standing reach though, so I really have ZERO hops.

I can't gain weight, I have tried to. I am a solid 135 lbs, Lol.

PS: your growth isn't always done by 16. I grew 3 inches during/after my eleventh grade.


I'm 6'4" now, but I am the most damning example of an athletic stiff. I am competent at soccer, but literally nothing else

Well here is to hoping I can grow a couple more inches.
 
Leg presses
Squats
Jump rope
Jogging
Sprinting
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Core exercises

Most importantly - practice jumping.

Least important - Calves. Most overrated body part for jumping. Its all in your Thighs, Core, and butt. You can work them out but don't make it all about your calves. Besides, the less you weigh, the better


Ideally you want a really really strong thighs and stomach and a really light upper body. Strong but not heavy upper body.

At 15 I could dunk two hands and I'm only 6'0, I was 6'0" then too. 7'10" standing reach.

Thanks, man.
 
Everyone always tells me how long my arms are.

I don't know my wingspan, but my standing reach is 7'11" - 8'0" around there.
 
Leg presses
Squats
Jump rope
Jogging
Sprinting
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Core exercises

Most importantly - practice jumping.

Least important - Calves. Most overrated body part for jumping. Its all in your Thighs, Core, and butt. You can work them out but don't make it all about your calves. Besides, the less you weigh, the better


Ideally you want a really really strong thighs and stomach and a really light upper body. Strong but not heavy upper body.

At 15 I could dunk two hands and I'm only 6'0, I was 6'0" then too. 7'10" standing reach.

What he said^^^

I have only dunked a mens ball once. But i can still dunk a girls ball, its all about the thighs, butt, and stomach. having a strong core is important. its amazing the stomach muscals it taks to jump.
 
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