| If you stop to think about the different sports where | | | | amateur training sessions. For the non-professional, a |
| jumping workouts could really help out with training, you | | | | very basic form of plyometrics or jumping exercises |
| might be a bit surprised. Most people only think about | | | | might be hopping or skipping, with the knees held up |
| basketball as a sport where great height equals | | | | high. This enables the body to work harder while |
| success, but almost all sports can be helped by a few | | | | putting more strain on the joints and ligaments that are |
| extra vertical inches. | | | | responsible for jumping. |
| The center fielder in baseball who wants to reach | | | | The proper workouts, if performed correctly on a |
| over the wall to capture a potential home-run, the | | | | regular basis, can add several inches to almost |
| swimmer who wants to dive further off the blocks at | | | | anyone's vertical jump, which can make a huge |
| the start of each race, or the football player who | | | | difference depending on the sport. Everyone has seen |
| needs to outreach his defender for the wall - they all | | | | people who are less than six feet tall able to dunk. By |
| benefit from being able to jump higher and quicker than | | | | practicing jumping and working hard at it, they can |
| someone else. | | | | out-jump people who are inches taller than them. |
| Sports like volleyball and basketball, generally speaking, | | | | There are dangers of course with plyometric and |
| are the most grounded in being able to jump high (with | | | | jumping workouts, especially for people who have joint |
| the obvious exception of track and field jumping | | | | issues or who are overweight. Jumping power is |
| sports). For these sports, it is essential that athletes get | | | | based in part on your body mass, and if you are too |
| the most out of their training routines. Until recently, | | | | heavy, you could end up hurting your joints, not to |
| these types of workouts were not generally part of | | | | mention the fact that you won't be able to jump very |
| an athlete's training regimen, but they are now. | | | | high. So lose the extra weight before you start any |
| Plyometrics, or the use of forceful jumping in training, is | | | | jumping exercises and you should see that you reach |
| now considered to be fairly normal in professional and | | | | new vertical heights in no time at all. |