How to jump higher

How to jump higher: technique you can use today, like arm swing and the dip, and the training that adds 2–6 cm over 10+ weeks, from research reviews.

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Upload a video

Best: a slow-motion video from your camera app. On iPhone, slow motion takes a few seconds to prepare after you pick it. Your video stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Set up in 30 seconds

1Put the phone on the floor or at knee height, 2–3 m (7–10 ft) away, so your whole body and both feet are in the picture.
2Stand still, jump straight up as high as you can, and land on the same spot with straight legs.
3Then step through the video and mark two frames: take-off and landing.

Start by measuring

01Measure your jump now with the tester above, three jumps, same setup every time.
02Fix your technique first: it's the quickest gain.
03Train for at least 10 weeks: plyometrics, strength, or both.
04Re-test every two or three weeks under the same conditions and compare averages.

Jump higher today: technique

Swing your arms. College students jumped about 23% higher with arm swing [1], elite volleyball players 38% higher [2]. Most of the gain comes from a faster take-off [3].
Use a quick dip. A countermovement jump beats jumping from a held squat by a few centimetres [1] [4].
Take a few steps. NBA prospects jumped 10–15 cm higher with a run-up than standing [5], which is what a dunk usually needs.

Jump higher in weeks: training

Plyometric training (repeated jumps, bounds, hops) is the best-studied method. A review of 26 studies found it raised countermovement jumps by 8.7% on average, about 2–6 cm depending on the jump, from programs of 4 to 24 weeks [6].

Strength work helps too. Olympic weightlifting raised vertical jumps as much as plyometrics did, and 5.1% more than traditional resistance training [7]. Alternating strength and jump exercises in the same session (complex training) was the one combination that beat strength training alone [8].

How long, how often and how many jumps a session: the 12-week plan to increase your vertical jump sets it out week by week.

Test before and after

Gains of a few centimetres are easy to miss in one jump. Do three to five jumps each time, the same way, and compare the averages: averages track change better than single best jumps [9].

Young athletes

Plyometric training can be a safe and worthwhile way for young athletes to train when it's appropriately prescribed and implemented, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association [10]. In children, twice a week for 8–10 weeks, starting at 50–60 jumps a session and building up, gave the largest changes [11].

Questions

How can I jump higher fast?

Use your arms, dip quickly before you jump, and take a few steps when the sport allows. Those change your jump the same day. Training gains take weeks.

Does arm swing really help you jump higher?

Yes. College students jumped about 23% higher with an arm swing than with their hands on their hips, and elite volleyball players 38% higher.

Do squats help you jump higher?

Strength training improves jumps. Alternating strength and jump exercises in the same session did better than strength alone, and Olympic lifts did as well as plyometrics in one review.

Is jump training safe for kids?

With sensible volumes and supervision, yes: the National Strength and Conditioning Association calls plyometrics a safe and worthwhile method for youth when appropriately prescribed and implemented.

More on the vertical jump

How to increase your vertical jumpA 12-week plan to increase your vertical jump, built on what research reviews found works: enough weeks, enough jumps, strength work and regular testing.Average vertical jumpAverage vertical jump by age and sex from a national survey of 5,188 people, plus college athletes and the NBA and NFL combines. See your percentile.Dunk calculatorHow high do you need to jump to dunk? Enter your height or standing reach for the vertical you need to touch a 10 ft rim and to dunk, and measure yours.