And1 Helicopter or how to increase vertical jump

Do you want to seriously increase your vertical jump? Do you want to hit the ball with both hands without difficulty? And you want to know what kind of exercises the guy from the And1 squad named Helicopter does every morning at 6am?

Then I guarantee that this short text will help you. But before moving on to the promised exercises, you need to find out what kind of “jumper” you are. Would you rather jump on one (1) or two (2) legs?

1) = You are a jumper. Jumpers take off from their left leg (right-handed), they are slim but at the same time well trained. Examples: Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Springs.

2) = You are a jumper. Jumpers start on two legs and rely on their strong thigh and calf muscles. The two-legged bang gives more vertical height. Examples: Vince Carter, Nate Robinson, Main Event, Air Up There, Spyda, High Rizer, and of course John Humphrey, aka Helicopter.

It is important to distinguish which group you belong to because each group uses different programs. Jumpers rely more on horizontal speed to reach the hoop and generally have very strong hips, abs, and upper body strength for dunk diving.

In contrast, jumpers generate the power they need to rise above the hoop primarily from the following three major muscle groups:

A) The quadriceps (large muscle in front of the thighs)

B) The calves (large muscle mass in the lower leg)

C) The arms

That means these muscles must be very strong. In other words, you have to do a lot of weight lifting. And that’s exactly what Helicopter does. Squats, lunges, leg presses, leg extensions, and calf raises are among your daily exercise routine. But since you are not a helicopter and can seriously injure yourself by putting on too much weight, here is a concrete program that beginners can do two days a week:

1. Squats – 3 sets, 10 reps

2. Lunges – 3 sets, 10 r

3. Leg presses: 3 sets, 10 r

4. Leg extensions: 3 sets, 15 r

5. Calf raise – 3 sets, 10 r

Instead of calf raises, you can also use the jump rope. Jumping rope not only gives you explosiveness and strength in your calves, it is also a great way to build endurance and improve overall leg strength.

Important note: This is just a suggestion! You must pay attention to the way your muscles react to this weight; If you can do one or more additional reps, increase the weight, but never the number of reps!