In order to maximize our leaping abilities, we must have high levels of relative strength.
This refers to how strong we are pound for pound.
You might have noticed that quite a few leapers are rather skinny.
While others may be able to lift more weight, they don't carry around as much weight either.
Take an athlete who weighs 240 pounds and squats 400 pounds, compared to another who weighs 200 pounds and squats 400 pounds.
The first athlete has a strength reserve of 160 pounds, while the second one has 200 pounds of reserve.
We can safely conclude that the second athlete is going to have superior vertical.
So the total amount of weight you squat isn't the most important factor.
What does matter is the ratio between how much you squat and your weight.
For this reason, not only do athletes need strength, but they also need to have a low percentage of body fat.
The more weight you have on your body, the harder it will be to lift off the ground.
There is nothing earth shattering about this concept, but it should be emphasized.
The goal should be to increase how much you squat without adding a ton of weight.
Keep in mind that just improving your squat or strength in general is not all there is too it.
If it were, then everyone who had a 2-to-1 squat to body weight ratio would be great vertical jumpers.
We know this isn't the case.
Speed plays a role here as well.
If watch some of the better vertical leapers in the NBA, all of them can accelerate relatively well for their size.
Besides, athletes need to have agility in order to be the best they can be at their sport.
While we all want to have a high vertical leap, we must also be able to move quickly.
The general rule of thumb is to increase your squat to a point where it's at least 1.
5 times greater than your body weight, though some will say 2 times is optimal.
This type of strength is a prerequisite before beginning a plyometrics program.
And just by improving your squat to weight ratio, you will improve your vertical leap.
Though, at some point there will be diminishing returns.
In other words, there will come a time when increasing your squat may not bring an increase to your vertical over a period of time.
This is when explosive activities should be more emphasized, such as plyometrics, so you can translate that strength into a higher vertical jump.
This refers to how strong we are pound for pound.
You might have noticed that quite a few leapers are rather skinny.
While others may be able to lift more weight, they don't carry around as much weight either.
Take an athlete who weighs 240 pounds and squats 400 pounds, compared to another who weighs 200 pounds and squats 400 pounds.
The first athlete has a strength reserve of 160 pounds, while the second one has 200 pounds of reserve.
We can safely conclude that the second athlete is going to have superior vertical.
So the total amount of weight you squat isn't the most important factor.
What does matter is the ratio between how much you squat and your weight.
For this reason, not only do athletes need strength, but they also need to have a low percentage of body fat.
The more weight you have on your body, the harder it will be to lift off the ground.
There is nothing earth shattering about this concept, but it should be emphasized.
The goal should be to increase how much you squat without adding a ton of weight.
Keep in mind that just improving your squat or strength in general is not all there is too it.
If it were, then everyone who had a 2-to-1 squat to body weight ratio would be great vertical jumpers.
We know this isn't the case.
Speed plays a role here as well.
If watch some of the better vertical leapers in the NBA, all of them can accelerate relatively well for their size.
Besides, athletes need to have agility in order to be the best they can be at their sport.
While we all want to have a high vertical leap, we must also be able to move quickly.
The general rule of thumb is to increase your squat to a point where it's at least 1.
5 times greater than your body weight, though some will say 2 times is optimal.
This type of strength is a prerequisite before beginning a plyometrics program.
And just by improving your squat to weight ratio, you will improve your vertical leap.
Though, at some point there will be diminishing returns.
In other words, there will come a time when increasing your squat may not bring an increase to your vertical over a period of time.
This is when explosive activities should be more emphasized, such as plyometrics, so you can translate that strength into a higher vertical jump.
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