Vertical leap and speed go hand in hand with the same posterior muscle groups controlling both motions.

For an athlete to appropriately move to the next level proper coaching and biomechanics must be initiated. In this video a Strength by PTN athlete improves his vertical leap from 14″ to 24″.

All athletes require some amount of speed and power to accomplish their goal of achieving their greatest potential. So how does one become fast and powerful to jump higher and run faster? You need these 5  things to be faster and stronger in your sport:

1) Strengthening of prime posterior muscle groups – Muscle groups such as your hamstrings, gluteals, and gastrocnemius muscles.

2) Proprioception- This refers to the speed and combination of coordinated muscle movements with the appropriate neurological input to accomplish a task.

3) Practice- The repetition of similar events as close to the goal as possible. For example if an athlete is attempting to jump higher in a high jump competition the athlete should be breaking down and practicing every aspect of the jump from the sprint before the jump to the placement of feet before lift off, to the coordinated movement of the body in the air.

4) Rest- Just as the body needs practice to accomplish the task the body needs rest. At the  histological level stressed tissues need a break to catch up and regenerate.

5) Nutrition- An often forgotten part of an athlete’s performance, proper nutrition and hydration are vital to performance. You unfortunately are what you eat and the most competitive athletes have to be fueled by the proper food to provide the energy needed to sustain performance.

If you are interested in learning how to perform your personal best click here.