So have you seen Vince Carter dunk over the 7-foot-2 French center Frederic Weis? Right. You’ve seen an Air Canada mate on Alonzo Mourning. And did you hear that Vinsanity hit the top of the board? Right, the guy has crazy hoops, he just jumps off the building!
But hey, there’s a good thing about jumping: it’s not about genes or height. It’s all about work! You can learn to jump and you can learn to spike!
But there are some basic secrets on how to increase your vertical that many people don’t even think about. Maybe because they sound pretty simple. But they are crucial as well as effective. So if you want to increase your vertical and move up like Air Canada, here are the five secrets of Vince Carter Dunk:
#1: Lose weight. Every pound counts. So every extra pound is unnecessary weight that you have to lift into the air. And this costs a lot of energy. Even Michael Jordan had a hard physical training just to keep off the extra pounds. The best dunkers in the world are athletic but at the same time quite skinny. Note: they never look like bodybuilders (s. also secret #3). Examples? Vince, Gerald Green, Air Up There, Mike or James White. How to lose extra kilos? It just cuts through the desert.
#2: Use the jump rope. Two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion Jason Richardson, last year’s winner Nate Robinson and Vince Carter have consistently used this element in their training routines. It is not only a perfect exercise for your coordination and quick feet, but also one of the most effective for boosting your very fast vertical jump.
#3: Do not train too much! Yes, that is correct. Why? Because many people are very motivated at first and start building muscles like bodybuilders. Thus they become heavy and attached. They try to jump, realize the extra pounds and lose motivation. How to avoid this? Never spend more than 30 minutes a day training your vertical. Otherwise, you risk becoming too heavy.
#4: It is not the number of repetitions that counts, but the quality of your execution. Jumping like hell may be fine, but it’s not effective. Instead, you should pay attention to your jumping movement. Technique is essential. Make sure to use all your power and don’t forget to use your arms. Note: One clean jump at full strength is better than ten in a row at half strength. Apart from Air Canada, Gerald Green is a perfect example of clean execution.
#5: Stretching – before and after training. A lot of people just cut out that element. But the flexibility of your muscles is essential for your jumping ability. That’s why it’s a staple of Vinsanity’s day-to-day training. The next time you see Vince Carter dunk, just pay attention to how bent his body is. Unlike Kobe Bryant, who built up a lot of muscle in recent years, and lost some rims and speed that way, Vince always placed importance on staying fast and versatile.
