Every athlete wants to run faster and jump higher, but many fall into incorrect practices of getting there. There are plenty of online scams that promise certain results quickly, but the truth is there is no cheating the way your body works. Building a skill requires repetition, practice, form, and all those seemingly tedious and difficult exercises people try their best to avoid. But if you put in the work, you’ll be sure to enjoy the fruits of your labors.
Stretching
In order to run faster and jump higher, you’re going to need to increase your range of motion and elasticity. Just as a rubberband shoots farther with more force if it is more elastic, your muscles can generate more explosive power when they are elastic. There are two types of stretches: dynamic stretches and static stretches. Use dynamic stretches before workouts and games and use static stretches post-workout or on off-days. To learn more about both types of stretches, click here.
Strength Exercises
Your muscles need a good base strength to start from. To develop strength you need to hit the weights. Be careful not to lift for size instead of true strength, however. Do a moderate amount of reps for each exercise you do and push your self while maintaining proper form. Strength will help you muscles generate more power when you need it.
Power/Speed Exercises
There is a real difference between strength and power/speed. Just because you lift weights and are “strong” doesn’t mean you are athletic. Too many athletes hit the weights without any explosion exercises and actually get slower. Power/Speed is strength put into motion. It is using your strength to generate quick and instant force. In order to develop this you need to find exercises with lighter weights that include pushing that weight fast (safely). For basketball for instance, if you’re trying to get a faster dribble, you can practice pounding the ball on each dribble with as much force as possible. This helps strengthen fast-twitch muscle fibers in your muscles.
Game-Like Motion
In addition to power and speed exercises, it is essential to add game-like motion exercises to your workouts. To get faster, your brain has to have a solid connection to how it feels to run and jump in the way that you do in a real game situation. Plyometrics and game-specific moves and footwork drills are great ways to develop stronger connections with the brain. The more repetitions you do the more muscle memory you’ll have and the faster those signals will be transferred from brain to limb.
As with any athletic activity, you should always make sure you perform your exercises safely so that you don’t encounter joint problems or other injuries later down the road. To get started on the right foot, consult with one of our doctors for more advice.
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