How to Jump Higher and increasing your vertical leap

If you are an athlete who competes in a team or individual sport, you most likely rely primarily on leg strength to excel in your given sport. Basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, baseball.... chances are you have played one or more of these sports and found yourself in a situation where a higher jump could have given you the chance to score or avoid getting scored on. Whether you want to devote yourself to working towards the career of a professional athlete or you just want to fare a little better in a pick-up game, increasing your leg strength and your vertical leap can be a relatively easy process.

Step 1: In the Weight Room
The height of your jump is a direct result of your overall leg strength. However, it should be noted that attending to your core strength is important to every aspect of your athleticism. Conditioning can be more important to your agility than strength training, so make sure you pay plenty of attention to your abdominal muscles as they are the under-appreciated engine of all athletes. Nevertheless, there are some exercises you can do while in the gym that will maximize the increase you see in your vertical leap.

Calf Raises:
Many gyms have a seated calf raise machine that is built for one purpose only: to give you rockin calves. The idea is simple here - place your feet on the platform and put your knees under the bar. Release the safety and raise your legs using the balls of your feet. The most important thing to realize here is that unlike many exercises you may do in your workout, you don't need to try to build muscle. Jumping is all about explosion, so it is much more advantageous to go for less weight and maximize the repetitions. This is one of my favorite exercises.

Squats:
In addition to doing exercises like leg curls, presses and other quad/hamstring lifts, squats are a great exercise for building leg and core strength. If you don't know how to do a squat, it is best to get some help from someone at the gym. It can be easy to hurt yourself if you misunderstand the form, so don't take a chance. Start out by trying to lift about 50% of your body weight (bar included). Try to do between 6-8 reps. If the weight is too low, add on a few more lbs.

Step 2: Home Work
The best way to increase your vertical leap is not in the weight room, but rather during the journey that you experience every day. If you keep an eye out for opportunities to boost your jumping skills, you can start seeing a difference immediately.

Stretch:
This is probably a good idea to do even if you could care less about being able to dunk. Stretching daily will help strengthen your muscles, allow your body to gain flexibility, and just plain make you feel better. I have always heard that stretching before a workout (weight or aerobic) is a smart thing to do, but I have also had a few people tell me that stretching prior to exercise diminishes the maximum power that your muscles can generate. I am certainly no doctor, so whatever you decide to do, try doing it in moderation (unless you are drinking beer).

Stay on Your Toes:
It sounds like something ballerina might do, but trust me, it works wonders. Try walking around your house on your tip-toes. This will force your calf muscles to work overtime and is a great endurance exercise for increasing your vertical. When this starts to get tiring, switch it around and attempt to walk on your heels with your toes pointed as high as you can. This walk makes you look stupid, but forces your dorsi-flexor muscles to become rock hard.

Might as Well Jump:
Jumping rope is (surprise) a great exercise. Not only will this get the heart pumping, but the short jumps that you are forced to repeat over and over again help to promote explosiveness.

Stair Raises:
You can mimic the great exercises that you perform in the gym in the comfort of your own home if you have the right technique. If you have stairs in your house (or substitute any kind of platform), position yourself so that your heels hang off the back of the raised area. Lower yourself as far as you can go, then raise yourself up onto your toes. This can be much more straining for your calves than the machine, so try not to over do it when doing this exercise.

Last but Not Least:
Just as important as any dichotomy in life, work is meaningless without rest to accompany it. Make sure to give your body and legs a rest at least two days a week. As when doing any sort of weight or cardiovascular training, the results occur when your muscles have the chance to repair the small tears in tissue when you work out. So just do it.

Step 3: Practice Makes Perfect
There are several ways to go about jumping. These are all great methods of training your legs to jump properly and with the maximum amount of force. Try them all and you are destined hurdle any obstacle:

1. Explosive Jumping:
For this exercise, you will need some sort of elevated platform (a rock, a bench, a cinder block, etc). Put your right foot on the platform and your left foot on the ground. Now, explode upwards, jumping as high as you can off of your right foot. On the way down, try to switch your footing, landing with your left foot on the platform and your right on the ground. This can be tricky, so be careful not to fall as you land. Repeat as necessary.

2. Box Jumping:
You'll need a box or a sturdy platform for this next exercise. Begin atop your platform, and jump off to one side. Try to land and then instantly jump back up again, bending your legs as little as you can while still generating enough force to reach the height of the platform. Land on top, and jump off the other side. Keep repeating this about ten times before taking a short break.

3. Lunge Jumping:
Get in a normal lunge position, and try jumping as high as you can, using your forward foot to drive the leap. The lower you are to the ground, the more muscle strength is required to get yourself airborne. Do this a few times for each foot before throwing in the towel.

4. Two-Footer:
Place your feet about shoulder width apart, and squat down. Push off with both feet and use them equally to jump as high as you can. This is a good way of working both quads at the same time rather than doing them separately.

5. Arm Experimenting:
Try taking a few jumps as you would normally. Now try jumping as high as you can while keeping your arms pointed straight down. See the difference? Swinging your arms during a jump can add a significant amount of inertia to your leap, so experiment with different methods of propelling yourself with your arms.

6. Why Weight?
Weights can also be used when jump training. Try doing some of the exercises mentioned above while holding weights or a lead vest. For a cool experiment, grab a pair of dumbells and crouch down. Before you leap up, drop the weights and you will jump super high. Your body adjusts for the added weight as you crouch and this over-compensation allows you to get some serious air.

Just a couple of notes:
Don't use ankle weights (or just about any ankle strength/jump training device). These cause your body to operate in an unusual manner and can tear ligaments, effectively sending you to the DL or even ending your career.
Keep records of your vertical jump with the help of some friends. Having a detailed record of your progress will help you to understand what exercises are best for you when trying to improve your vertical and can also bring your attention to other unknown factors in your jumping.

Shared from instructables.com

Do Supplements Really Give Athletes an Edge?

You work hard to reach your athletic goals. You stick to your training program and to your nutrition plan. Now you want an edge over the competition. Is there a supplement that could give it to you?

Maybe, but results vary from person to person. When scientists study these products, mixed reviews are pretty common. Also, most research focuses on highly trained or pro athletes, so your results might be different. But if you're healthy and have no problems with your heart, kidneys, or liver, the most popular sports supplements are safe and inexpensive.

It's best to talk with your doctor before you take any product, even if it's natural, in case you have any conditions or take medications that it could affect.

Caffeine for Endurance
Caffeine gives you a pick-me-up in the morning, and it can pick up your game, too. If you take it about 30 minutes before your race or game, it could improve your endurance. For long challenges, like a marathon, caffeine during the event can help, too.

“Studies have shown repeatedly that you can get improvements in performance, mainly in endurance-type exercise, with caffeine,” says Janet Rankin, PhD, professor in human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech.

Tennis players, cyclists, soccer players, runners, rowers, and others got an edge from caffeine in scientific studies. In some trials, the stimulant boosted athletes’ speed. In others, it helped them last longer before they spent all their energy. Some studies show that it can curb soreness after exercise, too. This means you could get back to your training sooner.

You can get caffeine from energy drinks and shots, tablets, chewing gum, sport gels, and sprays. Each product will give you different doses, so read the label before you take it.

“You don’t need all that much caffeine to get the effect,” Rankin says. “And it is possible to overdo it.” No matter what form you take, make sure you don’t get more than 400 milligrams a day. And don’t forget to count your other daily sources of caffeine -- there’s about 100 milligrams in your morning coffee.

Too much caffeine can cause headaches, irritability, stomach upset, dehydration, and trouble sleeping.

Creatine for Reps
Are you a sprinter or weight lifter? Creatine monohydrate could help with these and other repeated short bouts of intense exercise. It doesn’t seem to benefit players of other types of sports. And, like studies of many supplements, not all studies show that it benefits athletes.

Your body makes creatine naturally, and your muscles use it to do high-intensity exercise. When you do a lot of reps, you use up your natural store of it. That’s one reason your tenth rep is so much harder than your first. A supplement boosts the amount your body has to work with. You also can get creatine from beef and pork. If you already eat plenty of these, you won’t notice as much of a difference from a supplement as a vegetarian might notice.

“For very short-term bouts of exercise, creatine supplementation seems to aid in recovery,” says Thomas Sherman, PhD, professor in pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Experts consider creatine safe for healthy people. Some people take a higher dose for the first week -- about four servings of 5 grams each per day -- to “load” their muscles with the supplement. Then they drop to a “maintenance” dose of about 2 grams per day. Others skip the loading phase and start with the lower dose.

Some studies have shown that creatine could increase fat and not muscle. There’s also evidence that high doses could cause kidney, liver, or heart damage, but it's unclear how much might be too much.

Beta-Alanine for Burning Muscles
When you do short bouts of exercise at maximum effort for 30 to 90 seconds (think indoor cycling classes), your muscles make a lot of lactic acid. That’s what makes you “feel the burn.” Athletes take beta-alanine in a capsule or a drink powder to curb that burn so they can push through their workout.

Does it work? Cyclists and runners who took beta-alanine for 4 weeks improved their game in scientific studies. But not all studies agree.

“Some studies show a benefit. Others don’t,” Rankin says. “So it’s not completely clear yet. We need more studies on it, but it’s not one that I’m worried about people trying.”

Branched Chain Amino Acids for Bulking Up
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The branched chain types are the three amino acids that muscles can use for energy. Athletes take them after workouts as tablets, gels, or drink powders to spur muscle growth.

Exercise makes your muscles grow by first injuring or breaking them down. When the tissue rebuilds, it gets bigger. Some studies show that branched chain amino acid supplements reduce muscle breakdown. If you have to lose muscle before you can gain it, the idea is that the products could cut the amount you need to lose before you start to get it back.

While these supplements might work, don’t expect dramatic results. “Exercise stimulates muscle [growth] anyway. So taking amino acids probably isn’t physiologically very significant, but it’s also not harmful,” Sherman says.

Whey Protein for Muscle Growth
Like branched chain amino acids, many athletes take whey protein, usually in a protein shake, after workouts to try to curb muscle damage and boost growth.

“There’s a window of about at least 30 minutes after you stop exercising during which you can take in protein and promote [growth] of lean muscle mass,” Sherman says. A number of scientific studies show that whey protein after exercise helps reduce muscle damage or promotes its growth.

Whey protein seems to work best after resistance exercise, like weight training, Rankin says. But you don’t have to get the nutrient from a supplement. A high-protein meal after a workout would do the job, too. Whey protein on top of that might give you an extra boost.

By Sonya Collins, shared from webmd.com

Speed Endurance Drills

Speed endurance training should form the later part of pre-season training and in-season training. It is important to develop a solid fitness base beforehand, which includes strength and endurance conditioning.

No more than two speed endurance sessions are required. This may be reduced to once a week during the competitive season. Because speed endurance training can be so demanding, keep session duration to 20-30 minutes maximum. Rest intervals should consist of active recovery exercises such as walking or jogging slowly on the spot.

High Intensity Shuttle Run

1. Pace out 30 meters on grass or a running track. Place a cone at the start and at 5 meter intervals (7 cones in total).
2. Sprint from the starting cone to 5 meter cone and back. Turn and sprint to 10 meter cone and back to start. Sprint to 15meter cone and back to start and so on until you sprint the full 30 meters and back.
3. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat. Complete a total of 6 sets keeping rest periods to 90 seconds.

Pyramids

1. Pace out 50 meters placing a cone at the start and then at 10 meter intervals (6 cones in total).
2. Starting at the first cone sprint all out for 10 meters and walk the remaining 40 meters.
3. Turn and sprint 20 meters and walk for 30 meters.
4. Turn and sprint 30 meters and walk for 20 meters.
5. Turn and sprint 40 meters and walk for 10 meters.
6. Turn and sprint 50 meters and then turn and sprint 50 meters again back to the start.

This is classed as one set. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 sets. Rest for a full 3 minutes and repeat.

Cruise And Sprint
Mark out a distance of 100 meters. From the start gradually accelerate to reach full speed at about 60 meters. Sprint all out for the final 40 meters.
Slow down gradually, turn and repeat.
Continue for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes. This is one set. Repeat for a total of 6 sets.

Hollow sprint
Set 5 cones out in 30 meters intervals. Sprint 30 meters, jog 30 meters, sprint 30 meters and jog 30 meters to the final cone.
Turn around and repeat always alternating jogging and sprinting. Work for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes.
This is one set. Try to complete a total of 6 sets.

Cross Drill
Using 4 cones mark a box 30 meters by 30 meters. Place another cone in the center of the box.
Starting at the center cone sprint to each corner and back in a clockwise direction. Once you have completed a circuit rest for 60 seconds.
Perform a total of 6 circuits to complete one set. A session could contain up to 4 sets with a 3 minute rest interval between sets.

Shared from sport-fitness-advisor.com

How to Increase Stamina for Basketball

Basketball requires speed, strength, quickness and overall athleticism. Conditioning drills for basketball can help you get in shape to play the game competitively. However, your coaches may push you very hard to get in the best shape possible because they want you to have stamina in the late stages of the game. This is where games are often won and lost; making the effort to build your stamina can have a dramatic impact on your game and your team's win-loss record.

Step 1
Run the "basketball mile" drill to build stamina and endurance. Start off jogging for 20 seconds, then increase your jog to a full-out run for 20 seconds. After the run, jump forward for 20 seconds and then finish the cycle by walking for 20 seconds. Do this until you have gone for one mile. Repeat three times per week.

Step 2

Perform the "pyramid drill" to build your basketball endurance. Start off at the baseline and sprint to the opposite baseline. Do one push-up. Get up and sprint back to the starting baseline. Do two push-ups. Continue in this manner until you are doing five push-ups. Take a two-minute break and repeat the sprints, but this time do sit-ups instead of push-ups.

Step 3

Start off at the free-throw line and make five consecutive free throws. After you have made your free throws, go under the boards and start tipping the ball off the backboard. Tip it 10 times in succession and go back to the free-throw line and make five more free throws. This will help you improve your concentration and your overall stamina.

Step 4
Divide the team into two lines. The first group is going to the basket on the near side of the court and the other line is going to the basket on the far side of the court. On the coach's signal, the first player in each line takes off for a layup. The idea is for the two lines to combine for 40 layups in a two-minute period. Take a one-minute break and repeat the drill. This will build speed and endurance.

Warnings
Before starting your conditioning and stamina sessions, perform a short, aerobic warm-up to get your blood flowing, prepare your muscles for the drills and prevent injury.

Tips

Basketball is all about speed and sprints, not long distance running. Sprinting drills are more effective when you practice landing on the balls of your feet instead of heel-toe.

Shared from livestrong.com

The 12 Best Strength Training Exercises For Runners

Exercise #1: Towel Crunch

Body part: Feet This exercise will strengthen your feet. After all, they withstand 2-3 times your body weight with each running step. So the stronger your feet are, the better! Lay a small towel out on a linoleum or tile floor. Sit in a chair with your toes just over the edge of the towel. Begin to pull the towel toward you using your toes. When you can no longer pull more towel under your toes, spread the towel out again and repeat. Once the towel crunch gets too easy, just add some weight (a food can or small book) to the end of the towel for more resistance.

Exercises #2 & #3: Straight Leg Raises and Bent Leg Raises

Body part: Calves Like the feet, the calves are very involved in running. That's why it's so important to keep them strong and flexible. In these two exercises, one with your knee straight and one with your knee slightly bent, focus on lowering your heel as far as possible then rising up as high as possible. Once you can do 30-50 repetitions of these, you can add some additional weight. Try holding a large food can or dumbbell as you exercise.

Exercise #4: Bed Pulls

Body part: Shins Shin splints is one of the most common running injuries for beginners. The muscles on the front and side of the legs just aren't ready for all the work. This simple exercise will prepare them for running. Hang just the ball of your foot off the mattress and pull your foot toward your shin. The mattress will provide just the right amount of resistance. Focus on slowly releasing the mattress. This helps train the muscles for the action they take during running - namely lowering the foot slowly to keep it from slapping the ground.

Exercise #5: Knee Extensions

Body part: Quadriceps The quadriceps (the muscles on the front of the thigh) are critical to your running. Not only do they help absorb the impact and propel you down the road, they also stabilize the knee. Keeping your "quads" strong will help you avoid Runner's Knee and other ailments. Begin with your knee bent slightly - less than 90 degrees. Straighten your legs to move the weight and continue until your legs are fully extended, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. If your knees, not the thighs, feel any discomfort, decrease the weight and reduce the range of motion (how far you flex or extend your leg). Experiment to find a pain-free range.

Exercise #6: Leg Curls

Body part: Hamstrings The hamstrings (the muscles on the back of the thigh) are also important for your running. They need to be strong and flexible. Lie face down on the leg curl machine. Slip your feet under the rollers and hold onto the handles. Begin with your legs straight, then pull your heels toward your buttocks to lift the weight. Pull your heels only to the point where your butt begins to rise off the bench. You don't have to touch your butt with your heels. Then lower the weight slowly.

Exercise #7: Lunges

Body part: Buttocks/Hamstrings Take a good size step forward with one leg. The front leg should be bent so that your knee is directly over your ankle (forming a 90-degree angle). The rear leg should be straight. Return to a standing position by pushing backward with the heel of your forward leg. You should feel the exercise in the buttocks and backs of legs. Repeat with the other leg.

Exercise # 8: Crunches

Body part: Abdominals Your trunk is the major power source for your running. If your "core" isn't strong and stable, then you risk injury. Lay on your back with your knees bent. Cross your arms over your chest, then crunch your chest towards your knees without straining your neck. A 45-degree angle is about right. The lower back should remain on the floor. Focus on tightening the abdominal muscles.

Exercise #9: Rows

Body part: Back As with your abs, your back muscles keep your trunk and torso stable during running. Keeping your stomach tight, pull your hands toward your chest to lift the weight. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Your lower back should move minimally. If you experience any lower back discomfort, decrease the weight and range of motion of the exercise.

Exercise #10: Bench Press

Body part: Chest This exercise will develop your chest and shoulders. Lying on your back, hold the bar at chest level, then extend your arms fully without locking your elbows. Slowly lower the weight back to starting position.

Arm Workouts

The arms are used mainly for balance during running, but can tire after a few miles. Strengthening the front of the upper arm - the biceps - and the back of the upper arm - the triceps - keeps your arms strong. Plus you'll look buff!

Exercise #11: Bicep Curls

Start with your arms extended. Flex the elbow to bring the weight toward your shoulders. Once the elbows are maximally flexed, slowly lower the weight to the starting position. As you fatigue, remember not to rock the body or move the elbows back and forth to accomplish the exercise.

Exercise #12: Tricep Curls

Start with your elbow bent. Straighten your elbow fully to lift the weight and strengthen the backs of your arms. Slowly bend your elbow to lower the weight.

Caribolakeranjang: Serene Park Basketball Court, Johor Bahru

Serene Park Basketball Court is located at center of the Taman Serene Park Johor Bahru. The easiest route to take if you are travelling from Larkin/Skudai is headed to Johor Bahru. Once you reach the junction with Danga City Mall on your left, take the left exit and headed to Woodland. Keep going about 5km until you find Branch Burger Bakar Abang Burn on you right (the other side of the highway), take a left exit to the Taman Serene Johor Bahru.

 

 

 

 

The court is semi-open outdoor type with the glass backboard. The surface of court might appeared a bit slippery, but with the fully covered roof and grandstand built alongside shall highlighted the elegance of the court. The court can be book for night play with just low charges. The famous group that always organized event at this court is Southern Tiger Basketball Community.

ECBL 2015 Week 2 – Results and Standings

Week 2 was more thrilling and exciting as every team take the game very seriously and carefully set their strategy after post-mortem of their opening game last week. Strengthen their offense and defense, more hustle and sharp on very set play. Two matches continue with OT (over time), the results itself tells how the excitement of the games are. Total of 8 match scheduled for Week 2 of ECBL, full results are as below;

ACES keep their winning streaks lead at the top of the table, Blackjack with little advantage in different cumulative points comes in second, compete with RHINOS, KLPR Tigers and UITM Dungeons. Standings of the teams after Week 2 match;

Click here for Results and Standings of Week 1

For more info on full game schedule of ECBL 2015, click here.

Gallery pictures of ECBL at http://ecbl.weebly.com/

ECBL 2015 Week 1 - Results and Standings

Full results from Week 1 ECBL Div 1 as below;

KLPR Tigers, ACES, SESMA PREDATORS and UITM each wins their first match, with KLPR Tigers at top of the table lead by different points. Standings of the teams after 1st match;

For more info on full game schedule of ECBL 2015, click here.

Gallery pictures of ECBL at http://ecbl.weebly.com/

Full Schedule of East Coast Basketball League Division 1 2015

This year format of the league will be round-robin. All matches are scheduled at night from 8:00pm to 12:00am, from 28th August 2015 to 15th September 2015 with most of the event will be conducted at Batas Baru Basketball Court, Kuala Terengganu.

Check out full schedule of ECBL Division 1 as per table below;

For this year 2015 first time ever ECBL, 8 teams confirms their registration for division 1. They are;

KLPR TIGERS

RHINOS

SESMA PREDATORS

ACES

BLACKJACK

INSTEP

Meanwhile Division 2, which is for under-18 team will start as soon as teams confirmed their participation in the league.

Basketball Merdeka Cup by Southern Tigers Basketball, Johor Bahru

Last Saturday (22nd August 2015) in conjunction with National Day, Southern Tigers Basketball organized mini-tournament-Basketball Merdeka Cup 2015 in Serene Park Basketball Court, Johor Bahru. The event started at 8:00am in morning and the final match was manage to complete in late afternoon. A total of 8 teams participate in this tournament, divided into 2 groups of 4. They are;

Ace Killer

Weekenders

Chingaz

UTHM Falcon

Larkin Boys

SMSJ Spartan

Kaizen - UITM PG

The Masaian

WEEKENDERS; UTHM FALCON; UITM KAIZEN; LARKIN BOYS; CHINGAZ; SMSJ SPARTAN; THE MASAIAN; ACE KILLER

Rules and regulation set as follow:

1. Each game set for 20 minutes with 2 half ( 9 mins first half + 2 mins rest time + 9 mins second half)
2. Teams will be permitted for only 1 Timeout per match.
3. Shot Clock will be set for 32 seconds.
4. The game will be a non-stop mode whereby there will be no free throw, only side-line ball for any foul committed.
5. Foul Out is applicable on a player after fifth consecutive fouls.
6. Only the champion from each group will play in the Final Game.

Here are the full result of the tournament, click on figure to have a better view;

Table Result

Around the tournament;

Congratulation to ACE KILLERS, champion of the Merdeka Cup 2015!

There is rumors to create community basketball league at southern region, and was discussed internally among the active basketball club in Johor. Aren't you excited? Looking forward for that to happened!! *double thumbs up*