Jump Higher by Avoiding These 3 Myths

For decades, athletes have had to either have incredible natural talent, ingenuity, discipline, or all three to achieve results in vertical jump training and have a vert of 40 inches or more. In the last 10 years, enormous strides have been made in the vertical jump training field with the release of programs and the development of true experts.

Although we've come a long way, unfortunately there are still some persisting myths that make athletes hesitant about starting a vertical jump program. The following is an explanation of some common myths debunked.

1. You're too old for this.

Vertical jump programs aren't for everyone, it's true. However, your age is much less relevant than how much you've taken care of yourself, how active you have been, and how healthy your joints and supporting structures are.

Regardless of your age, if you are competing competitively, you will benefit from more focused training.

If you're really concerned, you could also visit a physician to check in with a particular program; most will require a decent amount of strength and quickness training that will actually be beneficial, not detrimental, to your overall health and fitness.

2. You're too young for this.

Parents are often concerned to allow their ten-year-old child to participate in an intense vertical jump program. What they may not realize, however, is that without the training program they will be looking for results in an unsupervised environment.

Within a suitable jump training program, there will be limits and explanations of proper techniques for young people. Bottom line is, if you are already playing competitively, you will benefit from more structured training.

3. Weights will stunt your growth.

Not sure where this myth originated, but the truth is, weight training will only strengthen your bones, muscles, and supporting structures.