Leg Lengthening Exercises - Jumping

Jumping is a great exercise for stretching the tendons in the leg and fully extending the muscles.

There are 2 jumps in this program:

Jump # 1 - Bench Jump

The goal here is to jump up onto a bench (or other safe, stable platform) and then jump

backwards off of the bench. To perform this jump, stand facing the bench with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing towards bench. Your knees should be slightly bent for balance. Lower your body by bending at the knees. While doing this, shift your body weight to the balls of your feet. Next, explode up into the air and land on top of the bench. If you wish, you can lower then raise your arms in the air to give you some momentum. Land on the balls of your feet - not on your heels. Once you've landed on the platform, perform the same jump in reverse and jump backwards to your starting position. This is one repetition.

Each jump will last approximately 2 seconds. Perform 10 jumps then rest for one minute, then repeat for a total of 3 sets.

Note: This jumping exercise can be performed with one leg or both legs. Beginners should use both legs when performing the exercise. Once you're comfortable with the exercise and with your balance, you can experiment with alternating the exercise with each leg separately. Safety is important so select a bench or platform that you can easily jump onto. As your workouts progress, you will find that you can jump higher and with less effort. When this occurs, you can opt to increase the height of the platform.

Jump # 2 - Height Jump

The goal here is very simple - jump as high as you can.

To perform this jump, stand with feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent for

balance. Lower your body by bending at the knees. While doing this, shift your body weight to the balls of your feet. Next, explode up into the air, jumping vertically as high as you possibly can. The primary goal is to extend your legs fully. Keep your legs straight while in the air and your feet directly under you. Land on the balls of your feet - not on your heels. This is one repetition.

This jumping exercise is more intense and may require more resting. Perform 10 jumps in

succession as quickly as you can, then rest 2 minutes. Repeat if you're able for a total of 3 sets.

Perform 3 sets of both jumps each day (6 days/week).