Most of the Muscles Used For Jumping are found in the lower half of the body, where the emphasis is on producing the power you need to explode into the air.
Muscles in the upper half of the body, which contribute to the jump motion, promote coordination and provide stability when the body makes extreme movements during the jump motion.
Primary (Main) Muscles Used On The Vertical Jump
1- Quads
When you perform a running jump, there are two key developments. The more obvious of those developments is that you will be RUNNING. The second - and slightly less obvious development - is that you will need to SQUAT at some point during the jump motion.
When you run and when you squat, there is one set of muscles that are required to do more work than the rest. Those are the quadriceps. A key function of the quads, being the powerful group of muscles that they are, is to straighten the leg.
During a running jump, the knee bends regularly throughout the process. Every time that it bends, the quads are called into action to straighten the knee.
Subsequent to that, you then need to perform a full countermovement, which means that your knees will be bent at about 90 degrees (sometimes more) before you take off into the air.
In fact, there is a squat under all circumstances when you are jumping. The quads are once again called into action, to not only straighten the leg, but also provide some semblance of stability once that leg has been straightened when jumping.
2- Hamstrings
Where the primary function of the quads is to straighten the legs during the jump motion, the hamstring muscles play a more prominent role when your knee flexes. The flexing of the knees is a prerequisite during the jump motion, whether you are performing the running or standing jump.
During any activity, there is a contraction and subsequent stretching of the muscles. That contraction and stretching cycle is actually a common theme and consideration when you adopt a jump training regimen. The group of hamstring muscles are a major beneficiary during those training regimens.
The primary function of the hamstrings is to flex the knee joints during the countermovement or squat that you initiate during the jump motion. This is accompanied by the extension of the thigh and that is where the hamstrings are called into action again.
During a jump motion, the thighs are straightened at the back side of the leg - an area which is beyond the scope of the quads, which have already been spoken about above.
An important note about the quads and the hamstrings - and we have already hinted at this - is that they shoulder a considerable amount of the burden during the jump motion. Because that burden is so great, it also means that there is an increased exposure to injury for these two groups of muscles when jumping.
When you sustain injuries to both sets of muscles, you will also come to learn that healing and rehabilitation for both of those muscle groups is the closest you might ever come to experiencing hell on earth.
The injuries tend to be recurring, so we cannot possibly overstate the significance of training that is geared towards strengthening these muscles and the stretching of those muscles before taking on said strengthening sessions.
Assisting (Secondary) Muscles Used For The Vertical Jump
1- Glutes
For many, the glutes have a considerable amount to do with the aesthetics. Everybody appreciates buttocks that are well shaped. However, there is a more practical application for this group of muscles when jumping.
When you perform a running or standing jump, movement of the thighs and hips comes with the territory. That movement is facilitated by the glutes, which also play somewhat of a support function during jumping activities.
The movement of the thighs and hips features extension, abduction and rotation - both internally and externally. In the context of jumping we are naturally particularly interested in the latter.
2- Calves
The two best friends for the calf muscles are the heels and the toes, both of which are principle players during the jump motion. Any athlete worth his salt takes off from the balls of the feet when he is jumping - that is regardless of whether you are performing the running jump or the standing jump.
When you take off from the balls of your feet, there is something educated people call the plantar flexion. That essentially happens when the calf muscles contract and the toes become pointed.
The other key development related to the calves during the jump motion, is that the heels leave the ground when you take off into the air. The heels are naturally pulled up into the air, because the calf muscles are connected to the achilles tendon. Both the lifting of the heels and the pointing of the toes matter when jumping because that contributes to propelling you forward and into the air.
We do not wish a rupture of the achilles tendon on anybody, not even our worst enemies. Something as seemingly insignificant as walking becomes an enormous undertaking when that happens, never mind running and jumping.
Increasing capacity in the calf muscles goes a long way to preventing that calamity.
So, while the calves do not play as prominent a role as the quads and hamstrings when jumping, they clearly possess a make or break function. We cannot possibly overstate the importance of stretching and warming up those muscles before taking part in any jump training or activity.
3- Abductors
The abductor muscles do not come up in many sports pub conversations because not many people know they actually exist. Those who are vaguely aware of their presence in the body aren’t entirely sure about the role that they play in the body, let alone during jump training and activity.
We have already tapped on the significance of the glutes when it comes to movement in the lower half of the body. The abductor muscles are an extension of that, literally and figuratively. They play an important supportive role when standing, walking, running and jumping.
Your abductors are called into action when you start to move your leg away from the midline of the body. That also incorporates the rotation of that leg.
Upper Body Muscles Used For The Vertical Jump
1- Back Muscles
We are going to invoke the use of the word movement once again in this blog, because there is a tremendous amount of it in the spine when you are training to jump and when you are actually jumping.
Failure to adequately equip the back muscles for this extensive movement can have ghastly consequences both in the short and the long term. Because there is that complication, the back muscles are already built to be strong.
The role that the back muscles play in the jump motion is clearly defined in that you cannot walk, squat or jump without them. It is particularly important to strengthen these (back) muscles to help promote stability and coordination for the trunk of the body and the limbs during the jump motion.
2- Abdominal Muscles
Where the glutes are important for aesthetics among the fairer sex, the abs are definitely a pull factor for human beings of the male persuasion. There are multiple functions for this group of muscles during jump motion. Chief among them is the support that they offer to the spinal column during the jump motion.
The abs also offer meaningful support when your torso bends to either of the sides when jumping. Jumping, to a large degree is also an extreme movement. A strong abdominal core helps mitigate the impact of these extreme movements.
3- Shoulders, Arms and Chest
The shoulders, arms and chest have other perhaps more important functions in the human body. However, in the jumping context they combine in an effort to help increase explosive power produced by the body when taking off during the jump motion.
They also help propel your body forward and further upwards into the air during the jump motion. When we talk about having a secondary function when jumping, the role of these three muscle groups pretty much sums that up when jumping.
Conclusion
The muscles used for jumping, whether they be in the lower or upper body, need to be protected. The roles they all play during the jump motion are all intertwined too, so one of them being dysfunctional can have a devastating impact on your ambitions to jump higher or increase the height of your vertical jump.
One way you can go about protecting this group of muscles is by making them stronger and better equipped to manage the burden on your body during the jump motion. You make them stronger by performing comprehensive exercises and drills associated with jump training.
Hey, I’m Aleksandar and I am a Basketball freak! That is why I decided to create this blog. Teaching people How to dunk a basketball and How to Jump Higher in this sport or other related sports that require vertical jumping, is my specialty. If that’s your aim, then you have come to the right place.