Home > Fiba Eurocup Final > Unlock Your Vertical Jump with These Basketball Leg Workout Secrets
Unlock Your Vertical Jump with These Basketball Leg Workout Secrets
2025-11-17 15:01
I remember watching that 2018 Governors' Cup championship like it was yesterday - Chito Victolero's strategic brilliance was something to behold. What struck me most wasn't just the trophy celebration, but how those players moved on court. Their explosive vertical jumps during crucial moments literally lifted the team to victory. Fast forward to today, and I can't help but notice how Tenorio's observation about the current players' burning desire resonates with what I've learned about basketball athleticism over the years. That hunger to end championship droughts often translates directly to how players approach their leg training - and honestly, that's where real transformation happens.
When I started working with collegiate athletes back in 2015, I noticed something fascinating. Players would spend hours on upper body workouts while treating leg days as afterthoughts. The truth is, your vertical jump isn't just about raw power - it's about intelligent training that combines strength, technique, and timing. I've seen players add 6-8 inches to their vertical within 12 weeks simply by restructuring their leg workouts. The secret isn't in doing more exercises, but in doing the right ones with proper form and progression.
Let me share something I wish I'd known earlier. Most athletes focus solely on quad-dominant exercises like squats, completely neglecting the posterior chain. Your glutes and hamstrings contribute nearly 40% of your jumping power. I typically recommend incorporating Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts - these made a dramatic difference for a point guard I coached last season. His vertical improved from 28 to 34 inches after we prioritized posterior chain development. The transformation wasn't just in numbers - his court presence changed completely, allowing him to contest shots he previously couldn't reach.
Plyometrics are another area where I've seen players make costly mistakes. Many think box jumps alone will solve their vertical challenges, but the reality is more nuanced. Depth jumps, bounding exercises, and reactive hops create the neural adaptations necessary for explosive takeoffs. I remember working with a shooting guard who could dunk in practice but struggled during games. We discovered his approach angle was costing him 2-3 inches of elevation. After adjusting his footwork patterns and incorporating lateral plyometrics, his in-game dunk percentage increased from 45% to 78% within two months.
The integration of strength and speed work is where magic happens. Conventional wisdom suggests keeping these separate, but I've found tremendous success with complex training - pairing heavy lifts with explosive movements in the same session. For instance, following heavy squats with medicine ball throws activates more fast-twitch muscle fibers than either exercise alone. This approach helped one of my clients increase his standing vertical by 5 inches in just 8 weeks, something I initially thought was impossible until I saw the results myself.
Recovery is the unsung hero of vertical jump development. I've witnessed countless athletes undermine their progress by neglecting this crucial component. Your muscles don't grow during workouts - they grow during recovery. Implementing proper sleep protocols, nutrition timing, and active recovery sessions can accelerate progress by up to 30% based on my tracking data. The Hotshots' 2018 championship team understood this intuitively - their training logs showed meticulous attention to recovery that directly correlated with their late-season performance surge.
What fascinates me about basketball athleticism is how individual the journey really is. There's no universal formula that works for everyone. Through years of coaching, I've developed what I call "movement signatures" - unique patterns that define each athlete's jumping mechanics. Some players generate power from their hips, others from their ankles. Identifying these patterns allows for customized training that yields faster results. The desire Tenorio observed in current players needs to be channeled through personalized training approaches rather than generic workout plans.
Looking at professional basketball today, I'm convinced that leg workout secrets aren't really secrets anymore - they're just poorly implemented. The difference between good and great often comes down to consistency in executing fundamental exercises with perfect form. Squat depth, landing mechanics, and push-off angles matter more than fancy equipment or trendy workouts. When I analyze game footage from that 2018 championship run, I see textbook jumping mechanics that resulted from thousands of hours of disciplined practice.
Ultimately, unlocking your vertical jump potential comes down to understanding that it's both science and art. The scientific principles of biomechanics and physiology provide the foundation, but the artistic element of listening to your body and adapting accordingly makes the real difference. As current players chase that championship feeling Victolero's team experienced in 2018, they'll discover that their leg strength becomes the vehicle for turning desire into achievement. The rim doesn't care about your aspirations - it only responds to your ability to reach it.
Heather Bolton Suber ’02
Leah Schnell ’01
Sarah Grimes Wiggins ’93
Dr. Ralph Swearngin
Point University will induct four members into the Athletics Hall of Fame during a luncheon on Friday, October 24, during Homecoming weekend.
The class of 2025 includes Leah Schnell ’01, Heather Bolton Suber ’02, Dr. Ralph Swearngin and Sarah Grimes Wiggins ’93. The Athletics Hall of Fame was launched in May 2024, when six inaugural members were inducted.
“We look forward to honoring the second Hall of Fame class during Homecoming,” said Jaunelle White, vice president of intercollegiate athletics and chief student development officer. “It’s always a great feeling to have our alumni back on campus mingling with our current student-athletes and coaches. These individuals were elite during their time at Atlanta Christian College and deserve to be recognized.”
Schnell attended Atlanta Christian College from 1998 to 2001, where she earned a degree in business while competing in both basketball and volleyball. On the basketball court, she earned First Team All-Conference, Scholar Athlete, and First Team All-American honors for three consecutive years. Schnell also held the title of all-time leading scorer from 1998-2001. She now thrives as a commercial construction project manager at Barnsley Construction Group and as an entrepreneur.
Suber, from Havana, Florida, attended ACC from 1998 to 2002. A dedicated two-sport athlete, she earned numerous accolades, including First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention and First Team All-American. One of her most memorable achievements came when she made eleven three-pointers in a single game. Suber graduated with a degree in early childhood education and went on to earn a master’s degree in education and a specialist degree in instructional technology. For over 23 years, she has served as an educator.
Swearngin has had a distinguished career in education, athletics and ministry spanning several decades, including 20 years at ACC in roles such as professor, dean of students, athletics director and coach. He held national leadership positions with the NCCAA, served as a trustee of Point University for over 10 years, and worked extensively in ministry and education in California, earning degrees from Whittier College and Georgia State University. His athletic involvement includes 23 years as a high school football official in California and Georgia, 22 years with the Georgia High School Association — retiring as executive director in 2014 — and service on national football and softball rules committees. Honored with multiple Hall of Fame inductions and the Atlanta Falcons Lifetime Achievement Award, Swearngin has authored two books and remains active in retirement through preaching and leading Bible studies, alongside his wife of 58 years, Evelyn.
Wiggins grew up in Roswell, Georgia, where she began playing basketball at the age of ten. After two years at Florida State University, she transferred to ACC in 1990. While at ACC, Wiggins was named to the All-American team in both 1991 and 1992. In her final year, she led her team in scoring, helping them finish second in the nation, and was named national MVP in 1992. She earned a bachelor of science in elementary education in 1993 and later received a master’s degree in technology and media sciences from Georgia Southern University in 2009. For the past 33 years, Wiggins has worked as a dedicated educator. In 1997, she married Todd Wiggins. Together, they have two children, Preston, 26, and Logan, 22.
