Everybody wants to jump higher.
When I was 15, I wanted exactly the same thing.
I remember watching older players in the gym. Some of them looked incredibly explosive. Others seemed to float in the air when they attacked. I kept asking myself:
“What are they doing that I’m not?”
So I started doing what most young players do.
I jumped more.
After practice I stayed another 20 or 30 minutes. More approach jumps. More block jumps. More everything.
Looking back, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea.
I was working hard, but I wasn’t necessarily working on the right things.
Years later, after playing professionally in Italy, Poland, France, Turkey, Germany and Argentina, I realized something that completely changed how I looked at jump training.
Jumping higher isn’t about jumping more.
It’s about becoming better at producing force.
If you understand that difference, you’re already ahead of most volleyball players.
Yes.
But probably not as much as Instagram promises.
Every week I see videos saying:
“Gain 20 cm in two weeks!”
Honestly?
If that really worked, every professional club in the world would already be using it.
Genetics matter.
Height matters.
Your tendon structure matters.
But almost every volleyball player can improve their jump.
Sometimes by 3 cm.
Sometimes by 10 cm.
Sometimes even more.
And believe me…
In volleyball, 5 extra centimeters can completely change your career.
Five centimeters can be the difference between hitting into the block…
…or hitting above it.
This is probably the mistake I see most often coaching junior players.
A motivated player finishes practice.
Everyone goes home.
He stays.
Then he starts doing another fifty jumps.
He’s sweating.
He’s exhausted.
He feels like he’s doing something extra.
Three months later…
Nothing changed.
The problem wasn’t motivation.
The problem was that he kept training the same body with the same strength.
Your muscles can only produce the force they’re capable of producing.
If you never become stronger…
…you’ll eventually stop jumping higher.
That’s why the best jump programs aren’t really jump programs.
They’re strength programs combined with explosive training.
When I first started playing abroad, one thing surprised me.
I expected professional teams to spend hours doing crazy plyometric workouts.
Instead…
we spent a lot of time getting stronger.
Not bodybuilding.
Not trying to build huge legs.
Just becoming stronger where it mattered.
Because strength gives you options.
Explosiveness simply allows you to use it faster.
If you’re still developing physically, I’d spend far more time improving exercises like:
- Bulgarian split squats
- Romanian deadlifts
- step-ups
- squats
- lunges
These aren’t flashy.
Nobody posts them on Instagram.
But they build the foundation every elite jumper needs.
This one took me years to understand.
When I was younger, I believed the harder I trained, the better I’d become.
Sometimes we’d have a two-hour volleyball practice.
At the end I’d think,
“Now it’s time to train my vertical jump.”
Actually…
that was probably the worst possible moment.
Your nervous system is already tired.
Your technique changes.
Every jump becomes slower.
You’re practicing being slow.
Today, if one of my players wants to improve their vertical jump, I tell them:
Jump when you’re fresh.
Your body learns quality.
Not quantity.
Professional volleyball players jump hundreds of times every week.
But very few of those jumps are random.
Some jumps are about maximum height.
Some are about quick reactions.
Others teach landing.
Others improve approach timing.
If every jump in training looks exactly the same…
you’re probably wasting a lot of energy.
Here’s something nobody told me when I was younger.
Landing is training too.
Watch professional volleyball closely.
The best athletes don’t just jump well.
They land quietly.
Controlled.
Balanced.
Ready for the next movement.
Poor landing mechanics waste energy and increase injury risk.
Good landing mechanics make the next jump faster.
When people think about jumping, they immediately think about legs.
Fair enough.
But your arms matter far more than most players realize.
A fast, aggressive arm swing helps transfer momentum into the jump.
I’ve seen players gain a few centimeters simply by improving their approach rhythm and arm action.
No extra strength.
No expensive equipment.
Just better mechanics.
People often ask me,
“What’s the one exercise that increases vertical jump?”
There isn’t one.
But if you’re training at home, these are three exercises I recommend most often.
Explosive Squat Jumps
Simple.
No equipment.
Jump as high as possible every repetition.
Focus on quality, not speed.
Bulgarian Split Squats
If I could choose only one strength exercise for volleyball players…
this would be very close to the top of my list.
Single-leg strength transfers extremely well to your volleyball approach.
Tuck Jumps
These teach your body to produce force quickly while improving coordination.
Just don’t rush through them.
Every repetition should feel explosive.
Over the years I’ve tested dozens of jump exercises.
Some worked.
Some were a complete waste of time.
Eventually I built my own system using more than 100 exercises that helped me reach a 358 cm spike touch. Later, I simplified the starting point into a free guide with seven home drills designed to improve explosiveness, coordination and jumping efficiency before players move on to more advanced training.
If you’re just getting started, you don’t need complicated equipment or a gym.
You simply need a plan.
I didn’t write this guide because I think seven exercises will magically transform your jump.
I wrote it because I know how confusing the internet can be.
One coach tells you to squat.
Another says never squat.
One person says jump every day.
Another says don’t jump at all.
So I picked the seven exercises I believe give volleyball players the best return for the time they invest.
They’re simple.
They require very little equipment.
And they’re exactly the kind of drills I’d give one of my own players who wanted to start improving today.
You can download the guide free inside my NEXT-GEN HITTER FREE PLAN below.
Download 7 Vertical Jump Drills
How often should I train my vertical jump?
Two or three focused sessions each week are enough for most volleyball players. Your body needs time to recover if you want to jump higher.
Is jumping every day a good idea?
Usually not. I would rather see three excellent sessions than seven average ones.
Can I improve my jump without a gym?
Absolutely. A gym helps, but many players make excellent progress with bodyweight strength work, plyometrics and good technique.
How long does it take to see results?
If you’re consistent, you’ll usually notice improvements within six to eight weeks. Big improvements take longer—but they last.