Dwight Howard was a little bit disappointing in the 2009 NBA Slam Dunk Contest…At least we now know he can dunk on a 12 foot rim! Actually, he was more impressive in 2008 as he won with an arsenal of huge, never seen before dunks (including the sick superman-dunk).
By the way – did you know that Dwight can kiss the rim? And do you remember the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached 12 ft 6 in?!
Here is another interesting fact: Did you know that the 23-year old Orlando Magic Center had the most dunks in the NBA the last three seasons? This season (2008-2009) he is already leading the league in dunks (127 till the All Star Break).
By now it should be clean the guy can jump – actually he has a 39-inch vertical.
So, what is his training about?
First of all, Dwight is a Rebounding Machine. And battling for rebounds takes more than great ups. First and foremost you need strong lower-back muscles to explode to the ball. That’s why The Beast includes back extensions or single-leg deadlifts in every workout. But besides these exercises, Dwight also uses some special, plyometric exercises to improve his vertical:
Tuck Jump:
Starting position: half-squat position with your hips back, knees over toes, and shoulders over your knees. Keep your hands out in front of you for balance.
Then jump up as high as you can and bring your knees to your chest at the top of the jump. Land with hips back and shoulders over your knees. Hold this position for 2 seconds and repeat the jump.
Squat Jump:
Starting position: squat position with hands touching the ground in front of your toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees. Then, jump as high as you can and land with your hips back, knees over your toes in the starting position. Immediately repeat the jump for 15 seconds.
Besides weight training, what does the 6’11” Center do to gain his inhuman strength?
“Every night I play a boxing video game (Fight Night Round 2). In between each round I do 20 to 40 push-ups.” – Dwight Howard
Dwight averages about 10 matches a night, at anywhere from two rounds to 12. His estimate: 400 push-ups a night.
For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you “don’t” do is more important then what you “do” do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend: