Expert: Todd Bublitz, RCEP - 3/30/2004

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Do ankle weights damage your knees and joints if you only walk in them? Do ankle weights strenghting your knees and the muscules around it? If i want to increase my vetical jumping abilities are ankle weights a good idea to wear only for walking? Since I've heard that they damage your knees if you workout in them or run is this true?

plez help me with my questions thnx:)
sim
Answer -
sim,

Ankle weights may hurt your knee joints if you use too much weight during a too vigorous activity.  It is not recommended that you jog with more than light ankle weights.  Using ankle weights properly may have a little benefit on the muscles around the knee - the quads.  However, the quads (the muscles on the front of your thigh) have very little to do with your vertical jump.

The vertical jump has more to do with the hamstrings (back of the thigh), the hip flexors, glutes (buttocks) and the lower back.

The bottom line is that ankle weights to improve vertical jump is a flat idea.

Best wishes.

Todd



Todd thanxs so how do i increase my vertical jump than, what things should i do without weights?

Answer
sim,

Here are a couple of good links to help with your vertical jump.  There is a lot of information available on the web, so I'm not going to try to reproduce it here.

"How to Improve Vertical Jump"
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/verticaljump.htm

"Plyometric Exercises - Lower Body"
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometricexercises.html

sim, it's time for you to learn.  The more you learn, the better you will understand.  The more you understand, the more effective your training will be.

Best of luck.

Todd