The trick to dunk the ball???

trixta · October 19th, 2006, 07:16 PM

I'd like to be able to dunk the ball while playing basketball.

I'm 6'3", 195lbs with 9-10%bf; so I'm not fat, but it seems as if my legs are too week to lift myself off the ground very far.

Would building leg mass through presses, squats, etc allow me to increase my vertical jump or impede it?
I've seen skinny guys who were shorter than me dunk or et least get very close to it.

I've actually been working out legs while building up overall mass over the last 8 months (went from 175lbs to 195 ) but have stopped doing legs all together for the last 2-3 months (not that I could dunk before).

What do you guys recommend: building more leg mass or strength train what I already have?

Thanks

**Gman1524** · October 19th, 2006, 07:20 PM

I once saw a guy that was 5' 3" dunk the ball.

As for me, I could not jump over a pencil.

**ItalianStallion** · October 19th, 2006, 07:52 PM

u just need to practice ur ups n get ur calves strong...put weights on ur ankles n jump...sum people r just not ment to dunk sry

**illiniballfan112** · October 19th, 2006, 08:53 PM

The Trick?? Well, there is no trick, it takes "practice"....with a little help from good genetics

I have been 6'1" since my junior year in high school. Back then, I could only jump to touch about an inch or so below the rim. To dunk a basketball, you need to be able to effectively get at least your wrist to be able to get to rim level, not your fingertips. where are you at now? can you at least touch rim?

Well, I can dunk now, pretty good too as I can do 1 hand, 2 hand, 2 hand reverse dunks, and even a "bootleg" double pump dunk. My secret to getting there? Squats, and lots of them.

I never trained legs up until my freshman year in college. After about 4 months of painful squats supersetted with heavy leg presses, I was dunking easy. Plyometrics help as well, box jumps or even something as simple as jump roping.

"practice" dunking while you're shooting around. Start out just inside the 3-point arc, take a couple hard dribbles to the rim and try as hard as you can to dunk. you'll only be doing layups, but if you attack the rim like you're going to dunk over and over again you'll build up your jump reflex. eventually you'll be getting your hand close to the rim and soon after above it.

You are 6'3" and based on your weight in good shape. I would say if you can't touch the base of the backboard by doing a vertical jump standing under it (no running start) you've got a long way to go. as the stallion said, not everyone is meant to, but you can sure as hell try

And if you need motivation, just look at this pic and listen to R. Kelly's "I believe I can Fly"

trixta · October 20th, 2006, 03:08 PM

I can touch the rim with my fingertips, but with a running start.

Going to start hitting the legs at the gym again.

Thanks for the input guys

**forbodybuilders** · October 23rd, 2006, 05:04 PM

gman rule

tryn2getfit · November 20th, 2006, 01:16 AM

Alright. That's some good stuff there illini. I was just thinking about something similar to ItallionStallion in that I want to dunk a basketball. Now my situation is different in that I'm a former basketball player (middle school through college). After I got out of school I gained A LOT of weight (playing weight in college 215lbs., blew up to about 330lbs. in late 2003). I'm now down to 250 (trying to get back down to 215-220lbs.) and was hoping to get back to the place where I can go out and play ball at a somewhat high level. In the process, I'd like to get to where I can dunk again. I'm about 6'1 or 6'2 (I'm claiming 6'3) and when I played I dunked fairly easy (1 hand, 2 hands, backwards, etc.). I'm hoping to be able to start dunking again by my birthday next year (Feb.).

Any suggestions on what I can do (beyond what has already been suggested), and am I being realistic?

backthen · November 20th, 2006, 01:41 AM

Trixta,

I played college ball at ISU and I played 2 years in Europe. While squats are goods for you and ankle weights do help they are not the essentials to dunking a basketball. Squats, cleans and jerks, lunges are great but I played with guys who can barely squat 200 lbs but can jump out of the gym. Basketball players use squats for explosion (quickness off the ground) then for improving their dunking. Trust me Lebron didnt do squats in high school to fly like he does. He was born with that. And yes some guys are just that lucky. For others using jump boxes, and plyometrics are the best exercises to do. The exercises specialize in increasing height. If squats were the one thing that improved height every football player would jump like MJ. Also upperbody strength helps you in the air. If your legs are heavier then your upper body then gravity is pulling you down.

So simple exercises like calf raises on stairs, jump rope, jump boxes, and honestly jumping in place with different techniques helped me the most.
Ps. I had a point guard on our team who was 5'7 who could dunk and he couldnt squat to save his life.

**justaguy87337** · November 21st, 2006, 06:15 PM

the first time I dunked a basketball was in the 8th grade. That was a llllooonnnggg time ago. What we did was make dunking blocks, they would be platforms about 3' high. We would pump up onto the top and then back off. I would also take a bike inner tube and place it over my shoulder and have someone hold it while I jumped up and touched the backboard. I would do this along with calf raises everyday, with amazing results.