If you’re looking for a way to improve your basketball skills and want to jump higher or even dunk, vertical jump programs can give you the boost you need. Which jump programs actually deliver the goods though? There are quite a few different ones available, and several of them make claims that may not be achievable. If adding big increases to your vertical jump was as simple as some programs lead you to believe, wouldn’t everybody be able to dunk by now? So how can you find a really good vertical program?

Here are the 5 things you should watch for in a vertical jump program.

1. Easy to follow instructions
It’s important that you can understand what the creator of the program is discussing. It shouldn’t matter if you’re just starting or are an accomplished athlete, the program should be easy for anybody to start doing without a glossary of complicated terms.

2. Plyometrics and weighlifting workout routines
Programs that have plyo and weight workouts produce better results. If a product doesn’t have these things, there’s no way it can help you get the optimal results. Plyometrics is all about explosive movements, which is something you’ll need to give you the ultimate results.

3. Customizable workouts
All athletes are at different stages, and what might work for one person probably wouldn’t work for someone else. That is the reason it’s very important that a vertical jump program has enough variation – for beginners, intermediate and advanced ballers. That way, if you’re advanced in plyometrics workouts, but you’ve never lifted weights before, you can alter you workout to the exact programs that are most needed.

4. Improves overall strength and speed
The program should not only help you jump higher, it should automatically make you stronger and faster as well. So, if your vertical jump only improves by a couple inches, the workout system you are using is probably not improving your strength or quickness.

5. Be Affordable
You shouldn’t have to spend an arm and a leg just to jump high! (After all, how high can you jump with just one leg (ha ha)? There are some workouts out there that are worth the money, but none of them should cost five times what the others charge.

If you can find all five of these items in a vertical jump program, it is probably a good one, and one that should produce results. Check out this site for a Review of Vertical Jump Programs.