So have you seen Vince Carter dunk over 7’2 French center Frederic Weis? Good. You’ve seen an Air Canada dunk on Alonzo Mourning. And did you hear Vinsanity hit the top of the board? Right, the guy has crazy hoops, he just jumps off the building!

But hey, there’s something good about jumping: it’s not about genes or height. It’s all about work! You can learn to jump and you can learn to spike!

But there are some basic secrets on how to increase your vertical that many people don’t even think about. Maybe because they sound pretty simple. But they are crucial as well as effective. So if you want to increase your vertical and move up like Air Canada, here are the five Vince Carter Dunk secrets:

#1: Lose weight. Every pound counts. So every extra pound is unnecessary weight you have to lift into the air. And this costs a lot of energy. Even Michael Jordan had to go through hard fitness training just to keep off the extra pounds. The best dunkers in the world are athletic but at the same time quite thin. Note: they never look like bodybuilders (s. also secret #3). Examples? Vince, Gerald Green, Air Up There, Mike or James White. How to lose extra kilos? Just cut the desert.

#2: Use the jump rope. Two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson, last year’s winner Nate Robinson, and Vince Carter have consistently used this item in their training routines. It is not only a perfect exercise for your coordination and quick feet, but also one of the most effective to boost your vertical jump very quickly.

#3: Don’t train too much! Yes, that is correct. Because? Because many people are very motivated at the beginning and start to build muscles like bodybuilders. Thus they become heavy and attached. They try to jump, realize the extra pounds and lose motivation. How to avoid this? Never spend more than 30 minutes a day training your vertical. Otherwise, you are in danger of becoming too heavy.

#4: The number of repetitions does not count but the quality of your execution. Jumping like hell may be nice, but it’s not effective. Instead, you should pay attention to your jumping movement. The technique is essential. Make sure you use all your power and don’t forget to use your arms. Note: One clean jump with full force is better than ten half in a row. Other than Air Canada, Gerald Green is a perfect example of clean execution.

#5: Stretching – before and after training. A lot of people just cut that element out. But the flexibility of your muscles is essential for your jumping ability. That’s why it’s a staple of Vinsanity’s day-to-day training. The next time you see Vince Carter dunk, just pay attention to how bent his body is. Unlike Kobe Bryant, who built a lot of muscle in recent years, and lost some hoops and speed that way, Vince always placed importance on staying quick and versatile.