Shannon Brown's dunks are just as impressive as his vertical. The 24-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard has one of the highest verticals in the NBA (44.5 inches)! And he is only 6 foot 2 inches tall (not 6'4 '').
Of course Brown was disappointing in this year's NBA Slam Dunk Contest (February 2010). He did not even advance beyond the first round. But most experts agree it was not his appearance in this contest. In fact, Brown has been dunking for a long time:
It was going into my freshman year at Tim Hardaway basketball camp. I knew I could do it. I was trying it in gym class my eighth grade year before that summer camp, and it was not working for me.
Although Brown did some weight lifting in high school and college, he basically eliminated weight training from his workout routine since entering the NBA. In fact, Brown sticks mostly to push-ups and almost does not train his legs! So, for some parts it must be in his genes: the fast twitch fibers are working at their best. But of course it's only one side of the coin. The other side is practice that starts already as a kid. However, there is one thing that Brown constantly has been working on and still does: core strength. It's his small secret ...
When it comes to jumping core strength is extremely important. Without core strength you can not create the body tension that is essential in the jumping process. Core muscles allow the transfer of powerful movements of the arms and legs. Exercises that improve core strength are:
- Push Ups
- Abdominal Bracing
- V-Sits
- Crunches
- Back Bridges
- Squats
- Oblique Twists
- Lunges
- Superman exercises
But as you are probably not as athletically gifted as Shannon Brown you also need to work on your calves, hamstrings, quads and glutes muscles.