Did you see Jamario Moon's 360 one-hander off-the-bounce in the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest? His head was almost at the rim on that one! Ok, Moon definitely lost the contest as he placed a tape eight inches in front of the free throw line and did a "basic" one-handed dunk one step behind it. So he finished third behind winner Dwight Howard and defending champion Gerald Green. But one thing‘s for sure - the 6'8''- small forward can jump.

Believe it or not, Moon has the highest vertical leap (47 inches) of all NBA players! In a pre-draft camp he touched 12 foot, 4 inches (!) on a jumping test.

The 27 year old rookie from the Toronto Raptors flushed his first dunk in the sixth grade as he was 5-foot-11.

"My first one, it wasn't like I threw it down, but I got up and I held on to the rim. Everybody in the gym just went crazy. And I went crazy, too. I went home and that was all I was talking about. And from then on, it was just one after another. Some games I might have, like, four or five dunks." - Jamario Moon

When he's asked to explain his jumping ability, he chalks it up to one part genetics, one part work. And your work ethic is even more important than your "genetics", because unless you don't have any serious health problems and can touch the net of a regular basket, you definitely can learn to dunk! It's all about your will power and dedication.

So, where to start? First of all, you need to work on your overall fitness. You have to lose the extra pounds (if you got some, otherwise concentrate on reducing your body fat) and your legs must become strong enough to take up a vertical program.

For that, go Jogging and use the Jump Rope 3 times a week (jogging: minimum 45 min. 3 times/ week; jump rope: 100 jumps 3 times a week).

Jumping rope not only gives you explosiveness and calf strength but is also a great way to build stamina, and work on your overall leg strength.

Besides the jump rope, you have to build in the following, highly effective exercises in your workout:

Squats and Calf Raises as they train the most important muscle groups in the jumping process. Do these exercises every now and then (the days you do not run). But don't exaggerate (max. 1 set of 8 reps 2 times/ week)!

After 3-4 weeks (and a rest period of one week) your legs should be prepared for a concrete vertical program (I personally can recommend Go Up Strong: http://www.howtodunk.org but there are also other recommendable programs. Actually it's more about your will to stick to a program than which one to pick.

The other, very effective exercises are:

1) Leg Presses - 3 x 7 reps
2) Lunges - 3 sets of 8
3) Leg Curls - 3 x 10
4) Shrugs - 3 sets x 15
5) Presses - 3 x 15

When you perform these exercises you work on your strength. But since power is strength multiplied with speed, you also need to work on your quickness.

In order to improve this aspect you can try:

1) Sprints (3 x 60 m)

2) Jumping (for example rim jumps)

3) Plyometric exercises (for example Split Squat Jumps)

P.S. Don't forget to stretch before and after your workout. Stretching not only prevents injuries but also keeps your muscles flexible - a huge point in the vertical jump! Studies have shown that warming up increases the speed of nerve impulses to muscles. The result: faster reaction times. This is one reason professional athletes spend more time warming up compared to many normal athletes - they know it will prevent injuries and help them reach better results.

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