Did you know NBA superstar Kevin Garnett had more dunks (60) last year than highflyers like Kobe Bryant (59) and Desmond Mason (56)? Of course, the 31-year old power forward is 6'11'', but he also has a 36-inch vertical.

So, dunking a basketball is a no-brainer for KG.

But what can you do to improve your vertical jump?

There are a lot of exercises everybody knows about - like jump rope, calf raises, squats aso.

But there are some very effective exercises only few people know about:

Glute Bridges:

This exercise trains the glutes (gluteal muscles; your butt) and the hamstrings which play a big role in vertical leap.

Starting Position: lay on your back, knees bent, feet shoulder width apart. Now pull up your hips as high as you can. Hold the position for three seconds, then lower your body back down. Repeat the exercise 10-12 times.

Chair Jumps:

This is quite a challenging exercise, but it is very effective.

Starting Position: Take a solid chair and put one foot on it. Now push down on this foot propelling you into the air. As you are come down, place the other foot on the chair. Do two sets of 10 reps (total).

Deep Knee Bends:

This exercise trains your thighs and hamstrings.

Starting Position: Standing, feet shoulder width apart. Now slowly bend at the knees. Try to keep your back straight! Go down slowly as low as possible and slowly rise back up. Repeat the exercise 12 times.

For more exercises and crucial things to know about vertical jump (f.e. why often what you "don't" do is more important then what you "do" do) please take a look at this page I strongly recommend:

http://www.howtodunk.org

p.s. In case you haven't heard yet - KG is a Boston Celtic now! For more infos:

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2007/07/more_details_on.html

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