Which muscles dominate YOUR jump?

Being sore from constant activity over the weekend, I noticed something yesterday. I think people use muscles in different ratios for their jumping. It's already a known fact that some people jump better from a rebound and some from simply forcing the muscles to make them fly...

I noticed, for me, that my calves provide most of my jumping ability. I realized this because I am not sore in the muscles of my calf again, but rather I'm sore in a tendon that runs straight down the middle of my lower leg. It seems that, when tumbling, I use a stretch-reflex motion in my calves instead of actually rebound very far with my legs. I thought of this a little while back but didn't notice the significance... I only bend my knees a little during a jump. What would happen if I did the same thing with my thighs? I figured I'd be throwing around double backs like nothing, but that's probably not 100% true.

Do you think you've noticed a difference in which muscles you dominantly use for jumping?

focus on the hip drive to activate glutes?

alot of people only jump through their quads. depends on foot placement and knee bend. tumbling hardly counts as jumping anyway because the knees only bend fractionally.

If you use anything other than glutes and hamstrings you're doing it wrong -- or rather you have activated improper biomechanical patterns.

Doesn't the initial phase of a standing vertical jump use the Posterior chain until above parallel and then the quads and hip flexors kick in?

Blairbob said:

Doesn't the initial phase of a standing vertical jump use the Posterior chain until above parallel and then the quads and hip flexors kick in?

It's either broad or vertical that uses a little more quads than the other. I don't remember.

Whatever the case the joint that is accelerating the fastest (highest torque) is at the hip... where the glutes and hamstrings are exhibiting the most force.