Friday, May 23, 2008
Learn it Like the Professionals
Hi you guys,
Sorry I skipped last weeks article as I went on vacation with family. As I promised you last week, I would teach you about one key aspect of vertical jump training that most people dont even know about. Once you read this article, you will easily learn how to spot an A+ quality program from than of a C rated workout. In the article below we will go over this one element that will help you further understand how to increase you vertical jump. To everyone reading this post, have a great Memorial weekend and stay safe.
Fast Twitch Training
For vertical jumping, great genetics refers to having a high percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers. If you are lucky enough to have a high percentage of these it is a good bet that you will be able to jump high. However, just because you don’t have great genetics to start with, it doesn’t mean you can’t develop the ones you do have into a great vertical jump
Here we will explain the difference between the three main fiber types, how they work, and how you can apply this knowledge to focus your training. There are many things you can do to maximize the athletic potential, so don't worry too much if you are starting behind the genetic 8 ball.
The Three Main Muscle Fiber Types
Although there are further micro variations in muscle fiber types, the three main ones are:
Type I: Slow Twitch Fibers.
Type IIa: Fast Twitch Fibers.
Type IIb: Fast Twitch Fibers
Each one has its own characteristics and is suited to a particular type of movement.
Type 1 fibers are slow to contract (hence, slow twitch), and can sustain muscular contractions for an extended period of time. This factor makes them ideal for endurance type of events where one is exercising for long durations. They also contain large and numerous mitochondria which aid in their oxidative metabolism (the use of oxygen). These types of fibers are fatigue resistant but are only able produce a relatively low level of force output.
Type IIa muscle fibers are, as the name would suggest, fast twitch fibers (FTF's). However they are in the middle of the muscle fiber spectrum, as they are less fatigue resistance, produce more muscular force, and contract at a faster speed than slow twitch fibers, but not quite as much as type IIb fibers.
The type IIb fibers are the most easily fatigued out of all the fibers but also generate the most power. These are most heavily recruited for activities that require an all out burst of power over a very short period of time.
It is the type IIb fibers that are primarily responsible for your vertical jump performance, although your type IIa’s also have a small role. As such it is the type II's that you should be targeting with your training.
How To Train Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers
There are a number of proven methods that target the fast twitch muscle fibers (FTF's). By following these guidelines you will ensure that your muscles are provided with the right stimulus to development your vertical jump.
• In the weight room try to lift in excess of 60% of your 1RM. Generally speaking, the heavier you lift the greater the recruitment of FTF's. The exception to this is if you are doing ballistic weighted exercises such as barbell jump squats. In these instances it is ok to use a lower 1RM% – see the next point.
• Aim for maximum speed on all your movements. Whether it is lifting a weight, skipping, jumping, bounding, or throwing, try and do it flat out. Short burst (10 seconds or less) of very high intensity work will cause the type of positive muscular adaptations you are after.
• Train eccentrically. Incorporating fully the eccentric portion of any lift you do you will recruit a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers. Eccentric training essentially refers to things like going deep into your squats, or lowering the weight under control in a dead lift. This will further activate your FTF's.
• Use Plyometrics. Plyometrics involves the activation of the stretch-shorten reflexive response to create more powerful contractions. These contractions are primarily the domain of the fast twitch muscle fibers so doing this type of training will really stimulate those type II’s.
• Contrast Load Training. This is one of our favorite training techniques and real jump improver. To use contrast load training you might perform a very heavy set of squats, say 75-95% of your 1RM, rest 1-2 minutes, and then perform a lighter more explosive movement such as unweighted jump squats. The initial heavy set fires up a process known as potentiation that triggers higher recruitment of fast twitch fibers in the subsequent exercise.
• Over-speed Training. We talk about the benefits of over-speed training in our sprint training page. This is where you add some form of resistance to your running or jumping such as using a speed-chute. When you take it off you can now seemingly run much faster. By consciously trying to move your limbs faster in the over-speed portion, you will further activate fast twitch fibers.
• Mental Training. If you have ever seen an Olympic lifter before a lift you will know what a ‘psyche up’ is. This is part of mental training. Those lifters are essentially getting into a frame of mind that tells their bodies to literally fire up the fast twitch fibers. It works equally in your jumping and training. Spend 20 seconds before a jump mentally preparing for the effort and you will jump higher than if you just go and do it.
Conclusion
In order to get the most out of your vertical jump training, you should try to follow those principles. A vertical jump is a powerful, type II muscle fiber based contraction that takes place in a split second. The most effective and efficient way to train therefore is to ensure you fully develop those fiber types. Anything else is just wasted time and energy.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Plyometrics
Hi and welcome back to another post of how to increase your vertical jump. Take a look aound the website and check out previous posts to further your knwoledge of vertical jump training. Feek free to use the links on the right side of the screen to check out some other websites that have been very helpful for me. Train hard and train smart. Check back to this website weekly as we add new content every week. Over the course of our posts, we will be going every aspect of vertical jump training. We will be breaking something new every week!!! Next week we will be covering the most underused type of training. Find out what it is next week.
Remember this program is a general example of a simple progression. Plyometric training is very individual and must be tailored to the specific athlete it is intended for. Every athlete has different concerns and needs. Additionally, injury can result from the incorrect use of plyometrics. Therefore, make sure you seek the advice of a professional who is trained and experienced in this method of training before you embark on a serious plyometric routine.
First, let’s describe some program considerations.
As discussed in previous articles, the principle of specificity must govern the training regimen. Thus, the exercises selected for this program simulate basketball movements in speed, biomechanics and resistance.
Safety and proper progression must be at the forefront of the program. It is better to under-prescribe then to over-prescribe. Advanced exercises must be reserved for only advanced athletes. Beginners always want to progress faster than they are capable of. It is the coach’s job to explain, and insist on, proper progression.
Although beginning plyometric programs may be performed by most people, to participate safely in an aggressive plyometric program many authors suggest that the athlete should be able to squat 1.5 times body weight. Therefore, a considerable strength base becomes imperative when embarking on a challenging plyometric program like the one we will discuss. For most athletes, 8-12 weeks of periodized, resistance training should be sufficient to bring strength levels to adequate levels.
A proper warm up and cool down can not be emphasized enough. The warm-up must proceed from general (e.g. jogging or skipping rope) to specific preparatory exercises (e.g. dynamic stretches similar to exercises being performed). The cool down should focus on flexibility via static stretches and allow the gradual return to a pre-exercises state.
The correct dose of stimuli must be provided. High intensity must dominate the plyometric training session. Quality, not quantity, is the cornerstone of plyometric training – all exercises are to be performed at 95-100% effort. However, there must be a balanced relationship between stress and recovery. Insufficient recovery is the most common cause of injury in plyometrics. Generally 1-3 minutes between sets and 3-5 minutes between exercises is sufficient recovery within a single training session. Recovery between sessions becomes more complex due to the many variables to consider (e.g. practice schedules, strength training volume, level of athletic development, etc.). It is here where the experience of a trained professional becomes paramount.
Finally, Individual program design must be part of the final process. Although a general program can be designed for a team. The coach must “tweak” each program to deal with the specifics of the individual athlete. Adjustments to fit the athlete’s characteristics are always made. Because of individual variations, cookie-cutter plyometric programs are a sure way to hurt athletes. Medical history, training age, muscle imbalances, sport and position played are some of the variables that will dictate the specific design of the program.
To organize the voluminous plyometric training information, several authors have described various categories of plyometric exercises. However, for the sake for simplicity we will restrict our discussion to the three major categories of lower body plyometric exercises. The three basic categories of lower body plyometric exercises are jumps, hops and bounds.
Jumps are exercises where you land with both feet (e.g. long jump). The take off can be performed with one foot or two feet. Jumps can be done in place (e.g. jumping jacks) or for distance (e.g. multiple long jumps). Hops are exercises where you take off one foot and land on the same foot (e.g. single leg hopping). Hops can also be done in place (e.g. stationary single leg ankle hops) or for distance (e.g. multiple single leg hops). Since hops are a single leg exercise, they require much more strength than jumps. Bounding exercises are exercises where one takes off on one foot and lands on the other foot (e.g. alternate leg bounding). Bounds are usually done for distance. Bounds can be the most challenging of the plyometric exercises. However, there is over lap between the categories. For example, a very advance jump exercise can be more demanding than a beginning bound exercise.
Now let’s get to the program. I have used the structure of the 12-week plyometric routine illustrated here very successfully with high school and college level athletes. Keep in mind that to assure the appropriate strength base; 8-12 weeks of resistance training would precede this program. The weekly chart includes the number of sets and reps (depicted as foot contacts). I have also included some figures to help with the identification of the exercises.
This routine can be performed during the pre-season, 2 times per week in conjunction with a 2-3-day/week resistance-training program emphasizing functional strength and power conversion. Once season begins, cutting down to once per week may be indicated. This would depend on athlete’s physiological development, resistance training and competition schedule.
The progression allows a two-week block to adapt to each exercise. As the complexity and intensity of the drills increase, there is a corresponding decrease in volume. This allows, and encourages, higher efforts to be put forth in each repetition. As mentioned before, this increase in intensity is essential for optimal power development.
Remember that this program is for illustrative purposes only. It is not meant to be a prescription for you, or any other person. If you are interested in safely participating in a plyometric program, take the time to consult a professional. The knees and ankles you save could be your own!
The last article in this series, Plyometrics III, discusses an upper body plyometric program designed to develop upper body explosive power. Until then, train hard and train smart!
Illustrative 12 Week Plyometric Program for Basketball
Week 1-2 Sets Foot contacts
Ankle jumps (Stiff leg, fast ankle action, on balls of feet) 3 12
Vertical jumps (Go for repeated, fast rebounds under rim) 3 10
Front obstacle jumps (jump multiple cones or hurdles) 3 10
Lateral obstacle jumps (jumps sideways over multiple cones or hurdles) 3 10
12 126
Week 3-4
Ankle jumps (Increase air time) 4 10
Vertical jumps (Increase airtime and speed between jumps) 3 8
Front obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 4 8
Lateral obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 3 8
14 120
Week 5-6
Power skipping (Exaggerated skipping with powerful leg thrusts - distance) 3 12
Repeated tuck jumps (Jump and tuck knees high and feet under butt- height) 3 8
Multiple long jumps (For distance and height) 3 8
Lateral obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 4 8
13 116
Week 7-8
Power skipping (Increase distance covered per skip) 4 10
Repeated tuck jumps (Increase height – lots of air time) 4 6
Multiple long jumps (Increase distance and height) 4 6
Diagonal obstacle jumps (Zigzag jumps over low bench/row of cones) 4 6
16 112
Week 9-10
Alternate Leg bounding (Exaggerated running –go for distance between steps) 4 8
Single leg hops (Repeated hops on one leg for distance) 4 6
Squat jumps (Increase height of jump) 3 6
Fronto bstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 3 6
Diagonal obstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 3 6
17 110
Week 10-12
Alternate Leg bounding (Increase distance between steps) 3 8
Single leg hops (Increase total distance) 3 6
Squat jumps (Increase height of jump) 3 6
Lateral obstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 2 8
Front obstacle jumps and sprints (Increase intensity of jumps and sprints) 2 8
Diagonal obstacle jumps and sprints (Increase intensity of jumps and sprints) 2 8
15 108
Remember this program is a general example of a simple progression. Plyometric training is very individual and must be tailored to the specific athlete it is intended for. Every athlete has different concerns and needs. Additionally, injury can result from the incorrect use of plyometrics. Therefore, make sure you seek the advice of a professional who is trained and experienced in this method of training before you embark on a serious plyometric routine.
First, let’s describe some program considerations.
As discussed in previous articles, the principle of specificity must govern the training regimen. Thus, the exercises selected for this program simulate basketball movements in speed, biomechanics and resistance.
Safety and proper progression must be at the forefront of the program. It is better to under-prescribe then to over-prescribe. Advanced exercises must be reserved for only advanced athletes. Beginners always want to progress faster than they are capable of. It is the coach’s job to explain, and insist on, proper progression.
Although beginning plyometric programs may be performed by most people, to participate safely in an aggressive plyometric program many authors suggest that the athlete should be able to squat 1.5 times body weight. Therefore, a considerable strength base becomes imperative when embarking on a challenging plyometric program like the one we will discuss. For most athletes, 8-12 weeks of periodized, resistance training should be sufficient to bring strength levels to adequate levels.
A proper warm up and cool down can not be emphasized enough. The warm-up must proceed from general (e.g. jogging or skipping rope) to specific preparatory exercises (e.g. dynamic stretches similar to exercises being performed). The cool down should focus on flexibility via static stretches and allow the gradual return to a pre-exercises state.
The correct dose of stimuli must be provided. High intensity must dominate the plyometric training session. Quality, not quantity, is the cornerstone of plyometric training – all exercises are to be performed at 95-100% effort. However, there must be a balanced relationship between stress and recovery. Insufficient recovery is the most common cause of injury in plyometrics. Generally 1-3 minutes between sets and 3-5 minutes between exercises is sufficient recovery within a single training session. Recovery between sessions becomes more complex due to the many variables to consider (e.g. practice schedules, strength training volume, level of athletic development, etc.). It is here where the experience of a trained professional becomes paramount.
Finally, Individual program design must be part of the final process. Although a general program can be designed for a team. The coach must “tweak” each program to deal with the specifics of the individual athlete. Adjustments to fit the athlete’s characteristics are always made. Because of individual variations, cookie-cutter plyometric programs are a sure way to hurt athletes. Medical history, training age, muscle imbalances, sport and position played are some of the variables that will dictate the specific design of the program.
To organize the voluminous plyometric training information, several authors have described various categories of plyometric exercises. However, for the sake for simplicity we will restrict our discussion to the three major categories of lower body plyometric exercises. The three basic categories of lower body plyometric exercises are jumps, hops and bounds.
Jumps are exercises where you land with both feet (e.g. long jump). The take off can be performed with one foot or two feet. Jumps can be done in place (e.g. jumping jacks) or for distance (e.g. multiple long jumps). Hops are exercises where you take off one foot and land on the same foot (e.g. single leg hopping). Hops can also be done in place (e.g. stationary single leg ankle hops) or for distance (e.g. multiple single leg hops). Since hops are a single leg exercise, they require much more strength than jumps. Bounding exercises are exercises where one takes off on one foot and lands on the other foot (e.g. alternate leg bounding). Bounds are usually done for distance. Bounds can be the most challenging of the plyometric exercises. However, there is over lap between the categories. For example, a very advance jump exercise can be more demanding than a beginning bound exercise.
Now let’s get to the program. I have used the structure of the 12-week plyometric routine illustrated here very successfully with high school and college level athletes. Keep in mind that to assure the appropriate strength base; 8-12 weeks of resistance training would precede this program. The weekly chart includes the number of sets and reps (depicted as foot contacts). I have also included some figures to help with the identification of the exercises.
This routine can be performed during the pre-season, 2 times per week in conjunction with a 2-3-day/week resistance-training program emphasizing functional strength and power conversion. Once season begins, cutting down to once per week may be indicated. This would depend on athlete’s physiological development, resistance training and competition schedule.
The progression allows a two-week block to adapt to each exercise. As the complexity and intensity of the drills increase, there is a corresponding decrease in volume. This allows, and encourages, higher efforts to be put forth in each repetition. As mentioned before, this increase in intensity is essential for optimal power development.
Remember that this program is for illustrative purposes only. It is not meant to be a prescription for you, or any other person. If you are interested in safely participating in a plyometric program, take the time to consult a professional. The knees and ankles you save could be your own!
The last article in this series, Plyometrics III, discusses an upper body plyometric program designed to develop upper body explosive power. Until then, train hard and train smart!
Illustrative 12 Week Plyometric Program for Basketball
Week 1-2 Sets Foot contacts
Ankle jumps (Stiff leg, fast ankle action, on balls of feet) 3 12
Vertical jumps (Go for repeated, fast rebounds under rim) 3 10
Front obstacle jumps (jump multiple cones or hurdles) 3 10
Lateral obstacle jumps (jumps sideways over multiple cones or hurdles) 3 10
12 126
Week 3-4
Ankle jumps (Increase air time) 4 10
Vertical jumps (Increase airtime and speed between jumps) 3 8
Front obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 4 8
Lateral obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 3 8
14 120
Week 5-6
Power skipping (Exaggerated skipping with powerful leg thrusts - distance) 3 12
Repeated tuck jumps (Jump and tuck knees high and feet under butt- height) 3 8
Multiple long jumps (For distance and height) 3 8
Lateral obstacle jumps (Increase distance between obstacles) 4 8
13 116
Week 7-8
Power skipping (Increase distance covered per skip) 4 10
Repeated tuck jumps (Increase height – lots of air time) 4 6
Multiple long jumps (Increase distance and height) 4 6
Diagonal obstacle jumps (Zigzag jumps over low bench/row of cones) 4 6
16 112
Week 9-10
Alternate Leg bounding (Exaggerated running –go for distance between steps) 4 8
Single leg hops (Repeated hops on one leg for distance) 4 6
Squat jumps (Increase height of jump) 3 6
Fronto bstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 3 6
Diagonal obstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 3 6
17 110
Week 10-12
Alternate Leg bounding (Increase distance between steps) 3 8
Single leg hops (Increase total distance) 3 6
Squat jumps (Increase height of jump) 3 6
Lateral obstacle jumps and sprints (add a 15-20 yrd. sprint after jumps) 2 8
Front obstacle jumps and sprints (Increase intensity of jumps and sprints) 2 8
Diagonal obstacle jumps and sprints (Increase intensity of jumps and sprints) 2 8
15 108
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Before you Start a Vertical Jump Training Program
So you are a good athlete but would like to jump a little higher. Wouldn't we all! Sports today is such a highly competitive field that the games are not decided by a matter of inches. The ability to dominate your opponent on the field or court because of a big vertical leap is a reality. So whether you are looking for volleyball scholarships, basketball scholarships or football scholarships here are a few vertical jump tips.
1)Power:Space shuttle doesn't launch into outer space with 50 horse power. So you must train on your power movements which include squats, deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts.
2) Flexibility- now that you've become much stronger from all of the power lifting you must retain your flexibility. As you do a lot of power lifting your hamstrings, glutes and quads will become very tight. It is important to properly stretch these muscles
3) Plyo's- well to put it simply you must jump. Lifting alone will not do it. You can have a very strong base but also be very slow. You must awaken these muscles by doing fast reactive exercises. Box jumps, knee ups, Russian freezes and full jumps with a full reach are all great exercises.
4) Core- you must have a strong core, period. That means abs and lower back. There are a million different ab exercises select a few and hit them hard, use weight and high reps. Lower back stick to hyperextensions and good mornings(either seated or standing). You must have a solid core if you think you're going to leave the ground. It's often overlooked but vital to jumping.
5) Cardio- if you are overweight you will not be a good leaper. Diet and cardio are the only way to lose weight. However, don't jog ten miles a day and expect to remain powerful. Use sprint intervals, shuttle runs, plyometrics and resistance jumping or sprinting.
This is a very quick intro to the world of the vertical jump. We will continue to write more detailed articles with specific exercises and weight and rep suggestions. Understand that it is not just a genetic gift to be a good leaper. You can definitely work and improve on your jumping ability but it takes time and dedication.
Next week we will be covering different programs to increase your vertical jump. Stay posted. Have a good week everyone.
1)Power:Space shuttle doesn't launch into outer space with 50 horse power. So you must train on your power movements which include squats, deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts.
2) Flexibility- now that you've become much stronger from all of the power lifting you must retain your flexibility. As you do a lot of power lifting your hamstrings, glutes and quads will become very tight. It is important to properly stretch these muscles
3) Plyo's- well to put it simply you must jump. Lifting alone will not do it. You can have a very strong base but also be very slow. You must awaken these muscles by doing fast reactive exercises. Box jumps, knee ups, Russian freezes and full jumps with a full reach are all great exercises.
4) Core- you must have a strong core, period. That means abs and lower back. There are a million different ab exercises select a few and hit them hard, use weight and high reps. Lower back stick to hyperextensions and good mornings(either seated or standing). You must have a solid core if you think you're going to leave the ground. It's often overlooked but vital to jumping.
5) Cardio- if you are overweight you will not be a good leaper. Diet and cardio are the only way to lose weight. However, don't jog ten miles a day and expect to remain powerful. Use sprint intervals, shuttle runs, plyometrics and resistance jumping or sprinting.
This is a very quick intro to the world of the vertical jump. We will continue to write more detailed articles with specific exercises and weight and rep suggestions. Understand that it is not just a genetic gift to be a good leaper. You can definitely work and improve on your jumping ability but it takes time and dedication.
Next week we will be covering different programs to increase your vertical jump. Stay posted. Have a good week everyone.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Vertical Jump
Welcome to the first edition of zerogravity. This blog is dedicated to serious athletes, who are in need of that extra 5-10 inches of pure vertical jump for their preferred sport. Afterall, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little something extra. We are here to show you, what that little extra is. All athletes want to get to the next level, but it is only certain people who are actually willing to the pay the price to become a Great athlete. Our blog is made for those people who want to be great, but do not know what to do exactly.
This week we simply break it down, with many great vertical jump excercises, that every athlete should use. After reading this post, take the initiative to practice these excercices. For a period of 2 weeks, pick 4-5 of these excercises each time you work out. Work out 2-3 days a week, with sets of 2-3 for each excercise. After each rep give yourself a 1 minute break.
In this section we will give you our Fab 15 list of the exercises we’ve found give the best “bang for your buck” with regards to improving your vertical jump. Remember that there are many exercises out there that will work, but in the training economy you want to pick the exercises that will give you the greatest results in the least amount of time. This list of exercises accomplishes that goal. These are the main exercises we have used to get our athletes to jump high… in minimal time! An added benefit of this list of exercises is that you’ll notice your sprint times will also improve. Any time you train to improve your vertical jump, you’ll notice you also get faster. Not a bad side effect, is it?
Anyway, let’s check out the Fab 15! (They are in no particular order.)
#1) Box Squats with bands – We love box squats in that we feel they teach the athlete to “sit back” while squatting, which further recruits the all-important hamstrings. Your hamstrings must be super-powerful if you want to run fast or jump high. We also like the fact that we can set the depth of the squat without any error. This prevents cheating, especially when athletes start to fatigue and the squats tend to get higher and higher. We squat anywhere from 6” off of the floor to 1” above parallel, depending on our goal. We also like the fact that box squatting builds “static overcome by dynamic strength”. This type of strength is important in many athletic movements (sprinter coming out of the blocks, lineman coming off of the ball in football, etc.).
Some say box squats are dangerous. That is complete crap! Box squats done incorrectly are dangerous. We’ve never had an athlete get injured box squatting. Open your mind and learn how to do them the right way! It will pay huge dividends. To learn how to box squat correctly, go to Dave Tate’s website. He has numerous articles written on how to box squat correctly and does a great job of teaching it.
One of the main reasons we chose the bands for box squatting is their ability to accelerate the eccentric portion of the lift. You see, the athlete’s we train that have the best vertical jumps are also the one’s who descend the fastest during their jumps. Newton’s 3rd Law states that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. What this means is that the faster an athlete can descend, the faster he will explode upward and the higher he will jump. The bands train this often-overlooked component of the vertical jump.
We also like the fact that as the athlete approaches the top of the squat the bands stretch out, thus increasing the tension. This teaches the athlete to accelerate through the entire rep. Basically, as the athlete’s leverage increases, so does the tension of the bands. In order to complete the rep, the athlete must apply more force at the top then he would if there were no bands attached to the bar. After this type of training an athlete will be much more likely to explode downward, make a quick reversal, and then accelerate upward rapidly during his jumps. Put all of these qualities together and you have a huge vertical jump. We usually perform multiple sets of low-rep box squats, focusing on speed (on the way down as well as on the way up). We like our advanced athletes to be able to perform 2 reps in less than 2 seconds.
#2 Static Hip Flexor Stretch – In general, we’re not big fans of static stretching, especially before performing explosive activities. This stretch is a major exception. Try this. Perform a vertical jump and record the height. Then, static stretch your hip flexors – 2 sets of 30 seconds each leg. Really stretch the sh** out of them! Stretch as if you’re trying to tear that hip flexor off the bone, baby! Don’t just go through the motions! Now jump again. Chances are you’ll jump ½” – 2” higher, just by static stretching the hip flexors. Why is this, you say? We’ll tell you. You see, most athletes have super-tight hip flexors. When you jump, tight hip flexors cause a lot of friction, preventing you from fully extending at the hip, as well as reaching as high as you can. By static stretching them immediately before you jump, you not only stretch them out, but also “put them to sleep” do to the long, slow stretch. This causes less friction at the hip when you jump. This results in higher vertical jumps. You will be amazed at how well this works. (By the way, the hip flexors are the only muscles you would ever want to static stretch before jumping.) It is also a good idea for athletes to get in the habit of stretching their hip flexors everyday, not just before jumping. This will help to increase your stride length when you run, as well as prevent hamstring pulls and low-back pain.
Any hip-flexor stretch will do but we will describe the one we use the most. Get in a lunge position with your left knee on the ground and your right foot as far forward as possible. Drive your hips as far forward as you can, while keeping your chest up. Try to get your left thigh 45 degrees to the floor. Raise your left hand as high as you can and twist slightly to your right, looking over your right shoulder and reaching over your head. You should feel a stretch in the left hip flexor as well as your abs. Perform 2 sets of 30 seconds and then switch sides.
#3) 50-Rep “Rhythm” Squats – This is a little-known exercise we usually bust out about 3 weeks before one of our athlete’s would be getting tested in the vertical jump. You would always start your workout with this exercise and you will only perform one all-out work set after a good warm-up. Try to go as heavy as possible for your one set. A good goal is 90 - 100% of what your max full squat is. Basically, you will perform 50 quarter-squats as fast as possible. Due the first 10 reps exploding onto your toes, then on reps 11-20 keep your heels down on the way up, then, explode onto your toes again while performing reps 21-30, keep your heels down for reps 31-40 and then finish the final 10 reps by exploding onto your toes again. It helps to have a partner count out loud so you can perform all 50 reps as fast as possible without breaking momentum. This is a great exercise for athletes with a poor elastic component. It is also a bitch!
WARNING: You may not be able to feel your legs when you’re done. TOUGH SH*T! Do them anyway! They work.
#4 Snatch Grip Deadlifts – This exercise is basically a regular deadlift, yet you use a “snatch” grip. By taking this wider grip, you must get deeper “in the hole” when lowering the weight to the floor, thus further recruiting the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and low back). Snatch grip deads are ungodly in their ability to strengthen the posterior chain and is a great foundation exercise to be used when training for the vertical jump. This exercise will put slabs of muscle on your glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, forearms and upper back. The only problem with this exercise is it makes sitting on the toilet very challenging the day after performing it.
#5) Depth Jumps – A depth jump or shock jump is performed by stepping off a box and then exploding upward immediately upon landing on the ground. We use boxes of varying heights, depending on the level of athlete we’re training. By stepping off a box, the muscles are rapidly stretched upon landing, which enables them to contract harder and faster when exploding upward (similar to what we were talking about with the box squats and the bands). The goal of this exercise is to spend the least amount of time on the ground as possible. We like to use .15 seconds as a guide. If the athlete spends any longer on the ground, it is no longer a true plyometric exercise because the amortization phase is too long. If performed properly, we have found this exercise to be very effective. The problem is that most athletes and coaches that perform this exercise don’t follow these rules. If an athlete crumbles like a deck of cards upon hitting the ground and then takes 5 minutes to jump back into the air; the box is either too high or the athlete isn’t advanced enough to be performing the exercise.
We usually start with a 6” box and work up to a 24” box with our more advanced athletes. Again, don’t get too crazy with the height of the box. Time and time again we hear of some super athlete who does depth jumps off of the roof of his house or some other BS. We’re not impressed. Remember that choosing a box that is too high can end up defeating the point of the exercise by increasing ground contact time.
#6) Reverse Hyperextensions – The reverse hyperextension machine was made popular in this country by powerlifting guru Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell in Columbus, Ohio. He has a patent on the original reverse hyper model. This is the one we have at our facility and it’s probably the most frequently used machine in our gym. Why is this, you ask? Because the friggin’ thing works! We don’t know of any other machine that works pure hip extension in such a synchronized manner – hitting the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors all during the course of one rep. It also works as traction for the low back during the lowering of the weight. The bottom line is that if you want to run fast and jump high, then you should have one of these in your gym. We can’t say enough about this machine. All of our athletes use it – no matter what their sport, age, or training goal.
#7) Dumbbell Swings – This is one of those “old school” exercises you don’t see too often anymore. To perform this exercise, first grab a dumbbell with both of your hands (use a hand over hand grip or interlock your fingers of both hands). Set your feet as if you were about to perform a squat, while holding the dumbbell in front of you. Squat down and let the dumbbell drop between your legs. Keep your back arched as you descend down and look straight ahead. Once you reach the full squat position, immediately explode up by extending at the hips, while simultaneously flexing at the shoulders and raising the dumbbell above your head. Keep your elbows straight. This exercise “kills 2 birds with 1 stone” as it works pure hip extension as well as your front delts in a synchronized, explosive manner. This is exactly what happens when you perform a vertical jump. You can perform this exercise with a box under each foot for added range of motion.Note: As you swing the dumbbell upward, DO NOT leave go of it! Throwing the dumbbell forward would not be a bad exercise, but we think it may piss the owner of your gym off.
#8) Bulgarian Split Squats – This is basically a single leg squat, with the non-working leg elevated on a bench behind you. Perform this exercise by holding a dumbbell in each hand, descend until the back knee touches the floor and then explode back up to the start position. This exercise will crush the glutes and VMO (the quadriceps muscle on the inside of your knee) of the front leg, while stretching the hip flexor of the back leg. Remember what we said about the importance of flexible hip flexors with regards to your jumping ability? Well, this exercise makes our “Fab 15” list of exercises due to the fact it promotes strength AND flexibility in the specific muscles used in jumping. Also, because it is a unilateral movement, it helps to correct muscular imbalances that may exist in the athlete’s legs.
#9 “Pogo Jump” Warm-up – This is a warm-up we use before many of our lower body strength workouts, plyo workouts and speed workouts. It is not only a great warm- up, but we believe this “warm-up” may actually increase your vertical jump in and of itself! But first, let us describe exactly what a pogo jump is, anyway. A pogo jump is performed by jumping off of the ground by just springing off your ankles. While you’re in the air you want to dorsiflex your ankles, a.k.a. “pull your toes up”. You also must prevent your heels from ever touching the ground. The key to this exercise lies in your ability to keep your knees locked while jumping and landing on and off the ground, as well as spending the least amount of time on the ground as possible. Be sure not to flex at the hips, either. Many times when athletes perform this exercise their feet kick uncontrollably out in front of themselves. Don’t let this happen! Your whole body should remain in a perfectly straight line, with the exception of your ankles dorsiflexing while you’re in the air. We do both low and high pogo jumps in our warm-up. The technique remains exactly the same except for the height differences, of course. Low pogo jumps should be performed for speed. You only want to jump about 1” – 2” off the ground, but try to perform as many reps as possible in the required time. The goal of the high pogo jumps is to get as much height as possible by just springing off of your ankles during each jump. Pogo jumps are an incredible exercise that trains the Achilles tendon for elasticity. This will help to prevent ankle injuries as well as increase explosiveness. Here’s the warm-up we use…A. Low Pogo Jumps – 3 sets of 20 seconds, rest 30 seconds between each setB. High Pogo Jumps – 3 sets of 20 seconds, rest 30 seconds between each set
10) Trap Bar Deadlifts, off a 4” box. Trap bars are diamond-shaped bars that allow you to perform deadlifts and shrugs by standing inside the bar, as opposed to having the bar in front of you. This puts less stress on the low back/spine. Many athletes feel much more comfortable using these bars as opposed to straight bars while deadlifting. Because of this, we feel that they are a great tool for all athletes - young and old. We have gotten many athletes who swore they would never deadlift again, to start deadlifting because of the trap bar. One thing we like to due is have our athletes trap bar deadlift while standing on a 4” box. Once again, by increasing the range of motion, the hamstrings are further activated. This will greatly help your running and jumping ability. You can use various box heights, yet we’ve found 4 inches to be great for increasing the range of motion while not causing a breakdown in the athlete’s form.
11) Standing Backward Medicine Ball Throw – This exercise is similar in nature to the dumbbell swing, but by using a medicine ball you can actually release the object you’re holding, thus producing more explosive power. (This is because you don’t have to worry about decelerating the weight.) To perform this exercise, hold a med ball in front of you, bend forward, and then toss it up and over your head, behind you, to a partner. This is another exercise that links the lower and upper body in a synchronized, explosive manner. This is vertical jump specific. Don’t use a med ball that’s so heavy you can barely get it over your head. But don’t use something that’s so light you toss it into another zip code, either. Use common sense, huh. Our athletes usually use med balls they can toss anywhere from 10 – 20 yards. Once all of your throws start going beyond 20 yards, you’re ready to graduate to a heavier ball.
12) Power Clean/Power Snatch – We like the Olympic lifts in that we feel they teach the athlete to maximally “turn on” the higher threshold (type IIB) motor units. This is due to the fact that you cannot perform a max power clean or power snatch slowly. If you move too slow you will miss the lift. We do feel there is somewhat of a learning curve involved in being explosive and if an athlete never learned to “turn on” maximally, they would be much less likely to do so during their vertical jump – or any other athletic movement. Besides being explosive by nature, both of these exercises require a strong posterior chain (which you should now be sick of hearing about), with the power snatch involving the entire extensor chain. You should now know this is one of the major requirements for an exercise to make our Fab15 list.
13) Weighted Ab Work – Your “core” (abs & low back) is the link from your lower to upper body. It is also responsible for the transference of force from your lower to upper body. Basically, your arms and legs can be strong as hell but if you have a marshmallow in the middle you will never completely benefit from your limb strength. The vertical jump is one of the ultimate examples of this. So don’t sell yourself short by only training your arms and legs. Hit the abs hard, too. This doesn’t mean 3 sets of 10 crunches at the end of you’re workout, either. We like weighted crunches on a Swiss ball, standing rotational work using high and low cables and medicine ball training. Remember that your abs just may be the missing “link” to that big vertical jump!
14) Push Jerk – This is another great exercise that has been highly correlated with the vertical jump. When doing push jerks, we have our athletes place their feet about hip-width apart. We have them start with the bar resting on the front of their shoulders, with their hands OPEN. By starting with the hands open, they will be more likely to initiate the movement with their legs. Start the movement by dipping down and then explode up onto your toes, while pushing the bar overhead. Finally, bend the knees, bring your heels down and hold the bar overhead for a second. Lower the bar and then repeat the movement. This is another great example of an exercise in which the power is initiated by the lower body and then finished off with the upper body. Once again, this is vertical jump specific.
15) Vertical Jumps – No, this is not a misprint. One of the best ways to improve your vertical jump is to practice vertical jumps! We have had many athletes come to us with great strength, speed and flexibility, yet they had horrible vertical jumps. This is because their jumping technique stunk! We have made as much as a 3” improvement in just minutes of working with some athletes, not by showing them how to cheat, but by correcting their form. Hopefully, after reading through this manual, you will know what proper form is. Then, once you have the form down and start working on the recommended exercises, you will possess eye-popping vertical jumping ability!
Stayed tuned for next weeks blog, as we disect one of the most underworked part of your body in regards to vertical jump training. This blog will literally teach you how to improve your vertical jump by a minumum of 2 inches in a week.
This week we simply break it down, with many great vertical jump excercises, that every athlete should use. After reading this post, take the initiative to practice these excercices. For a period of 2 weeks, pick 4-5 of these excercises each time you work out. Work out 2-3 days a week, with sets of 2-3 for each excercise. After each rep give yourself a 1 minute break.
In this section we will give you our Fab 15 list of the exercises we’ve found give the best “bang for your buck” with regards to improving your vertical jump. Remember that there are many exercises out there that will work, but in the training economy you want to pick the exercises that will give you the greatest results in the least amount of time. This list of exercises accomplishes that goal. These are the main exercises we have used to get our athletes to jump high… in minimal time! An added benefit of this list of exercises is that you’ll notice your sprint times will also improve. Any time you train to improve your vertical jump, you’ll notice you also get faster. Not a bad side effect, is it?
Anyway, let’s check out the Fab 15! (They are in no particular order.)
#1) Box Squats with bands – We love box squats in that we feel they teach the athlete to “sit back” while squatting, which further recruits the all-important hamstrings. Your hamstrings must be super-powerful if you want to run fast or jump high. We also like the fact that we can set the depth of the squat without any error. This prevents cheating, especially when athletes start to fatigue and the squats tend to get higher and higher. We squat anywhere from 6” off of the floor to 1” above parallel, depending on our goal. We also like the fact that box squatting builds “static overcome by dynamic strength”. This type of strength is important in many athletic movements (sprinter coming out of the blocks, lineman coming off of the ball in football, etc.).
Some say box squats are dangerous. That is complete crap! Box squats done incorrectly are dangerous. We’ve never had an athlete get injured box squatting. Open your mind and learn how to do them the right way! It will pay huge dividends. To learn how to box squat correctly, go to Dave Tate’s website. He has numerous articles written on how to box squat correctly and does a great job of teaching it.
One of the main reasons we chose the bands for box squatting is their ability to accelerate the eccentric portion of the lift. You see, the athlete’s we train that have the best vertical jumps are also the one’s who descend the fastest during their jumps. Newton’s 3rd Law states that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. What this means is that the faster an athlete can descend, the faster he will explode upward and the higher he will jump. The bands train this often-overlooked component of the vertical jump.
We also like the fact that as the athlete approaches the top of the squat the bands stretch out, thus increasing the tension. This teaches the athlete to accelerate through the entire rep. Basically, as the athlete’s leverage increases, so does the tension of the bands. In order to complete the rep, the athlete must apply more force at the top then he would if there were no bands attached to the bar. After this type of training an athlete will be much more likely to explode downward, make a quick reversal, and then accelerate upward rapidly during his jumps. Put all of these qualities together and you have a huge vertical jump. We usually perform multiple sets of low-rep box squats, focusing on speed (on the way down as well as on the way up). We like our advanced athletes to be able to perform 2 reps in less than 2 seconds.
#2 Static Hip Flexor Stretch – In general, we’re not big fans of static stretching, especially before performing explosive activities. This stretch is a major exception. Try this. Perform a vertical jump and record the height. Then, static stretch your hip flexors – 2 sets of 30 seconds each leg. Really stretch the sh** out of them! Stretch as if you’re trying to tear that hip flexor off the bone, baby! Don’t just go through the motions! Now jump again. Chances are you’ll jump ½” – 2” higher, just by static stretching the hip flexors. Why is this, you say? We’ll tell you. You see, most athletes have super-tight hip flexors. When you jump, tight hip flexors cause a lot of friction, preventing you from fully extending at the hip, as well as reaching as high as you can. By static stretching them immediately before you jump, you not only stretch them out, but also “put them to sleep” do to the long, slow stretch. This causes less friction at the hip when you jump. This results in higher vertical jumps. You will be amazed at how well this works. (By the way, the hip flexors are the only muscles you would ever want to static stretch before jumping.) It is also a good idea for athletes to get in the habit of stretching their hip flexors everyday, not just before jumping. This will help to increase your stride length when you run, as well as prevent hamstring pulls and low-back pain.
Any hip-flexor stretch will do but we will describe the one we use the most. Get in a lunge position with your left knee on the ground and your right foot as far forward as possible. Drive your hips as far forward as you can, while keeping your chest up. Try to get your left thigh 45 degrees to the floor. Raise your left hand as high as you can and twist slightly to your right, looking over your right shoulder and reaching over your head. You should feel a stretch in the left hip flexor as well as your abs. Perform 2 sets of 30 seconds and then switch sides.
#3) 50-Rep “Rhythm” Squats – This is a little-known exercise we usually bust out about 3 weeks before one of our athlete’s would be getting tested in the vertical jump. You would always start your workout with this exercise and you will only perform one all-out work set after a good warm-up. Try to go as heavy as possible for your one set. A good goal is 90 - 100% of what your max full squat is. Basically, you will perform 50 quarter-squats as fast as possible. Due the first 10 reps exploding onto your toes, then on reps 11-20 keep your heels down on the way up, then, explode onto your toes again while performing reps 21-30, keep your heels down for reps 31-40 and then finish the final 10 reps by exploding onto your toes again. It helps to have a partner count out loud so you can perform all 50 reps as fast as possible without breaking momentum. This is a great exercise for athletes with a poor elastic component. It is also a bitch!
WARNING: You may not be able to feel your legs when you’re done. TOUGH SH*T! Do them anyway! They work.
#4 Snatch Grip Deadlifts – This exercise is basically a regular deadlift, yet you use a “snatch” grip. By taking this wider grip, you must get deeper “in the hole” when lowering the weight to the floor, thus further recruiting the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and low back). Snatch grip deads are ungodly in their ability to strengthen the posterior chain and is a great foundation exercise to be used when training for the vertical jump. This exercise will put slabs of muscle on your glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, forearms and upper back. The only problem with this exercise is it makes sitting on the toilet very challenging the day after performing it.
#5) Depth Jumps – A depth jump or shock jump is performed by stepping off a box and then exploding upward immediately upon landing on the ground. We use boxes of varying heights, depending on the level of athlete we’re training. By stepping off a box, the muscles are rapidly stretched upon landing, which enables them to contract harder and faster when exploding upward (similar to what we were talking about with the box squats and the bands). The goal of this exercise is to spend the least amount of time on the ground as possible. We like to use .15 seconds as a guide. If the athlete spends any longer on the ground, it is no longer a true plyometric exercise because the amortization phase is too long. If performed properly, we have found this exercise to be very effective. The problem is that most athletes and coaches that perform this exercise don’t follow these rules. If an athlete crumbles like a deck of cards upon hitting the ground and then takes 5 minutes to jump back into the air; the box is either too high or the athlete isn’t advanced enough to be performing the exercise.
We usually start with a 6” box and work up to a 24” box with our more advanced athletes. Again, don’t get too crazy with the height of the box. Time and time again we hear of some super athlete who does depth jumps off of the roof of his house or some other BS. We’re not impressed. Remember that choosing a box that is too high can end up defeating the point of the exercise by increasing ground contact time.
#6) Reverse Hyperextensions – The reverse hyperextension machine was made popular in this country by powerlifting guru Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell in Columbus, Ohio. He has a patent on the original reverse hyper model. This is the one we have at our facility and it’s probably the most frequently used machine in our gym. Why is this, you ask? Because the friggin’ thing works! We don’t know of any other machine that works pure hip extension in such a synchronized manner – hitting the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors all during the course of one rep. It also works as traction for the low back during the lowering of the weight. The bottom line is that if you want to run fast and jump high, then you should have one of these in your gym. We can’t say enough about this machine. All of our athletes use it – no matter what their sport, age, or training goal.
#7) Dumbbell Swings – This is one of those “old school” exercises you don’t see too often anymore. To perform this exercise, first grab a dumbbell with both of your hands (use a hand over hand grip or interlock your fingers of both hands). Set your feet as if you were about to perform a squat, while holding the dumbbell in front of you. Squat down and let the dumbbell drop between your legs. Keep your back arched as you descend down and look straight ahead. Once you reach the full squat position, immediately explode up by extending at the hips, while simultaneously flexing at the shoulders and raising the dumbbell above your head. Keep your elbows straight. This exercise “kills 2 birds with 1 stone” as it works pure hip extension as well as your front delts in a synchronized, explosive manner. This is exactly what happens when you perform a vertical jump. You can perform this exercise with a box under each foot for added range of motion.Note: As you swing the dumbbell upward, DO NOT leave go of it! Throwing the dumbbell forward would not be a bad exercise, but we think it may piss the owner of your gym off.
#8) Bulgarian Split Squats – This is basically a single leg squat, with the non-working leg elevated on a bench behind you. Perform this exercise by holding a dumbbell in each hand, descend until the back knee touches the floor and then explode back up to the start position. This exercise will crush the glutes and VMO (the quadriceps muscle on the inside of your knee) of the front leg, while stretching the hip flexor of the back leg. Remember what we said about the importance of flexible hip flexors with regards to your jumping ability? Well, this exercise makes our “Fab 15” list of exercises due to the fact it promotes strength AND flexibility in the specific muscles used in jumping. Also, because it is a unilateral movement, it helps to correct muscular imbalances that may exist in the athlete’s legs.
#9 “Pogo Jump” Warm-up – This is a warm-up we use before many of our lower body strength workouts, plyo workouts and speed workouts. It is not only a great warm- up, but we believe this “warm-up” may actually increase your vertical jump in and of itself! But first, let us describe exactly what a pogo jump is, anyway. A pogo jump is performed by jumping off of the ground by just springing off your ankles. While you’re in the air you want to dorsiflex your ankles, a.k.a. “pull your toes up”. You also must prevent your heels from ever touching the ground. The key to this exercise lies in your ability to keep your knees locked while jumping and landing on and off the ground, as well as spending the least amount of time on the ground as possible. Be sure not to flex at the hips, either. Many times when athletes perform this exercise their feet kick uncontrollably out in front of themselves. Don’t let this happen! Your whole body should remain in a perfectly straight line, with the exception of your ankles dorsiflexing while you’re in the air. We do both low and high pogo jumps in our warm-up. The technique remains exactly the same except for the height differences, of course. Low pogo jumps should be performed for speed. You only want to jump about 1” – 2” off the ground, but try to perform as many reps as possible in the required time. The goal of the high pogo jumps is to get as much height as possible by just springing off of your ankles during each jump. Pogo jumps are an incredible exercise that trains the Achilles tendon for elasticity. This will help to prevent ankle injuries as well as increase explosiveness. Here’s the warm-up we use…A. Low Pogo Jumps – 3 sets of 20 seconds, rest 30 seconds between each setB. High Pogo Jumps – 3 sets of 20 seconds, rest 30 seconds between each set
10) Trap Bar Deadlifts, off a 4” box. Trap bars are diamond-shaped bars that allow you to perform deadlifts and shrugs by standing inside the bar, as opposed to having the bar in front of you. This puts less stress on the low back/spine. Many athletes feel much more comfortable using these bars as opposed to straight bars while deadlifting. Because of this, we feel that they are a great tool for all athletes - young and old. We have gotten many athletes who swore they would never deadlift again, to start deadlifting because of the trap bar. One thing we like to due is have our athletes trap bar deadlift while standing on a 4” box. Once again, by increasing the range of motion, the hamstrings are further activated. This will greatly help your running and jumping ability. You can use various box heights, yet we’ve found 4 inches to be great for increasing the range of motion while not causing a breakdown in the athlete’s form.
11) Standing Backward Medicine Ball Throw – This exercise is similar in nature to the dumbbell swing, but by using a medicine ball you can actually release the object you’re holding, thus producing more explosive power. (This is because you don’t have to worry about decelerating the weight.) To perform this exercise, hold a med ball in front of you, bend forward, and then toss it up and over your head, behind you, to a partner. This is another exercise that links the lower and upper body in a synchronized, explosive manner. This is vertical jump specific. Don’t use a med ball that’s so heavy you can barely get it over your head. But don’t use something that’s so light you toss it into another zip code, either. Use common sense, huh. Our athletes usually use med balls they can toss anywhere from 10 – 20 yards. Once all of your throws start going beyond 20 yards, you’re ready to graduate to a heavier ball.
12) Power Clean/Power Snatch – We like the Olympic lifts in that we feel they teach the athlete to maximally “turn on” the higher threshold (type IIB) motor units. This is due to the fact that you cannot perform a max power clean or power snatch slowly. If you move too slow you will miss the lift. We do feel there is somewhat of a learning curve involved in being explosive and if an athlete never learned to “turn on” maximally, they would be much less likely to do so during their vertical jump – or any other athletic movement. Besides being explosive by nature, both of these exercises require a strong posterior chain (which you should now be sick of hearing about), with the power snatch involving the entire extensor chain. You should now know this is one of the major requirements for an exercise to make our Fab15 list.
13) Weighted Ab Work – Your “core” (abs & low back) is the link from your lower to upper body. It is also responsible for the transference of force from your lower to upper body. Basically, your arms and legs can be strong as hell but if you have a marshmallow in the middle you will never completely benefit from your limb strength. The vertical jump is one of the ultimate examples of this. So don’t sell yourself short by only training your arms and legs. Hit the abs hard, too. This doesn’t mean 3 sets of 10 crunches at the end of you’re workout, either. We like weighted crunches on a Swiss ball, standing rotational work using high and low cables and medicine ball training. Remember that your abs just may be the missing “link” to that big vertical jump!
14) Push Jerk – This is another great exercise that has been highly correlated with the vertical jump. When doing push jerks, we have our athletes place their feet about hip-width apart. We have them start with the bar resting on the front of their shoulders, with their hands OPEN. By starting with the hands open, they will be more likely to initiate the movement with their legs. Start the movement by dipping down and then explode up onto your toes, while pushing the bar overhead. Finally, bend the knees, bring your heels down and hold the bar overhead for a second. Lower the bar and then repeat the movement. This is another great example of an exercise in which the power is initiated by the lower body and then finished off with the upper body. Once again, this is vertical jump specific.
15) Vertical Jumps – No, this is not a misprint. One of the best ways to improve your vertical jump is to practice vertical jumps! We have had many athletes come to us with great strength, speed and flexibility, yet they had horrible vertical jumps. This is because their jumping technique stunk! We have made as much as a 3” improvement in just minutes of working with some athletes, not by showing them how to cheat, but by correcting their form. Hopefully, after reading through this manual, you will know what proper form is. Then, once you have the form down and start working on the recommended exercises, you will possess eye-popping vertical jumping ability!
Stayed tuned for next weeks blog, as we disect one of the most underworked part of your body in regards to vertical jump training. This blog will literally teach you how to improve your vertical jump by a minumum of 2 inches in a week.
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