Vertical Jump Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

[quote]on edge wrote:
CoolColJ wrote:
here is a good program -

get your legs and hips as big and strong as possible with low bar full squats. Keep going until you hit 3x bodyweight
Do some standing and seated calf raises

practise jumping

cut back and deload the squats for a few weaks to peak your jump

get your bodyfat under 12% for max height

sorted

I agree in principal with this post, but I don’t like seeing “Keep going until you hit 3x body weight”. I don’t think the majority of trainees can hit that. Having a goal that is likely out of reach is a recipe for injury. I think shorter term goals that are realistically obtainable would be more beneficial.[/quote]

well if you hit 3xBW, you too will have a 50 inch vertical jump like SquatDR :slight_smile:

22

I have found that if you focus maximal strength first, then, or simultaneously, begin to work on some plyos you will get the best results. I have also found that using a leg press machine to be, in several cases, very effective in developing strength and vertical jump. I know this flies in the face of what everyone has been taught. I am only saying that I have used it in my classes and it has been effective.

I have also found that jump programs should be customized as much as possible for the individual athlete. For example: if the athlete has a good strength base, should they be doing the same thing as someone who is “weaker”? Or if they have a good vert already because of their rate, should they be focussing on rate when their strength is what may need to be developed?

A lot of what has been said here is good: getting your B/F down, sprinting, Kelly’s book. Be careful with the oly lifts if you are inexperienced and alone. Bad form is generally a good way to ground a jumper.

One more thing: proper form and technique when jumping is critical, especially for women, but also for guys. Do some research on that, as well.

23

[quote]teedog wrote:
I have found that if you focus maximal strength first, then, or simultaneously, begin to work on some plyos you will get the best results. I have also found that using a leg press machine to be, in several cases, very effective in developing strength and vertical jump. I know this flies in the face of what everyone has been taught. I am only saying that I have used it in my classes and it has been effective.

I have also found that jump programs should be customized as much as possible for the individual athlete. For example: if the athlete has a good strength base, should they be doing the same thing as someone who is “weaker”? Or if they have a good vert already because of their rate, should they be focussing on rate when their strength is what may need to be developed?

A lot of what has been said here is good: getting your B/F down, sprinting, Kelly’s book. Be careful with the oly lifts if you are inexperienced and alone. Bad form is generally a good way to ground a jumper.

One more thing: proper form and technique when jumping is critical, especially for women, but also for guys. Do some research on that, as well. [/quote]

what is proper form and technique? i don’t really think that exists in a standing vertical jump… technique is somewhat genetic and modified in the developmental years… it is only slightly modified through training… putting a major focus solely on heavy lifting OR plyos definitely shows alterations in standing/running jumps…

if you look at 100 35+" standing vertical jumps among athletes in different sports, you’ll notice alot of differences… for example, basketball players might have a small dip, football player’s a larger dip, olympic lifters a huge dip… based on your ability to produce force, the dip might be slow or fast… arm swing could be quite shitty or very intense…

i personally believe that “form jumping” is almost as retarded as “form running”… WGF is a pretty big opponent of form running - i agree with them… the same can be said for vert; let the training methods/strengthening of certain movements/muscle groups dictate how your body adjusts… conscious control just doesn’t happen at max velocity so why waste time screwing with the motor programme if it’s not a fact it will help.

for example;

  • depth drops/depth jumps/REA squats in say, quarter squat position, over a short period of time will have you dipping lower on your standing verts subconsciously.

peace

24

I should of been clearer on what I meant by form and technique. I did say it applied to women more than guys, and that is true. For guys, the main thing is to maximize strength and speed, keep the knees “in line” with the hips and toes, and explode. Guys, will, by their very nature, have better form. I will also suggest that the examples of different styles, though accurate, does not make them correct, and that they could improve even more utilizing proper physics/biomechanics. Will it amount to much?

Sometimes, depending on the adjustments. And I am talking more about younger athletes who haven’t developed the bad habits, though I have seen, older, elite athletes benefit from some adjustments as well. Please keep in mind that I believed the OP to be a younger person and could perhaps use some tips on form and technique. A few years back, a guy posted a vid of his jumping and more than a few people instantly corrected some bad habits.

I have looked at 100’s of 30-35" verts and above of elite athletes, and some not so elite. Some are worth messing with, others would be messed if they were messed with. It takes an experienced and mature eye to know the difference, not that I have either, but have been successful so far. So, IMHO, it “can” help to adjust and, yes, it will take practice. But in today’s competitive market, 1/2" maybe the the difference in being selected or not.

As for the comment about conscious control not happening at max velocity, think of what you are saying, with all due respect. Look at MMA: a lot of wrestlers needed to learn how to punch and kick effectively at max velocity. The successful ones were the ones who made the adjustments. It is the same in every sport.

Women, on the other hand, need to focus on form and technique much more. This should be a topic for another thread.

Having said all that, I understand what you are saying. I will also say to the OP, avoid Air Alert at all costs. Or have a good therapist to rehabilitate you after you are done. Admittedly, I haven’t looked at their stuff in a few years, but what I saw then…

25

[quote]CoolColJ wrote:
on edge wrote:
CoolColJ wrote:
here is a good program -

get your legs and hips as big and strong as possible with low bar full squats. Keep going until you hit 3x bodyweight
Do some standing and seated calf raises

practise jumping

cut back and deload the squats for a few weaks to peak your jump

get your bodyfat under 12% for max height

sorted

I agree in principal with this post, but I don’t like seeing “Keep going until you hit 3x body weight”. I don’t think the majority of trainees can hit that. Having a goal that is likely out of reach is a recipe for injury. I think shorter term goals that are realistically obtainable would be more beneficial.

well if you hit 3xBW, you too will have a 50 inch vertical jump like SquatDR :slight_smile:
[/quote]

shouldnt we all be doing smolov or bill starr…not disagreeing with you strength is the biggest factor in standing vertical more specifically relative strength…studies have a combination of plyos and weight training is your best bet…
as for a good program my favourite is vertfreak…

26

[quote]belligerent wrote:
They’re all shit. Vert is almost totally genetic. If you’re doing deads and squats and practicing your jump test regularly, there’s very little else you will benefit from. The elaborate plyo routines are all shit, they just exist as a result of the fact that they’re a huge market for misleading gullible high school kids like I was 10 years ago.[/quote]

I agree with this, i am a high school student who tryed Air Alert and things of that when i was a freshman. Air Alert is more of a overtraining/ intense cardio program

27

[quote]Clevelands23 wrote:
belligerent wrote:
They’re all shit. Vert is almost totally genetic. If you’re doing deads and squats and practicing your jump test regularly, there’s very little else you will benefit from. The elaborate plyo routines are all shit, they just exist as a result of the fact that they’re a huge market for misleading gullible high school kids like I was 10 years ago.

I agree with this, i am a high school student who tryed Air Alert and things of that when i was a freshman. Air Alert is more of a overtraining/ intense cardio program[/quote]

you didnt improve because of air alert…vertical is mainly dependent on relative strength and speed of contraption aka reactivity also explosive strength…strength is pretty trainable and explosive strength is is also reactivity less so…but big gains can happen if you work hard.

28

[quote]Dan1990 wrote:
Clevelands23 wrote:
belligerent wrote:
They’re all shit. Vert is almost totally genetic. If you’re doing deads and squats and practicing your jump test regularly, there’s very little else you will benefit from. The elaborate plyo routines are all shit, they just exist as a result of the fact that they’re a huge market for misleading gullible high school kids like I was 10 years ago.

I agree with this, i am a high school student who tryed Air Alert and things of that when i was a freshman. Air Alert is more of a overtraining/ intense cardio program

you didnt improve because of air alert…vertical is mainly dependent on relative strength and speed of contraption aka reactivity also explosive strength…strength is pretty trainable and explosive strength is is also reactivity less so…but big gains can happen if you work hard.

[/quote]

sup dan… reactivity is not less trainable imo… it’s probably more trainable - we just know way less on how to train it and how to keep progressing… i mean look at all of the forums we’re on, hardly anyone plays with true plyometric training - we see the same old squat & jump programs, with a few box jumps thrown in…

true reactive training changes the way you move/sprint/jump instantly, from what i’ve seen… i think most people play with it for a few sessions then go back to normal training because:

  • they feel “achy” instead of “sore”… acute tendonitis-like symptoms scare people away…
  • lifting big weights is addicting
  • most people just make guesses at what to do, then think it’s wrong, so they go back to their normal routine

true reactive training could include any of this:

  • altitude drops (upper=drop pushup stabilize, lower=depth drop)
  • depth jumps (upper=plyo pushup)
  • specific shocks (downhill sprinting, depth drops/jumps at above current level)
  • reactive weights (drop catch bench/squat/lunge/pullup)
  • ballistic movements (sprints / jumps / broad jumps / single leg jumps)
  • joint stiffness “isolation” drills (line hops, barbell hops, barbell mini lunge hops, low squat ankle hops, mini plyo pushups)
  • throws (medball/plate etc)
  • actual sport
  • heavy ass weight lifting; reps/sets/intensity depending on current goals

there’s only a handful of performance centers who really attempt this stuff… much less is known about it with the online community, because hardly anyone plays with it… and if they do play with it, it’s short lived.

in just a theoretical kind of way, if i could double my reactivity, or double my strength, i’d go with double my reactivity without second thought… of course thats just a crappy statement, and reactivity/strength go hand in hand somewhat… but if you look at it in the sense that if you were able to greatly improve your ankle stiffness without gains in max strength on a squat, your performance numbers would still improve greatly.

peace

29

How much do you want to be you guys just confused the shit out of the OP, and gave him a bunch of minute details to turn him into a guy who over the next 10 years might increase his vertical 4 inches for about 4 days a year, and argue that everything is overtraining.

I think thats why he asked for a specific program.

Poster, try De Franco’s website, I don’t know about kelly bagget but I’ve heard good things. Flip a quarter choose a website, pick one program stick to it exactly as it’s laid out. Concentrate on your technique between sets, and put your all into each rep. Most of the programs are about 8 weeks, you should definitely see a change, if you don’t you should’ve done enough exercises to know what is good for you and what isn’t.

30

[quote]adarqui wrote:
Dan1990 wrote:
Clevelands23 wrote:
belligerent wrote:
They’re all shit. Vert is almost totally genetic. If you’re doing deads and squats and practicing your jump test regularly, there’s very little else you will benefit from. The elaborate plyo routines are all shit, they just exist as a result of the fact that they’re a huge market for misleading gullible high school kids like I was 10 years ago.

I agree with this, i am a high school student who tryed Air Alert and things of that when i was a freshman. Air Alert is more of a overtraining/ intense cardio program

you didnt improve because of air alert…vertical is mainly dependent on relative strength and speed of contraption aka reactivity also explosive strength…strength is pretty trainable and explosive strength is is also reactivity less so…but big gains can happen if you work hard.

sup dan… reactivity is not less trainable imo… it’s probably more trainable - we just know way less on how to train it and how to keep progressing… i mean look at all of the forums we’re on, hardly anyone plays with true plyometric training - we see the same old squat & jump programs, with a few box jumps thrown in…

true reactive training changes the way you move/sprint/jump instantly, from what i’ve seen… i think most people play with it for a few sessions then go back to normal training because:

  • they feel “achy” instead of “sore”… acute tendonitis-like symptoms scare people away…
  • lifting big weights is addicting
  • most people just make guesses at what to do, then think it’s wrong, so they go back to their normal routine

true reactive training could include any of this:

  • altitude drops (upper=drop pushup stabilize, lower=depth drop)
  • depth jumps (upper=plyo pushup)
  • specific shocks (downhill sprinting, depth drops/jumps at above current level)
  • reactive weights (drop catch bench/squat/lunge/pullup)
  • ballistic movements (sprints / jumps / broad jumps / single leg jumps)
  • joint stiffness “isolation” drills (line hops, barbell hops, barbell mini lunge hops, low squat ankle hops, mini plyo pushups)
  • throws (medball/plate etc)
  • actual sport
  • heavy ass weight lifting; reps/sets/intensity depending on current goals

there’s only a handful of performance centers who really attempt this stuff… much less is known about it with the online community, because hardly anyone plays with it… and if they do play with it, it’s short lived.

in just a theoretical kind of way, if i could double my reactivity, or double my strength, i’d go with double my reactivity without second thought… of course thats just a crappy statement, and reactivity/strength go hand in hand somewhat… but if you look at it in the sense that if you were able to greatly improve your ankle stiffness without gains in max strength on a squat, your performance numbers would still improve greatly.

peace[/quote]

yeah…i have had great increase using depth jumps and depth drops and i love doing them feel very springy and help supercomponsate next plyo speed session…i had great succes with this depth drops of 30" box 2x6 then from 22" box depth jumps 2x6… depth drops off the higher box seem to help my depth jumps …not doing reactivity work is a mistake that people make…