Adarq.org

First off, let me introduce myself. I'm 28 years old female. 6'0" tall.

awesome! welcome to the site.. it's great to see another female on the site interested in vert, i actually find it odd that i don't see more "vert obsessed female basketball players" in person, on youtube, on the internet, etc.

I post this video to motivate guys:

http://www.adarq.org/forum/volleyball/mireya-luis-female-volleyball-player-great-vertical-jump/

one thing that separates mireya luis from the rest of the pack, she was apparently VERY strong.. ill try to dig up some article I read on her later.

I've been playing basketball since I was a little kid. Currently in a local mens league. I was tired of getting out jumped for rebounds so I decided to increase my vert. Im a skinny lady around 124lb. I was 134lb before I started plyometrics and strengthing my upper body. I started out doing hardcore plyo 3months ago and gained around 4inches. I have a 28" standing vert. I started doing squats and deadlifts a weak ago.

congrats on those gains, great job.. most of your future gains will come from getting stronger in the weightroom AND incorporating a lower to moderate volume of "plyo work", while still getting in jumping/basketball etc.. the basic formula really is:

maintain/improve body composition + gain strength in squat/lunge/calf raise/hamstring+glute work + incorporate an adequate amount of lower level reactive work (plyo, doesn't need to be excessive volume) + stay fit with basketball + jump

very good that you started squatting and deadlifting, that will be the most effective way to push your limits (power/explosiveness) for the years to come.. being able to move progressively heavier weight is absolutely crucial to building the kind of power you, I, or anyone else on this site wants.. the "horsepower" analogy is a great one.. squats/deadlifts = a measure of horsepower.. whatever your PROJECTED 1RM is right now, by adding more horse power (say 100 lb to each lift, same exact form/depth), your performance will be greatly improved, even with a significant amount of lean mass gain (say up to 8-10 lb lean mass).

I now feel I can out rebound the majority of the guys I play with. I'm still not even close to being as strong as them but I'm a jump shooter.

haha @ outrebounding them, nice.. good work

ya just keep improving your upper and lower strength, it's a "slower journey" than most people think, but with consistency & the right training you'll be destroying most of them athletically.. 28" SVJ (standing vert) is already better than the average male.

I currently can dunk but they're weak girly dunks.

hahah awesome..

that's gonna piss alot of people off on this site, deep down, maybe they'll set some new PR's (personal records) ;0

So my goal is to gain at least four more inches. I need as much help as possible. Let's make this our mission to have this girl dunking like the fellas!   

if you start journaling it would be great for feedback etc, if you do decide to journal - fill out that free coaching questionnaire thing just so I/everyone else can give you better feedback.. it's easy to just say do x & y but injuries/diet/schedule/training history all factor in.


here's a high jumper/triple jump/longer jumper on the site, she has some very nice vids.

http://www.adarq.org/forum/introduce-yourself/norwegian-girl/


peace

28 inches standing vert is nooooot bad at all. Heck, I'm at 28 myself.

Yeah and... can you palm a ball? I mean, a basketball, to be more specific.

I can't palm the ball good enough to where it stays in my hand in the air. which causes me do what my husband calls "high layup dunks" where the ball slips out my hand but still goes in and I grab rim. I can palm a mens ball when I'm just standing or walking around but no bouncing or running.

My hand are 8". What are some ways to increase your hand strength. And I don't think my hands are too small (they maybe) but just weak.

Do you really think it's a strength thing? I'm willing to bet it's more a matter of skin quality vs. ball quality. I have some balls of different materials that I can palm, let go of them and catch in mid-air again, and others that I can't palm at all, no matter what, because they just are made of slippery materials or they have dust on them.

You can try to use some handball ball wax if you're not "afraid" of getting your hands dirty (and the ball for that matter) a bit. So basically, you can do that and practice your dunks with a ball with more grip ...

Ways to increase grip are just deadlifting (grip will increase because of the isometric hold of the bar), stuff like holding water blottles or kettelebell handles or even dumbbells only with the tip of your fingers for time, a few inches off the ground etc.

I do notice when I workout and my hands are a little sweaty I can grip the ball better. Good point.

Yeah I usually "wet" my palms when I go for a "scheduled" dunk with slippery balls. If you watch the NBA, you can see Steve Nash lick his finger tips from time to time, exactly for that purpose. I just blow some hot air into my palms for a few seconds and it does help (weird, I know). It doesn't help much though, if the ball is slippery then that's that, you can't do too much about it if you're actually playing ball with it.