White Men Can Jump!
8 Weeks to a Killer Vertical.
by Ian King
Original Link:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/white_men_can_jumpOne of the most common questions we receive here at Testosterone is, "How do I improve my vertical jump?" Go ask the average coach and he'll tell you to buy one of those goofy jumping-shoe devices. We decided to do one better and ask Ian King, a coach who's helped some of the world's top athletes improve this very skill. So if you have the "ups" of a fat grandma, then this is the program for you. In fact, this is a great lower body program for anyone wanting to improve strength, size and stability.
So you want to improve your vertical jump, huh? Okay, let's do it! The following program is a four-stage plan that'll give you improvements in your vertical jump you'd only previously dreamed of! Each stage should be used for somewhere between two to six weeks, depending upon how fast you adapt. Basically, if you stop making gains, move on to the next stage.
You may consider taking at least a half recovery week after each stage and you may also want to apply my progressive intensity method if you choose to use each stage for more than two weeks. That means you should leave a few reps "in the hole" the first couple of weeks of each stage. During the last week of each stage, you can give it all you've got and train to failure, or at least very close to it.
Pre-program Testing
If we're going to be objective with our analysis of results, then we need to start with a pre-program assessment of your vertical. If you have access to high-tech jump assessment pads or the old Vertec device, then go ahead and use them. Just make sure to use the same device for post-testing.
For those who don't have access to these testing devices, here's what you need to do. Get some chalk, a long tape measure, and a flat firm surface at the base of a high, smooth wall. Now stand side-on to the wall with your dominant hand up the wall, palm in contact with the surface. Don't over or under-reach. Mark the top of the fingers, then measure from the ground to this mark. This is your base.
Now chalk up the fingertips of the dominant hand and stand side-on to the wall again. If you're right handed, your right shoulder will be closer to the wall and vice-versa. From a two foot, parallel stance, stationary start, jump up and mark the wall with the chalk on your fingers. Take a minute or so to rest and repeat. Do this until you no longer get any higher, then measure the distance from the base (the first fingertip mark) to the highest mark you made while jumping. This is your score.
Goal Setting
Now that you've written the score down, I want you to also write down a goal score. If you have no clue on this, I'm going to say to aim for a 10% improvement. Write this goal score down and place it in a prominent place, ideally where you'll see it in your daily routine.
Training Program Overview
For strength training, you'll do three to four sessions a week, at least half of which will be devoted to lower body training. Exercises will be a mixture of small muscle or isolated exercises, and slow or controlled speed compound movements. We'll also use some low level jumping drills at the end of the two lower body workouts each week.
For on-court training, I want you participating in specific sport skills training, but keep the volume and intensity low, like training twice a week for thirty minutes. As for what I call "off-court, field energy system training" (like doing extra cardio), I'd suggest either skipping it completely or doing only one session per week. If you're doing this to drop fat, then look to your diet instead and eat smarter!
Stage 1
Stability, General Strength and Hypertrophy Dominant.Stage 2
Hypertrophy and Maximal Strength Dominant.Stage 3
Maximal Strength/Explosive Power Dominant.Stage 4
Explosive Power/Speed Strength Dominant.
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