76
Introduce Yourself / Re: Powerlifter Looking For Power
« on: June 14, 2011, 07:33:45 pm »
Thanks much.
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77
Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion / Re: Why The Lifeline Power Jumper Worked For Me / Greedy For More Gains
« on: June 14, 2011, 05:12:01 pm »Very interesting. I'll start using my powerjumper again and see what happens. Will probably limit it's use to low box depth jumps and two-leg bounds and broad jumps, since in a one-leg bound, because one leg is flexed, it won't have any effect (or even worse - make the bound imbalanced).
Good luck! But I don't expect my gains were typical. I had developed a humongous deficit. Even though I kept jumping, I was focused on squatting more and getting bigger. People who have been training with more balance probably won't get the drastic results I did, or at least not as quickly. Would have thought a 20%+ increase in jump height would have taken months, not weeks. Of course, now they really seem to be slowing down. But I can't complain that much because I'm a lot further ahead right now than I thought I'd be at this point. I even managed to dunk a small soccer ball with a two-step run on a 9'10" rim yesterday! First time dunking anything. Even though it's a couple inches short of official height and it's a smaller ball, I'm still very happy. I could barely touch a 9'10 rim a couple months ago, even in shoes and with a run up.
78
Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion / Re: Why The Lifeline Power Jumper Worked For Me / Greedy For More Gains
« on: June 14, 2011, 02:03:26 pm »
Thanks for that detailed response!
This info is in my "Introduce Yourself" post so I'm being a bit redundant, but here is a brief history...
I am a little under 5'10" in bare feet. I weighed 125-130 at age 20 and 145 at age 30 after ten years of shitty magazine-inspired training.
I slid into competitive powerlifting via Pavel and then Rip. Went from a squatting and pulling 245 and 335 at 145 to squatting and pulling 315 and 405 at 165 (beltelss, high bar and conventional). Then I got up to 180 and squatted and pulled 418 and 506 in competition raw USAPL (with belt, low bar squat and sumo deadlift). That was last year and knee troubles and overdoing it forced me to take a break from competing.
Earlier this year I was trying my hand at dedicated weightlifting. At 175-180 I got my Olympic-style squat a little north of 345. I finally started myofascial release work in the winter, which was badly needed for my quads and IT band and that helped get my squat moving up again. I recently did a dedicated deadlift cycle and got my beltless conventional pull from where it was languishing back around 405 to a little over 450. Squat was recently down to 315 because I took a break, but after one session in the new cycle it's already back to 345.
When I made my recent jump gains, I was doing another dedicated deadlift cycle. So I wasn't squatting which is very rare for me. I was maintaining PVC rolling (actually slacking a little bit) and I added in some Bulgarian split squats, which I really liked. The only real new element was the dynamic day of jumping with those bands. I'd do a couple sets of triples, decrease the resistance, do another set of triples then try for a new PR without the bands. Did this for both vertical and broad jumps. Got increases almost every time.
To be honest, I'm a lot prouder of my broad jump gains. I was struggling to hit 8' before and now I can usually get over 9' when reasonably rested and my PR there is 9'3", which I've hit three times.
Edit: Forgot to mention, that I was jumping pretty regularly throughout the week. It was fun to be jumping higher all the time and I had to force myself not to make random attempts every single day of the week. So the constant, unresisted practice probably helped.
BUT my first gains came the very first time I tried the jumper. Went from 23" to 25" immediately after I did a few sets of triples with the bands. This leads me to believe that the bands themselves and the overspeed they provided were key.
Also, I'll be traveling a lot soon and for most of the summer. I was planning to use the resulting spotty access to weights for dedicated and more intense jump/speed training, including shock methods.
This info is in my "Introduce Yourself" post so I'm being a bit redundant, but here is a brief history...
I am a little under 5'10" in bare feet. I weighed 125-130 at age 20 and 145 at age 30 after ten years of shitty magazine-inspired training.
I slid into competitive powerlifting via Pavel and then Rip. Went from a squatting and pulling 245 and 335 at 145 to squatting and pulling 315 and 405 at 165 (beltelss, high bar and conventional). Then I got up to 180 and squatted and pulled 418 and 506 in competition raw USAPL (with belt, low bar squat and sumo deadlift). That was last year and knee troubles and overdoing it forced me to take a break from competing.
Earlier this year I was trying my hand at dedicated weightlifting. At 175-180 I got my Olympic-style squat a little north of 345. I finally started myofascial release work in the winter, which was badly needed for my quads and IT band and that helped get my squat moving up again. I recently did a dedicated deadlift cycle and got my beltless conventional pull from where it was languishing back around 405 to a little over 450. Squat was recently down to 315 because I took a break, but after one session in the new cycle it's already back to 345.
When I made my recent jump gains, I was doing another dedicated deadlift cycle. So I wasn't squatting which is very rare for me. I was maintaining PVC rolling (actually slacking a little bit) and I added in some Bulgarian split squats, which I really liked. The only real new element was the dynamic day of jumping with those bands. I'd do a couple sets of triples, decrease the resistance, do another set of triples then try for a new PR without the bands. Did this for both vertical and broad jumps. Got increases almost every time.
To be honest, I'm a lot prouder of my broad jump gains. I was struggling to hit 8' before and now I can usually get over 9' when reasonably rested and my PR there is 9'3", which I've hit three times.
Edit: Forgot to mention, that I was jumping pretty regularly throughout the week. It was fun to be jumping higher all the time and I had to force myself not to make random attempts every single day of the week. So the constant, unresisted practice probably helped.
BUT my first gains came the very first time I tried the jumper. Went from 23" to 25" immediately after I did a few sets of triples with the bands. This leads me to believe that the bands themselves and the overspeed they provided were key.
Also, I'll be traveling a lot soon and for most of the summer. I was planning to use the resulting spotty access to weights for dedicated and more intense jump/speed training, including shock methods.
79
Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion / Why The Lifeline Power Jumper Worked For Me / Greedy For More Gains
« on: June 14, 2011, 01:19:46 pm »
I got my squat and deadlift and bodyweight up quite a bit in the last couple of years. I would practice jumping frequently during all this, and I would occasionally do a few months of dedicated weightlifting. I even incorporated jump squats and such. Vertical stayed the same.
I put on the power jumper on Jack Woodrup's recommendation and got immediate results. Did one session per week as my "dynamic day" and a month later I was jumping 5 inches higher. Broad jump was 13" farther.
Started a thread on SS about it and immediately got into fights. One of those fights about what exactly the jumper improved. Someone said technique and I rejoined along the lines of "technique if by technique you mean raw speed in the descent."
I think the overspeed eccentric did a lot more for me than resistance in the concentric phase. It's my understanding that I could have gotten an overspeed effect from drop jumps, but the bands gave this effect without making me have to land on a hard surface after a fall. This is no small matter with someone with beat up knees like mine.
Maybe I'm being a little greedy, but I want even more gains, despite getting 5" in a month. I'm at 28" now and I just want to crack 30" because it's a nice round number and where most people consider getting beyond average. The power jumper's effects seem to be waning, however. Meanwhile my squat strength seems to be picking up (I currently squat high bar without a belt but with loose knee wraps). I just have a feeling I can squeeze more inches out of my current (and improving) strength levels. I'd say I have plenty of strength for a 30" vertical (~350 high bar without a belt at 180) and I need more speed.
What I wonder is if I'd be better off keeping the overspeed eccentric and eliminating the extra resistance at the top. That is to say, replacing the power jumper with drop jumps. I got heavier bands for the jumper and they don't seem to be helping any. I think I may be adding too much of a strength component with the resistance after the quicker eccentric. The only way to get the quicker eccentric without the band resistance in the concentric is to drop from a box, right?
Thanks for reading.
I put on the power jumper on Jack Woodrup's recommendation and got immediate results. Did one session per week as my "dynamic day" and a month later I was jumping 5 inches higher. Broad jump was 13" farther.
Started a thread on SS about it and immediately got into fights. One of those fights about what exactly the jumper improved. Someone said technique and I rejoined along the lines of "technique if by technique you mean raw speed in the descent."
I think the overspeed eccentric did a lot more for me than resistance in the concentric phase. It's my understanding that I could have gotten an overspeed effect from drop jumps, but the bands gave this effect without making me have to land on a hard surface after a fall. This is no small matter with someone with beat up knees like mine.
Maybe I'm being a little greedy, but I want even more gains, despite getting 5" in a month. I'm at 28" now and I just want to crack 30" because it's a nice round number and where most people consider getting beyond average. The power jumper's effects seem to be waning, however. Meanwhile my squat strength seems to be picking up (I currently squat high bar without a belt but with loose knee wraps). I just have a feeling I can squeeze more inches out of my current (and improving) strength levels. I'd say I have plenty of strength for a 30" vertical (~350 high bar without a belt at 180) and I need more speed.
What I wonder is if I'd be better off keeping the overspeed eccentric and eliminating the extra resistance at the top. That is to say, replacing the power jumper with drop jumps. I got heavier bands for the jumper and they don't seem to be helping any. I think I may be adding too much of a strength component with the resistance after the quicker eccentric. The only way to get the quicker eccentric without the band resistance in the concentric is to drop from a box, right?
Thanks for reading.
80
Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion / Re: Starting Strength - Incorporating Half Squats Link..
« on: June 14, 2011, 01:02:59 pm »
Are the folks here the source of that SS thread? If so, very good to meet you.
81
Introduce Yourself / Powerlifter Looking For Power
« on: June 14, 2011, 09:37:37 am »
Hi all,
I'm a lifelong skinny guy (5'9.5", 130 lbs when I was 20) who finally started powerlifting in his 30's and put on some size and strength. But I also wanted to get faster and jump higher and that didn't happen with powerlifting or even weightlifting training. Recently I started using bands in my jump training (with the Portable Power Jumper) and my standing vertical increased 5 inches in a month and my broad jump increased over a foot. I need some help in keeping the progress coming and I want to work on my sprint next. I also recently dunked for the first time. It was a smaller soccer ball on a 9'10" rim, but it felt pretty good.
I have long arms and legs and am a natural deadlifter. I used to be a unilateral running jumper when I was 50 lbs lighter, but now I'm very much a power jumper.
Age: 35
Height: 5'9.5"
Wingspan: 6'4"
Standing Reach Barefoot: 7'10"
Weight: 180 lbs
Standing Vertical Jump: 28"
Running Vertical Jump Bilateral: 30.5"
Running Vertical Jump, Unilateral: 25"
Standing Broad Jump: 9'3"
Beltless High Bar Squat: 350
Beltless Conventional Deadlift: 450
Low Bar Squat w/ Belt: 418
Sumo Deadlift w/ Belt: 506
Thanks for reading.
I'm a lifelong skinny guy (5'9.5", 130 lbs when I was 20) who finally started powerlifting in his 30's and put on some size and strength. But I also wanted to get faster and jump higher and that didn't happen with powerlifting or even weightlifting training. Recently I started using bands in my jump training (with the Portable Power Jumper) and my standing vertical increased 5 inches in a month and my broad jump increased over a foot. I need some help in keeping the progress coming and I want to work on my sprint next. I also recently dunked for the first time. It was a smaller soccer ball on a 9'10" rim, but it felt pretty good.
I have long arms and legs and am a natural deadlifter. I used to be a unilateral running jumper when I was 50 lbs lighter, but now I'm very much a power jumper.
Age: 35
Height: 5'9.5"
Wingspan: 6'4"
Standing Reach Barefoot: 7'10"
Weight: 180 lbs
Standing Vertical Jump: 28"
Running Vertical Jump Bilateral: 30.5"
Running Vertical Jump, Unilateral: 25"
Standing Broad Jump: 9'3"
Beltless High Bar Squat: 350
Beltless Conventional Deadlift: 450
Low Bar Squat w/ Belt: 418
Sumo Deadlift w/ Belt: 506
Thanks for reading.