Vert Check #1

Yesterday was the first time that I have checked my vert since beginning my training program. It has been 5 weeks. I can definitely notice the increase in strength in my workouts. Because my Volleyball league is off-season right now I can't say if it has helped my volleyball yet. Actually I expect that as I adjust to having a higher vert that there might be a bit of time where my play gets worse. Here are the results of the test: Standing Vert increased by 2.5 inches, run in vert with two foot takeoff increased by 1.5 inches. This makes my levels to 19.5 inches standing and 24.5 with a run in. If I can maintain this progress over the 6 months (26 weeks) I would end up with a standing vert of 29.5 and with a run in 30.5. I doubt that my standing vert will ever get this close to my run in vert. So far I haven’t been doing the plyometrics 2x a week as I am supposed to and I haven’t been doing the jump rope or the isokinetic squats. I have needed more rest days to recover, but as my body strengthens and adapts I am training closer to schedule. In theory, at least, the plyometrics are the most important part of the training, but I also need to build up my strength base, so I am hopeful that I will see even bigger increases in my vert in the months to come.

The first 4 weeks

So it is Christmas Eve and I just got done with another session in the gym. This week I got in two days of lifting, one day of plyometrics, and one day of snowboarding. Trying to mix in snowboarding with what is supposed to be 4-5 days of gym workouts and two days of rest is proving to be quite difficult. For my first month I haven't done the full program once. I have worked out 2 days my first week, 3 days my second week and 4 days my 3rd and 4th weeks (including snowboarding days). I had intended to get in the full program this week but a giant blizzard closed down all of the gyms on Wednesday and Thursday. I did get in a lot of snow shoveling, but I doubt that is going to help my vert a lot.

Next week I am going to re-test my vert for the first time since I started training. I am hoping to have added 2 inches. That would put me on pace for 12 inches over 6 months. We will see if Santa has brought vert for me this year.

The progress so far

In my first week on the program I did one day of leg lifting and one day of plyometrics. I was sore for two or three days after lifting and waited until my legs felt good again to do the first plyometrics session. The plyos made me sore for a few days as well. I think that in the beginning of any program it is important to start slow and let you body adapt, getting enough rest is key to making strength gains and not getting hurt.

In week two I lifted on Monday, did the plyos on Tuesday and lifted again on Friday. Once again I was quite sore. I went snowboarding on Sunday and was really feeling the lifting in my hamstrings. They hadn't been sore before during this program so it seemed normal. I snowboarded until my legs were fried, but I felt stronger in my legs than I had so far this season.

Week three started off in pain on Monday after snowboarding the day before. From the first set of squats the tops of my quads were on fire. I pushed through the workout and just dealt with the pain. After working out it hurt to walk and killed to go up a flight of stairs. I decided that my legs need to recover a bit from this so I took off Tuesday. I shot some hoops on Wednesday night for about 30 minutes just to get some blood flowing but was still really sore. I took off Thursday and got back into the gym today, Friday to lift again. The weight lifting in this program is extensive. I was lifting with fair consistently before I started this program, however my previous leg lifting volume was quite lower and I wasn't doing pylometris. Next week I hope to actually get in 2 days of lifting and 2 days of plyos without a lot of pain or soreness.

If you are new to lifting or you haven't been lifting three days a week consistently with strong leg work expect that this program is going to kick your ass.

The Program

When I started looking for a good training program I found a lot of information online. The most helpful stuff was from trainers and researchers working with high jumpers. They make a science out of jumping and how to train for it. It is a refreshing changes from the over hyped and mostly false info you get from the people charging lots of cash for their programs. I also found an article in Outside magazine about a similar quest. You can check that out here:

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200503/basketball-dunk_1.html

There is also a complete workout program attached to that article here:

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/dunk-basketball.html

I am using this as the basis for my program - with a few modifications. First I am not using the jump soles because they cause a lot of injuries even when used by high level athletes. They do have increased benefit in some studies but not in others. All of the studies on jump soles show significant increases in injury rates. If you want to use jump soles make sure that you have solid leg strength and at least a month of plyometrics before you start using them. The program given also fails in a couple of aspects: 1. It doesn't have any periodization. 2. it doesn't have any changes in the exercises over time. 3. It doesn't have rest periods. 4. It doesn't place exercises in the best order. So I am going to make a number of changes to the program and fill in some of the holes. I will post here as I get changes made.

You can get more vertical jump training info here: http://www.wendel.uctrack.com/Articles.htm

The first part is specific to high jumpers, but the rest applies to anyone trying to gain explosive leg power.

The Beginning...

Here is my confession...I am 6'5" and I can't dunk. Everytime that I step onto a volleyball or basketball court everyone expects that because I am tall that I will dominate. Or at least that I will dunk on breakaways and spike harder than anyone else on the court. But I can't dunk and I can't destroy balls when I spike they way I want to.

I have decided that I'am going to try to add 10 to 12 inches to my vert over the next 6 months. A few years ago I tried using jump soles to add vertical. I got shin splints quickly and could no longer jump or run without pain. It took me about 2 months to fully recover. So this time I am not using the jump soles and I am going to go into the plyometrics much slower.

There is a lot of hype out there about how to get more vertical leap. People touting "add 6 inches in six weeks" with our miracle exercise. The truth is that if these miracle exercises existed every NBA, NFL, NCAA and High school coach would know about them and would be using them. The reality is that to add vertical you need three main things, weight lifting with an emphasis on speed with good form, plyometrics, and rest. All of the equipment that you really need is probably already available at your local gym. I don't think you need the jump soles or the isokenitic squat machine. The weight belt is a good idea - but you can get it for half the price by buying from a scuba diving supply store. There are also people out there selling jump trainers using surgical tubing. Many gyms already have surgical tubing bands with handles. Use the ones at the gym, just put your feet in the handles and use a yoga strap to go over your head and make the strap the right length. Simple and free.

To get started I got a yard stick and some tape. I went to the gym, taped it up on the wall, and measured my best jumps both from standing with a two foot launch and from running a few steps and jumping with two feet. The numbers are 17" standing and 23" with the run in. I am going to re-test on a monthly basis. My goal is to add 10-12 inches to both of these numbers in 6 months.