|
|
![]() By: Dr. Squat
Here is a program for increasing your vertical jump. It is NOT a complete program for athletes... Even those athletes who need great jumping ability will have to engage in conditioning, sport specific skill training, speed training and even other exercises in the weight room. The sole purpose of this program is to increase your vertical jump, but if you are an athlete, don't fall into the trap of believing that this program is the only one you need! Instead, look for other programs that will be specifically designed for your sport. Those programs will also improve your vertical jump, but will also give you the tools you need to achieve athletic excellence! The program is set over quite a long period of time. To do things right, you must acquire a certain level of fitness to use the upper levels of this program... Rome wasn't built in a day, man must crawl before he can walk, and walk before he can run.... The same can be said about plyometrics -- which is the best way to increase your vertical jump! Do not skip workouts or cycles! Otherwise, "The Profits of Doom" who say plyometric training is dangerous may indeed be correct! So if this program is to increase your vertical jump, why are upper body exercises included? Doesn't a great vertical involve the legs? True, the legs and hips are the main movers, but research suggests that the arm swing can involve as much as 5% of your velocity while jumping. Have doubts about this? Try this simple experiment: Stand still and swing your arms up hard. Did you feel yourself lift upward at all? Perhaps you didn't get off the ground, but you should've felt some upward movement. Perhaps even some of your body parts jiggled a bit! That brings up another point: If too much jiggled, perhaps losing some bodyfat is in order! No matter how strong you are or how explosive you are, your vertical jump will always be terrible if you are overweight! Why carry the excess luggage? If this is the case, follow the zig zag diet program and get rid of that excess luggage! Many of the exercises will not have assigned percentages or weights. Even if they do, please remember the almighty rule of THE LAW OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES! Numbers aren't Holy, neither are percentages... What is important is that you are progressing upwards. As a general rule, increase the weight of the exercises which aren't assigned percentages 5 lbs every 3rd week. OF URGENT IMPORTANCE!!!! See a doctor before engaging in any exercise program! I know you've heard that before, but it is with good reason! EVERY athletic team in the nation has physicals before they allow any athlete to engage in team training. If it's good enough for those folks, it's good enough for you! Furthermore, if you are an athlete and have a strength coach, I strongly advise you to follow his or her program. They have a plan, and for a plan to work it must be followed. I invite you to show them this program, but your strength coach will have a program suited for you as an individual which must be followed.
Before you are ready to start training with Plyometrics, you must gain a foundation of strength! Conventional wisdom states that you should be able to squat 1.5 times your body weight before you engage in plyometrics. While this is true, it may NOT be taken for granted that you are ready even if you can squat this weight. The muscles may be strong enough, but the bones, tendons, ligaments and joints may still not be ready. Mesocycle 1 is designed to prepare you for such training -- in other words, to give you the necessary tools for further training! THIS MUST BE DONE FIRST! Before you begin, establish your 1RM's for the lifts that require such as well as noting your present vertical jump. See Note 3.
Week 1 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 2 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 3 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 4 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 5 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 6 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 7 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 8 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 9 Active Rest! Test the vertical jump and bench on Monday, the push press on Wednesday, and the Power Clean (before you squat) and Squat on Friday.
The foundation of limit strength has been set! Still you are not ready for advanced plyometric training. This cycle will further prepare you for such activity. This will be a shorter cycle -- and the most fun!
Week 10 Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 11 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 12 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 13 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 14 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 15 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Back to Top Week 16 Active Rest! Test the vertical jump and bench on Monday, the push press on Wednesday, and the Power Clean (before you squat) and Squat on Friday.
You now have the horsepower and engine... Time to learn how to use it! Less training, more intensity!
Week 17 Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Back to Top Week 18 Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Back to Top Week 19 Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Back to Top Week 20 Monday
Thursday
Back to Top Week 21 That's all folks! Test your vertical only on Wednesday!
Back to Top
Back to Top
Use this chart to Note your progress as well as a reference guide for your one repetition max lifts. You don't have to do an actual 1 RM test for these lifts -- make an educated guess. As a general guideline, if you can do 3 reps in these lifts, it's about 85% - 90% of your 1 RM. For the power clean, do not attempt a one rep max until you have developed proper form and an established foundation of strength first!
Back to Top
This is simply running at near a full sprint pace. It will be difficult to calculate your percentages, but just realize that you will be running at approximate speed. Why do them? In order to sprint, you must use the type IIB fibers which are critical in jumping!
Power Clean: No exercise description will be given for this lift -- you MUST find an experienced coach to learn proper form! That individual will be able to teach you and offer a critical eye -- more than we could give with a description!
Push Press: This exercise could be described as a "cheating military press". You will use your entire body to push the weight over your head. Use your upper legs and hips first, then your calves and arms once the weight leaves your shoulders. Using your calves by coming up on your toes is going to prove vital -- 5% of your vertical jump will come from the power your calves produce!
High Pulls: This is basically known as the first and second pull of a power clean. It can be described as an "explosive deadlift". Shins against the bar, grab the bar at shoulder width, shift your weight slightly over the bar. Then, drive with your legs first then your back and finally your shoulders and calves. Your arms should not bend at all! The weight should end up around your hips. If you are using bumper plates and a platform (or if you have a gym owner who doesn't give a damn!) drop the weight! Don't bother with an eccentric contraction. Box Jump: View Exercise Find a box which is about 10% higher than your best vertical. Jump up on it and then STEP DOWN. Do not jump off of it. Drop Jumps: Find a box about 3 feet high and drop off it. Absorb the shock and do not jump up. This is only meant to prepare you for the ballistic shock of further training. Depth Jumps: Find a box about 2 feet high, drop off it and immediately rebound upward 3 times. This is one set. Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
Related Articles
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||















