Increasing Vert and Shuttle Speed

[Youngin]

Whats a good 5 day routine for increasing vertical leap along with a shuttle run ? Currently they are 27 inches and 4.20 seconds.

[Johnka]

Dirty Tricks for Higher Vertical Jumps - by Joe DeFranco

I’ve been called a wide variety of names over the past couple of years. These names have ranged from "guru" to "cheater." Frankly, I don’t give a damn what people call me. The bottom line is that I get results with my athletes.

Some people admire this; others get jealous and choose to ridicule my methods. Some of my methods are mainstream and other times I have to dig into my bag of "dirty tricks" to get the desired result. Training athletes for the vertical jump test is no exception. I get more questions each week regarding the vertical jump than any other training topic. Most athletes seem to be obsessed with their vertical jump. This is where I come in.

Below you’ll find some of my favorite coaching "tricks" that I guarantee will improve your vertical jump. These underground techniques have helped over 2-dozen of my athletes jump over 35" on this popular athletic test. Some may call these techniques trickery; others may call them smart coaching. Call them what you want, they work!

DIRTY TRICK #1 — STATIC STRETCH THE HIP FLEXORS BEFORE TESTING YOUR VERTICAL JUMP!

This dirty trick works so well it gives me chills! Well, not really but it’s damn effective.

Have you ever noticed that the day after you’ve performed a lot of jumping that your hip flexors were sore? I’ve personally pulled hip flexor muscles while testing my vertical jump. What I eventually figured out was that the rapid, full body extension that followed the rapid descent into the jump was tearing them up. After further analysis, one could conclude that if these muscles were getting torn up, that meant that they were probably resisting the height of the jump.

Hopefully we’re all well aware that static stretching isn’t recommended before any explosive activity. Static stretching your hip flexors before testing your vertical jump is the exception to the rule! You see, since the hip flexors aren’t prime movers in jumping and they tend to resist our jump, the goal is to weaken them and put them to "sleep" before jumping. Static stretching accomplishes these goals. Static stretching your hip flexors will create less friction during your jump. Less hip flexor friction during your jump equals higher vertical jump heights!

Below is one of my favorite hip flexor stretches, but go ahead and choose your favorite and perform 2 sets of 20-30 seconds on each side.

NOTE: The hip flexor stretch pictured below is a great stretch to perform before squatting as well. It will help you get deeper into your squats as well as prevent getting pulled forward during squatting. Give it a try!

DIRTY TRICK #2 — STRENGTHEN YOUR FLEXOR HALLUCIS LONGUS!

The flexor hallucis longus is the least known of all the "jumping muscles." Don’t get me wrong, this muscle isn’t going to improve your vertical jump as much as well-developed hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors; but this is an interesting muscle that can make a noticeable improvement in your jumping ability.

The flexor hallucis longus originates on the lower two-thirds of the fibula and inserts on the distal phalanx of the great toe. It plantar flexes the foot and also flexes the great toe. These muscle actions are an integral part of the vertical jump as well as sprinting. Getting this often-overlooked muscle stronger can be that added inch on your vertical jump that you thought was impossible.

The best way to train this muscle in the weight room is by performing single leg calf raises while holding a dumbell. (See pictures below.) When performing this exercise, try to keep most of your weight on the big toe of the working leg.

Crunching your toes in your sneakers/shoes while at work or school is another "economical" way of strengthening these muscles. Try 3-4 sets of 20 reps. No one will ever know!

Crunching a towel up in your toes while watching TV or working on the computer is another way to train these muscles without wasting any extra time.


DIRTY TRICK #3 — FOCUS ON RAPIDLY DESCENDING INTO YOUR JUMP!

Most athletes focus so much on the "jump" portion of jumping that they forget the importance of the descent of the jump. Through extensive research and observation, I’ve found that the speed of the descent is the most important factor in an athlete’s vertical jump height.

The bottom line is that the faster you can descend, the higher you will jump. Sir Isaac Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion supports this statement. It states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Knowing this, we can conclude that the faster we can descend into our jump, the faster we can take off. This translates into an explosive, jaw-dropping jump. Unfortunately, time and time again, I feel like I can go out to lunch and come back in the amount of time it takes an athlete to descend into his/her jump. If you want to jump through the roof, you must practice descending rapidly.

In order to perfect the descent, you must set up in the perfect position. Your vertical jump position should resemble that of an Olympic diver standing on a diving board. Your arms should be fully extended over your head, eyes looking upward to where you’ll be jumping, your back should be slightly arched and you should be standing on your toes. This position puts all of your muscles on stretch and sets you up for an explosive descent. Remember that an optimally stretched muscle can contract faster/harder.

Start the descent by throwing your arms down to your hips. As the arms fire downward, your head/neck will flex forward as your trunk and knees flex as well. In the bottom position, your hands should be slightly behind your hips, trunk flexed slightly forward and your knees bent at about 15-20 degrees. (Don’t get too caught up with the angle of your knees. Always remember that the angle of knee flexion is NOT as important as the speed in which you descend.) You are now ready to take off into a record-setting jump!


DIRTY TRICK #4 — PEAK FOR YOUR VERTICAL JUMP BY PERFORMING 50-REP RHYTHM SQUATS!

This is one of the dirtiest, sneakiest, and toughest exercises you’ll ever perform. It’s great for training the elastic component of your muscles along with the Achilles tendon.

I use 50-rep rhythm squats as a "peaking" exercise. My athletes perform this exercise once a week for 3 weeks before being tested in the vertical jump. The last "rhythm-squat" workout would be completed 4-6 days before being tested in the vertical jump. 50-rep rhythm squats would always be the first exercise of the workout. After a proper warm-up, you’ll perform one all-out set of this exercise. After this exercise is completed, I usually like performing another explosive exercise such as box jumps, push jerks, etc.

This exercise is done by performing 50 quarter-squats as fast as possible. Do the first 10 reps exploding onto your toes; then, on reps 11-20 keep your feet flat on the way up; explode onto your toes again while performing reps 21-30; keep your heels down for reps 31-40, and then finish the final 10 reps by exploding onto your toes again. It helps to have a partner count out loud so you can perform all 50 reps as fast as possible without breaking momentum.

I also like using a green Jump-Stretch band around the bar (see pics below) for two reasons: First of all, the band helps to accelerate the eccentric portion of the lift. This will further work the elastic component of your muscles and train your body to rapidly descend. Secondly, due to the explosive nature of the exercise, the bar has a tendency to bounce up and down on your cervical spine. This doesn’t tickle! The bands help to hold and stabilize the bar on your neck.



*Reps 1-10, 21-30 & 41-50. Athlete explodes onto his toes at the top of the movement.



*Reps 11-20 & 31-40. Athlete keeps his heels down at the top of the movement.


DIRTY TRICK #5 — WEAR TRACK WAFFLES WHEN TESTING YOUR VERTICAL!

Proper shoe wear just might be the most overlooked component of the vertical jump. DO NOT wear an old pair of running sneakers because you feel that they’re "broken in" and comfortable. This type of sneaker is the worst thing you can put on your feet when jumping! These "comfortable" sneakers actually dampen the forces that you put into the ground. This, in turn, lengthens the time that you spend on the ground. Picture that as you rapidly descend into your jump, the foot collapses slightly and absorbs force. This dissipation of force can reduce the height of the jump.

I have my athletes wear light sneakers with a rigid sole and maximal arch support. This type of sneaker supports the first metatarsal, which is crucial to your jumping performance. I have found that track waffles are the best shoes for vertical jumping. Waffles are firm and very light. This allows for a rapid descent and take-off with maximal support. I also recommend that my athletes purchase waffles that are half a size too small. This prevents their feet from moving around in the shoe. Remember that these shoes aren’t meant for comfort; they’re meant for a world-class vertical jump!

Hopefully, this combination of training methods and "tricks" will have you jumping so high that you can grab a dollar bill off the top of the backboard and make change before descending. Okay, maybe that’s a little too ambitious a goal. Still, using these time-tested methods should have you jumping considerably higher than your current best.

[Johnka]

White Men Can Jump! 8 Weeks to a Killer Vertical - by Ian King

One 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

Back Squat — Medium stance/high bar

Position: Bar high on back, grip close to shoulders, elbows down, shoulder width stance

Warm-up: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work sets: 2 x 6
Speed: 321*
Rest: 2 to 3 minutes

Back Squat — Narrow stance/high bar

Position: Bar high on back, grip close to shoulders, elbows down, feet six inches apart

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 10-12
Tempo: 311
Rest: 2 minutes

Squat — Single leg

Position: Stand on one leg with the other leg out in front of you so your heel is off the ground. Hold on to something with one hand but don’t use it to pull yourself up. Use a range that allows you to get between 10 and 15 reps.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x AMRP (as many reps as possible)
Tempo: 311
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

One-Leg Bench Squat

Position: Stand on one leg with the other leg up on a bench behind you. Assume a stance that allows the lead leg to stay in the same plane as the toe and heel of that same foot (in other words, don’t have your knee travelling in an angle that’s inconsistent with the way your foot is positioned). Aim to take the back knee to almost touching the ground. Perform the movement either holding dumbbells or with your hands on your head. If you can get 15 reps without weight, then add dumbbells. If you can get 15 with dumbbells, then increase the weight.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x AMRP
Tempo: 311
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

Squat — Single leg standing on low block

Position: Stand on one leg on a low block with the other leg off the side of the block. Bend the support leg until the other foot brushes but doesn’t rest on the ground, then stand back up. Add dumbbells when you can get 20 reps per leg. If you can get 20 reps with dumbbells then increase the weight.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x AMRP
Tempo: 311
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

Calf Press — Standing, single leg

Position: Stand on one leg with the ball of the foot on the edge of a block. Hold on to a vertical frame with one hand for balance. With the free hand hold on to a dumbbell if needed. If you can get 20 reps per leg, then you’ll need to add dumbbells. If you can get 20 reps with dumbbells, then, you guessed it, use heavier dumbbells!

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x AMRP
Tempo: 311
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

On-off Box Jumps — Single leg

Position: Stand on one leg, facing a low bench or box (ideally, use a Reebok step as it’s very adjustable). Jump up on top of the box and land on the same leg, pausing to confirm balance for two seconds. Then jump off and land on the same leg, again pausing for two seconds to confirm balance. If you do two reps in a row with good balance in both the on-box and on-ground landings, raise the box by the smallest progression.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 10 per leg per on-box and on-ground landings
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

Stage 2
Hypertrophy and Maximal Strength Dominant

Back Squat — Medium stance/medium bar

Position: Bar medium on back (not too high or too low), grip close to shoulders, elbows down, shoulder width stance

Warm-up: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 5
Work sets: 1x 5, 1 x 1, 1 x 5, 1 x 1, 1 x 10-15
Speed: 301
Rest: 3 minutes

Dynamic Lunge

Position: Bar on back, one foot out in front of the other, back foot angled in, weight on toes. "Dynamic" means that you’ll push off the working leg each rep and bring it back up beside the other leg.

Warm-up: 1 x 6 per leg
Work sets: 1 x 10 per leg
Tempo: 311
Rest: 2 minutes

Calf Press — Standing, two legs

Position: Use both legs this time in a standing calf press machine

Warm-up: 1 x 12
Work sets : 1 x 10-12
Tempo : 311
Rest: 1-2 minutes

In-depth Jumps — Both legs

Position: You’ll need two boxes for this one. Stand on both legs on a low box. Step off with one leg, land with two, and jump up onto another, higher box. Spend as little time on the ground as possible (if you’re too slow off the ground, the box is too high). Step back to the lower box to start each rep.

Warm-up: 1 x 10 per leg on very low boxes
Work sets: 1-2 x10 per leg per on higher boxes
Rest: 1-2 minutes

Stage 3
Maximal Strength/Explosive Power Dominant

Back Squat — Medium stance/medium bar

Position: Bar medium (not low on the back, not high, but medium on the back, grip away from shoulders, elbows back, shoulder width stance

Warm-up: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 5
Work sets: 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 2
Speed: 201
Rest: 3 to 4 minutes

Quarter Squat

Position: As above but with 10 to 30% more loading. Only lower yourself about one-fourth of the way down.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 3
Tempo: 201
Rest: 3 to 4 minutes

Explosive Squats

Position: As per the first squat, but attempt to come up as fast as possible. Use less weight to allow for greater explosiveness.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 6
Tempo: 20X (Lower the weight to a two second count, no pause, explode up)
Rest: 3 minutes

Jump Squats

Position: As per the first squat, but with minimal loading. Bend the knees as little as you can before jumping in the air as high as you can. Land on bent knees to absorb the shock.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 8
Tempo: 10X
Rest: 2 to 3 minutes

Depth Jumps — Both legs

Position: Again, you’ll need two boxes. Stand on both legs on a box. Step off with one leg, land with two and jump up onto a box of the same height. Spend as little time on the ground as possible. Turn on that box and repeat.

Warm-up: 1 x 8 on low boxes
Work sets: 1-2 x 8 on higher boxes
Rest: 1 to 2 minutes

Stage 4
Explosive Power/Speed Strength Dominant

Back Squat — Medium stance/medium bar

Position: Bar medium on back, grip away from shoulders, elbows back, shoulder width stance

Warm-up: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 5
Work sets: 1 x 3
Speed: 201
Rest: 4 minutes

Depth jumps — Both legs with external load

Position: Stand on both legs on a box. Step off with one leg, land with two and jump up onto a box of the same height. As always, spend as little time on the ground as possible. Turn on that box and repeat. Ideally have a weighted vest on or at least hold a medicine ball or weight plates in your hands. Just remember that negating arm action by holding weight will lower your apparent jumping height ability, which means you need to review your box heights.

Warm-up: 1 x 6 on low boxes
Work sets: 1 x 6 on higher boxes
Rest: 2 to 3 minutes

Depth jumps — Both legs with bodyweight only

Position: As per above but no external load. Ideally raise the height of the boxes for this set.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 1 x 6 on higher boxes
Rest: 2 minutes

Specific jump — As per sport requirement

Position: Select one jumping style (one leg take off, three step entry, two leg take-off etc.) and do that specific jump.

Warm-up: nil
Work sets: 2 x bodyweight at 6 reps
Rest: 2 minutes

Your goal is to do two sets with the aim of going slightly heavier in each set without losing any explosiveness in the lifts.

Note of Caution

As the volume increases in the jumping drills, it’s important to avoid any of the potential problems. Minor concerns such as shin soreness can be avoided by selecting a "firm yet forgiving" surface. More serious problems such as muscle tears can be avoided by not exceeding your speed-strength potential. In other words, if you’re unable to show extreme quickness off the ground, the box height is too high. Do not underestimate the importance of this guideline.

Be Like Mike

There you have it, a complete program to help you fly like Michael Jordan! Okay, maybe not, but if you follow this program correctly, you’ll certainly see some fantastic gains in jumping ability. Good luck!