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Every now and then, even the best rules and guidelines are up for revision. Over the last few years, I’ve given my “commandments” on vertical jump training. If I’ve realized anything in coaching, you need to be willing and humble enough to shift your paradigm when you know it’ll get your athletes faster, higher, and stronger.
Some of my paradigms have changed, even in the last couple years, and many of them have been significant. No cow is sacred if you it means you’ll be a better athlete. That being said, here is the revised edition of my popular, “Vertical Jump Commandments” series.
Commandments 1-10
I. Thou shall practice jumping as high as thou is able, at least two times per week. Thou shalt rotate thy types of maximal jump attempts throughout thy week. Thou shalt make sure at least a few of thy training days art in an environment where thou shalt be motivated to leap higher than thou hast in the past.
II. Thou shalt have maximal fun, and stay maximally positive in the course of thy practice jumping. Thou shalt jump over thy neighbor to dunk on thy low rim. Thou shalt try different types of high jumps over thy high jump bar, and not just thy flop technique. Thou shalt realize that thy team sport play, thy basketball, thy volleyball, and even thy racquetball game all offer fun power training at a lower emotional cost than thy plyometric program.
III. Thou shalt not train only by thyself. Thou shalt find a training partner, group, or energetic area in which to increase thy vertical. Thou must realize that maximal CNS recruitment will only happen when thou art in a highly excited physical state.
IV. Thou shalt strength train to increase thou’s jump, but thy would beist wise to realize that thou’s barbell lifting can only accomplish so much in building thy speed-strength, and thou isn’t meant to be a standing combine jump specialist if thou wishest to be on thy weekly highlight reel. Thou shalt realize that thy squat is important in regards to how high thou jumps, but thou shall not obsess about thy squat number in relation to thy vertical leap. Thou shalt not squat in any significant volume unless thou’s squat replicates thou’s jump mechanics. Thou shalt not powerlifting style squat repeatedly if thou wishest to jump high. Thou shalt not attempt to take shortcuts or find the latest powerlifting craze in an attempt to bring thou’s squat to the level thou thinks it should be at to reach a certain vertical leap.
V. Thou shalt be able to adjust thy training on thy daily basis. Thou shalt learn to back off thy technically or neurally demanding training if thou’s CNS is not firing on many cylinders, and thou shalt learn to replace thy demanding sets with thy density based training. If thou cannot jump well on thy 10 foot rim, thou shalt practice dunks on thy low rim. If thou cannot leap over thy high jump bar near thy personal best, thou shalt practice alternative jump styles over thy low bar.
VI. Thou shalt not rely on thy Olympic lift to increase thou’s triple extension power. If thou cannot express thy triple extension through thou’s sprinting, jumping, and bounding, perhaps thou shalt consider taking up thy basket weaving course, and retiring thy athletic shoes. Thou beist wise to learn the full catch Olympic lift to improve other athletic qualities that plyometrics may not be able to teachest thou.
VII. Thou shalt keep thy strength training simple and thou shalt strength train either for the sake of specific potentiation (1-5 reps) or growth (8-20 reps). Thou shalt realize that strength training is only thy helper when it comes to building vertical, and not thy substitute.
VIII. Thou shalt include calf work in thy training program, even if thou comes up with a scientific explanation not to, thou shall realize that Dr. Yuri Verkhoshanski recommended them for jumping higher so thou shalt put away thy scientific texts on muscle-tendon interaction or lower-leg vertical contribution and doeth thy calf raises anyways. Thou shalt train thy foot. Thou beist wise to claw thy big toe down when performing thy calf raises to improve thy EMG activity in thy gluteus maximus.
IX. Thou shall include speed and acceleration training in thy vertical leap training program and thou shalt realize that speed and jumping are closely related motor abilities. Thou shalt not be afraid of thy longer sprint efforts of 50-120 meters, as thou shalt realize that thy long sprints shall improve thy jumping coordination. Thou shalt realize that it is rare for thy 100m sprint athlete to have poor hangtime, even if they rarely train vertical jumping.
X. Thou shall know the difference between thy maximal and submaximal plyometrics and thou shalt realize the purpose of each in thy program. Thou shalt know the benefits of both thy training intensity, and thy training density.
Commandments 11-20
XI. Once thou hast mastered the basics of training, thou will be wise to perform depth jumps to continue to increase thy vertical leap. Thou must realize that to jumpest as high as one can, one must do much more than thy depth jump, however.
XII. Thou must make thy training as goal oriented as possible (overhead targets, bounding distances), especially whilst performing plyometrics. Thou shalt attempt to beat thy best marks each time thou trains intensely. Thou must also realize when thou must make training goal oriented in other ways, such as in thou’s plyometric efforts that are designed for repetition, or movement quality. Thou shalt avoid making thy strength training too goal oriented as one progresses to an advanced level, as thou wishest not to take training adaptation away from thy speed and thy vertical leap.
XIII. Thou shalt not fear depth jumping off boxes higher than 60cm (24″) even when thy Scandinavian research sayest thou doest best to use an 8” box.
XIV. Thou shall be as smooth and quiet as possible whilst performing thy plyometric drills. Thou shalt realize that a soft jump lowers thy injury force on thy knee, and increases thy hamstring activation. Thou shalt realize that elite jumpers are very smooth and efficient and thou shalt try and emulate those athletes. Thou must also aim for perfect posture whilst performing thy depth jumps.
XV. Thou shalt incorporate a variety of ground contact times if thou wishest to be maximally well rounded in thy jumping. Thou shalt incorporate maximal power jumps where thou disregardest thy contact time, and thou shalt perform fast jumps where thou takest off in minimal time in thy plyometric efforts.
XVI. Thou shalt not train primarily in special calf shoes to increase thy vertical, if thou trains with strength shoes, thou shall realize thy fancy shoes shalt be only used at the end of a workout to finish off thy calves. Thou shalt not believe athletes who claim training in strength shoes increased thy vertical to thy current level and thou shalt realize a marketing scam when thou sees one.
XVII. Thou shalt spend thou’s time recovering by eating a proper diet (plenty of protein at regular intervals, avoiding trans-fats, avoiding thy refined foods, and particularly thy refined sugar, and thy high fructose corn syrup, as well as thy enriched wheat flour, and limiting alcohol consumption), getting enough sleep, and properly managing stress in thou’s life.
XVIII. Thou shalt put into thy subconscious thy goal as an athlete. Shou shalt speak to thyself as if thou already IS what thou hopest to achieve. Thou must believe in thyself and thou shalt regularly talk to thyself in terms of the athlete thou wishest to be. Thou shalt “talk smack” (respectfully) to thou’s peers if thou wishest to improve thy self-belief, and takest thou belief into thy performance. Thou shalt take thy current vertical jump and tack 5 inches onto it. Thou shalt now talk to thyself as having that vertical leap. Thou shalt write thy goal on thy 3×5 index card and placest thy card on thy nightstand. Thou shalt read thy card in bed before thou sleepest, and before thou risest from bed, as thy subconscious is in a more receptive state.
XIX. Thou shalt have a well-rounded program when venturing to increase thy vertical leap. Thou shall remember the five biomotor abilities when training thy vertical: Speed, Strength, Suppleness, Skill and Stamina. Thou shall realize that while some stamina training is important (and good for thou’s recovery), too much will decrease thy vertical leap.
XX. Thou shalt not train as intensely as possible throughout thy training year. Thou must remember to take deloading periods so thy nervous system stays fresh, allowing thou to attain maximal gains over a long period of time. Thou shalt understand how to transition between thy qualitative and quantitative training states to reach thy highest career performance.
Commandments 21-25
XXI. Thou must seek to gradually increase thy work capacity through thy training years. Thou must realize that thou will outgrow thy two-day per week training program thou started 3 years ago, and that thy training needs changest as thou becomest a high level athlete.
XXII: Thou shalt include training to increase thou’s cross sectional area of thy legs unless thou hast bought 3 pairs of new pants since thou begat lifting. Thou shall realize that thy max effort squats will not increase they vertical significantly if thou hast “chicken legs”. Thou shalt understand the importance of high-rep squats for increasing the size of thou’s leg, and that thy high rep squat shall not turnest thou into thy slow-twitch machine thou readest about in thy exercise science textbook.
XXIII. Thou shalt aim to increase the strength of thy hip flexors, particularly the strength of thy psoas and thy iliacus to keep thy balance in thy hips. Thou must realize that thou needest strong hip flexors to set up thy glutes to fire properly. Thou shalt perform thy activation work to improve thy hip flexor contractility, and thou shalt realize that hammering on thy 4-way hip machine may not be training thy psoas properly, as thou may be compensating with thy adductor magnus, adductor minimus, and thy gracilis.
XXIV. Thou shalt train thy jump position in every training drill. Thou shalt know how to keep thy hips in thy neutral position during thy sprint and jump work.
XXV. Thou must not overthink thy training at all costs. Thou must leave overthinking to thy coach if thou havest one. Otherwise, thou beist wise to invest in thy training manual which allowest thou to perform thy crucial elements of improving thy vertical without overthinking thou’s workout.
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