Depth jumps are the premier plyometric exercise for increasing vertical jumping ability. There are many types of derivatives like altitude drops and depth jumps over hurdles. When we add the overload of eccentric velocity or rate of acceleration, things become even more intense.
Many coaches do this on a basic level with dumbbell jumps, where an athlete will set up a vertical jump, often up to a box, with dumbbells held in the hands. The athlete will “drop” downwards holding the dumbbells to create an eccentric overload, and then drop the dumbbells when reversing the movement back upwards to jump on the box. See below for a simple representation.
There are many poor examples of this exercise on YouTube. However, this video is one of the better ones.
The idea is interesting and supported by research, but I find it awkward and clunky, especially for advanced jumpers. However, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research has recently conducted research that supports the effectiveness of this method. The research validates the idea of jumping with dropping dumbbells.
I believe there is something out there that is far superior, which is band-aided eccentrics into a jump.
Over the years, I have tried many plyometric exercises, but my favorite is the AMT depth jump. It was popularized by “DB Hammer” of Inno-sport and I consider it the best plyometric exercise to do during training.
AMT (auxometronic) jumps require two partners standing on jump stretch bands attached to an athlete’s belt. The athlete will climb up on a box, and drop-down, sped up by the bands. When the athlete lands, the partners let go of the bands. The athlete then feels very light in the transition to vertical jumping.
Below is a great way to do the AMT depth jump without partners to assist.
Some argue that dropping a higher box would have the same velocity upon hitting the ground. However, I believe the difference lies in how the vestibular system processes the downward acceleration and the training response from preserving the takeoff during the drop. It is a total hindbrain activity, which is exactly what we want out of plyometrics.
Personally, I have found that using these jumps can boost an athlete’s jump by 1-2 inches. This is especially true when athletes have already tried other methods. These are not jumps you would want to use to kick off a training cycle or with novice athletes.
As a final treat to this Plyo of the Week, Roger Nelsen wins the ingenuity award with this blast from the past, on how to do the jumps yourself.
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