Free Vertical Jump Training

Free Vertical Jump Training: What Not to do!

The key to effective aerobic training that burns off the maximum amount of fat is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn’t matter if you run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the same amount of calories. The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat-loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. What many don’t know is that walking produces a greater percentage of fat loss as opposed to jogging or running. Other aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear found in or out of the gym. Walk or exercise until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate until the allotted time. If your aerobic activities leave you panting or breathless, your going too hard, your energy is coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores. Try fast walking for one hour a day every day of the week if you are able.

Here are some of the benefits of Fast Walking.

* Easy to Perform * Most Conventional * All Natural Body Movement * Doesn’t Cause Injuries * Can Be Done Anywhere * The Best Minimal Effort Exercise for Fat Loss

Research shows that regular, brisk walking is one of the best exercises we can do for overall fitness. It suits people of all ages and fitness levels, it’s easy to get started and there’s no complicated technique to learn or equipment to buy.

Walking is an excellent way to get fit because it uses nearly all the muscles and, as you have to carry your body weight, you can get a good workout from it.

It’s also safer on the joints and the back than most other forms of exercise because you’re not jumping up and down, so the impact is low.

Studies have shown that taking a daily 20-minute walk can reduce the risk of heart attack as much as 50%, it also reduces high blood pressure and helps to burn fat to keep weight under control.

Walking and other weight bearing exercises (Strength training) helps to increase bone mass, which protects against osteoporosis and bone fractures.

In the first two weeks, go for a 20-minute walk every other day and then increase this to 40 minutes. At first try to do five 20-minute walks per week totalling 100 minutes a week. Once you get used to the regular exercise, increase this to 40 minutes for five times a week.

You can then gradually increase this as you see fit, if you want to walk every day for 40 minutes or even an hour so be it. Remember the more you walk the more fat that will be burned off. The best pace for fitness training will make you slightly breathless, but you should still be comfortable and be able to carry on a conversation.

As you get fitter, you’ll want to stretch a little harder to keep your heart rate up. Try lengthening your strides, increasing your pace. Keep your shoulders back, your chest lifted and your tummy pulled in when you walk, hold your head up for open, easy breathing.

Practical Tips…

* If your feeling stressed, try counting your steps repeatedly from one to ten as you walk, this helps some people achieve a meditative effect and can be a great tension reliever when practiced over a full 40 minutes.

* Time yourself, measure the distance or increase the gradient to make the workout more challenging. Drink plenty of fluids during and after your walk.

* Make safety your first consideration. Don’t walk after dark except in well-lit, busy places. Start the walk slowly, and then gradually increase the pace.

So, go ahead in all other activities try to move, move, move. Try parking the car further away from your destination so you can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ weight loss e-course.

Tags: increase vertical leap, exercises for jumping higher, increase vertical jump, free vertical jump training, how to jump higher

Lets have a look:

1/ Back to Basics - To build muscle you must train short and with intensity, you only have a limited amount of energy per session. Tests reveal that blood sugar levels drop dramatically after 20 minutes, so exercise selection is crucial.

Compound multi-joint movements have to be used as these offer more training stimulus, are more functional and heavier loads can be lifted. Examples of compound movements include squats, bench press, dips, and chin-ups. Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what is needed.

All the main structures of the body are worked hard during this time, remembering that as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as your shoulders. Working on these big compound movements has a knock-on effect throughout the whole body; there is no need for specialization techniques or isolation movements.

The thing is, the whole body is worked hard, rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session we push out a few more reps than before with the same weight, then we have gotten stronger i.e. more muscle.

2/ Perform One Set Per Body Part - Having performed one set of an exercise to total failure then it should be near on impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another set. If you are able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then the first set was not worked hard enough.

If you give the first set 100% effort and work it to total failure (You cannot move the bar after the last rep) there is no more requirement for further stimulation. Therefore you need to do one set per exercise, remembering to complete the training session in 20 - 30 minutes so to have the most stimulus as possible and then move on to the next exercise.

Current research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training, decreasing the chances of over training and saving energy for other lifts required during the workout. Because you are doing one set per exercise, you will have to work it hard and to total failure.

3/ Cycle Your Strength Training - The development of muscle and strength is interrelated so the exercise session will have to be designed so that increases in strength are equal to increases in functional muscle. Cycling intensity through changes in repetitions and poundage’s throughout your training program is an effective way to maintain progression and avoid training plateaus.

4/ Don’t Train To Long - Training itself causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. When a person trains very intensely cortisol is released into the blood stream, which causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. The amount of cortisol released is highly dependant upon the length of training time.

Therefore to minimize this effect training should be completed in the absolute minimum time required which is no longer than 20 to 30 minutes max. Your blood sugar levels are also dropping by this time, so do what you have to do in this time and get out of the gym, go home and grow.

5/ Don’t Cheat - Do not cheat on your reps! Every strength-training trainee runs into this problem sooner or later and it will grind your gains to a stand still. There are many ways to increase the intensity of your sets and the weights used in order to maximize results. Cheating to increase your weights actually takes strain off your muscles and places it on your joints, which is counterproductive.

Now that you are armed with this information, you wont need to spend all of your time in the gym, by all means workout hard while you are in there but when you are finished go home and grow and enjoy life.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ muscle building e-course.

How Much Protein Do I Need - Protein is a normal part of out diet; a nutrient widely distributed among animal and plant foods, and it plays many essential roles in the body. Dietary protein has two possible fates - it can be either used in growth and repair or burned for energy, like carbohydrate and fat. Sedentary person: 0.75 grams/lb/day, Recreational athlete: 1.00 grams/lb/day, Serious athlete: 2.00 grams/lb/day.

Protein Cycling - Since strength training greatly increases the rate at which protein is broken down in the body, it follows that 0.75gms per Pound is inadequate. On the other hand to increase the intake of protein to say, 3.0gm per Pound straight away would trigger mechanisms to eliminate the excess protein.

One way to overcome this is to increase the protein in steps until a maximum efficiency point is reached and then it is drastically reduced. This obliges the body to compensate by increasing the efficiency for the absorption of protein and amino acids.

Why Carbohydrates? - Carbohydrates supply energy to out body, fibre for prevention against disease and taste and texture to food, they are found in cereals, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Recommended: 4 to 12 grams/lb/day. Over the last 30 years, research into food and blood glucose response has completely changed our carbohydrate classification system.

It has been learned that it is impossible to predict the impact on blood glucose levels by certain foods, instead people are fed carbohydrate foods and the response measured. This response is known as the Glycaemic Index (GI), it is a measure of how quickly carbohydrate foods are digested and absorbed, as indicted by elevated blood glucose. The slower the rate of blood glucose increases the lower the GI.

Super Foods - In the food industry super-foods are called “functional foods”. These foods provide a health benefit beyond the simple provision of nutrients or energy, and usually target a specific disease or condition. In most cases media headlines about the disease-fighting capacity of foods are hyped up versions of current research reality. Below is a summary of what some super-foods can and can’t do for you.

Vitamins and Minerals - In general an adequate intake of vitamin and minerals can be achieved with a balanced diet. However, there may be a strong rationale for supplementation in specific nutrients.

Herbals - The latest herbal super-stars include Echinacea, gingko, and St John’s Wart. They don’t pitch themselves as lifesavers, but more as life-maximizes, helping you to get through the day with less disruption from colds, memory failures, blue moods, and more.

Supplements - To supplement or not to supplement, that is the question on more consumers’ lips than ever before. There are various reasons why people may be interested in supplementation. Concern about getting adequate nutrients from our food supply. A Suspicion of pharmaceuticals and a belief that diet alone will not achieve optimal nutrition.

Studies suggest that a number of supplements may deliver on advertising claims. However, consumers can spend large sums of money on products that have little or no proven efficacy.

The Bottom Line On Supplements - your diet that might achieve your goals but choose only products that shows the amount of active ingredients on the label. Be aware that “natural” does not mean ’safe’; some herbal supplements may have unpleasant side effects. Don’t treat serious medical conditions yourself. Discuss supplement use with your doctor. If you are pregnant or are breast-feeding consult a doctor before taking supplements.

Only Eat the Good Fats - Eat the good fats and feel and look great, Authorities now agree that fat is essential for maintaining optimal health. If good healthy skin and fast metabolism is what your after then you must eat some fat. The good fats are found in fish, nuts and seeds, avocados and cold pressed oils. Avoid fried foods and saturated fats as these raise cholesterol and clog arteries.

Eat A Variety Of Foods - For protection from the majority of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer you need a variety of foods that deliver that mix of nutrients and minerals. Aim to eat different coloured fruits and vegetables.

Try to eat a different food each month. Eat an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

In conclusion, I am sure if you can apply even just a few of these tips to your everyday eating habits I am pretty sure you will see the results in the not to distant future.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ weight loss or muscle building e-courses.

Partial range rep exercises have advantages of being safer also because the weight is prevented from entering the weakest range of motion where most injuries occur. These can be applied to almost any exercise but are more appropriate for some exercises than others.

These include the bigger compound exercises such as the Bench press, Leg press and Reverse grip lat pulldown.

Lets take the bench press for example, after performing a Full range rep warm-up, move to a smith machine or power rack (or a good spotting partner) and place the supports so the bar rests at the top half range (or six inches) from your reach so when you lie on the bench and reach up to grab the bar your arms should be about six inches from full extension.

Push the bar to the top of the movement and then back to the supports. Notice how the safety bars prevent the weight from entering the weak range of motion. Continue on to total failure.

When you lift weight in your strongest range of motion you will notice how easy it is! You will be able to use twice the amount of weight that you would use with the Full Range Reps.

Isometric Contraction is another step upwards in the intensity stakes. It is performed by holding a weight in a fixed position with the muscle fully contracted for an extended period of time. It is performed using the one set only for holds of between five and fifteen seconds.

During these holds nearly all of the muscle fibers of the target muscle are recruited, something that doesn’t happen with full range repetitions. The more muscle fibers you can recruit the more growth that can occur. I have found that by using this technique on trainees strength gains of 50% in ten weeks have often occurred.

Only one all out maximum intensity set per exercise is necessary for this type of training. If you give the first set 100% effort then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise.

Fortunately isometric contraction will probably be the easiest and safest way to perform strength training exercises as there are no reps and no motion of the weight, the entire set consists of holding the weight motionless for 5-15 seconds depending on what cycle you are in.

By cycling the seconds per hold, as you move into your training program from week to week the absolute intensity of the exercise increases (the weight used for the exercises increases) thus promoting more functional muscle growth. It is very important you limit the range of motion of the weight you are using.

If you do not have a strong training partner who can spot you during these lifts then you must use a power rack or a smith machine. Now lets look at a exercise and how isometric contraction works with it.

Bench Press: This exercise is best performed on a smith machine or inside a Power Rack, Position the bar within two or three inches of your extended reach. Place 50-100% more weight on the bar than you have been using for your partial reps. Push the bar up two to three inches (do not lock-out) and hold for appropriate count.

With all exercises push yourself to the limits of your capability. Most trainee’s using this method make the mistake of underestimating the weight they can lift. You can expect very significant increases in the weight used for all exercises.

So there you have it, by incorporating these two training techniques into your every day strength training programs you will be well on the way to increasing your size and strength in no time at all.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ muscle building e-course.

One way around this is to use compound multi-joint movements as these offer the most beneficial muscle stimulation needed for lean muscle growth and metabolism improvement in the shortest period of time. In other words, we can train many muscles simultaneously and use our energy more efficiently.

Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits are:

. More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Examples of compound multi-joint movements include squats, bench press, dips, and chin-ups. Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout.

All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout.

After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism.

It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders.

There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises.

Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you’re wrong!

The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout.

So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. Single sets are just as effective as multiple sets in increasing strength, muscle size and power.

After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you’re able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set.

If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise.

Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances.

. The initial stages of learning a new exercise.

. During rehabilitation

Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc.

Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ weight loss or muscle building e-courses.

I advocate an eight-second repetition with a three second lifting (positive) movement and a five second lowering (negative) movement. I believe this to be a safe and productive exercise speed When performing each exercise through a full range of motion, accentuate the lifting part of the movement slowly and smoothly for each repetition to the count of three.

Don’t pause in the contracted position but lower the resistance slowly and smoothly to the count of five. Maintain a normal breathing pattern throughout the whole movement exhale on the lift and inhale on the release. Avoid locking joints when lifting weights, always keep a slight bend in the arms and legs.

Fast and jerky movements should be avoided at all times as they place undue stress on the muscle and connective tissue substantially increasing the likelihood of injury.

Examples of this are: arching the back and bouncing the bar off the chest in the Bench Press, bending forward under squats and using any sort of momentum for any other exercise. These will work counter to your goals so be aware and eliminate them from your program.

If you are not sure about the speed of the movement move slower, never faster, do not sacrifice form for the sake of more repetitions. The slower speed is safer also because you can stop at any point in the movement range. There are also advantages to training with slower movement speeds. These include:

. A longer period of muscle tension . A higher level of muscle force . A lower risk of tissue trauma and injury

The development of lean muscle and strength go hand in hand, therefore a exercise session will have to be designed so that when your strength improves, then you will also be increasing your useful lean muscle also.

Changes in repetitions and weight throughout a bodybuilding training cycle is an effective way to maintain progress over time and avoid training plateaus ie when you fall into a slump in terms of your inability to gain strength and muscle.

Activation of muscle fiber types is dependant upon the levels of tension experienced in the muscle and feedback provided from the muscle sensory organs. So the number of repetitions per set have to be changed throughout a strength training cycle.

The higher the repetitions for a strength training exercise, the more the slow twitch muscle fibers are affected. These are the muscle fibers that promote endurance.

Moving further down the scale, the lower repetition range will activate the fast twitch muscle fibers (strength muscle fibers) and increase strength and grow lean muscle. For strength training the stimulus must be below 20 repetitions as to have an effect on the phosphate energy system and to activate the fast twitch fibres.

The resistance must also be progressively increasing for the number of repetitions performed to achieve your training goals.

The number of repetitions per set of exercises can then be adjusted between say 15 and 8 over a ten week strength training cycle. From these adjustments, as you move from week one to week ten, the absolute intensity of the exercise increases (the weight used for the exercises increases) thus promoting more functional muscle growth.

The closer your strength training cycle progresses towards the end of the cycle, the lower you¡¯ll find the repetitions will become and the weight will become heavier also. This will have an effect of increasing your lean functional muscle and hence elevate your metabolism for fat loss.

For gains in strength and muscle size,long rest periods must be used to replenish the phosphate energy system for the maximum performance in the next exercise.

Slow controlled contractions are also recommended for controlled tension on the muscle and safety. When you reach a point where you¡¯re using exercises with heavy weights (free weights, like the bench press), have a helper or spotter handy who will give you support on the last few reps. alternatively, you can use machines where no spotter is necessary.

In conclusion, by performing and cycling your repetitions correctly you will be one step ahead of the pack in attaining your exercise and strength training goals.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ weight loss or muscle building e-courses.

And the best thing for me was the learning experience. I learned so much from these world class coaches and here is my chance to share what I learned. I must warn you though: There is a chance you can bang your head on the rim by following these vertical jump tips!

The first group of guys I will speak of are Jason C Brown, Steve Cotter and Brett Jones. Besides being gentlemen and world class strength coaches they also share the unique distinction of being kettlebell training experts.

I must admit when I first learned about kettlebells years back I never really gave it much thought because I thought you could do kettlebell exercises with a dumbbell. As I quickly learned, you can not do exercises that are specific to kettlebells with a dumbbell. It’s not the same. Try a kettlebell swing with a dumbbell and they are very different. Now this is not to say that dumbbells are bad. This is just to say that each piece of equipment has a specific use and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

In speaking with the gentlemen a few things ring through with kettlebell lifting that make them excellent tools for vertical jump training.

1. It is very hard to find an exercise that mimics the motion of vertical jumping better than the kettlebell swing. Further more is that you can perform the exercise explosively. Now this is not to say that power cleans or snatches are not great exercises that teach explosive hip extension but they are more technical and harder to teach. This is simply not the case with the kettlebell swing which makes it excellent for working with large groups. Our weight room workouts have over 40 student athletes working out at once and introducing the kettlebell has been a blessing because I find it much easier to teach the movements than power cleans. And even easier than teaching the hang clean. Does this mean I’m lazy? No, I just happened to find a better tool for teaching athletes explosive hip extension. Will I abandon the power and hang clean? No. No I have even more exercises in my tool box which makes it easier not to be married to a set a certain exercise.

So what’s the lesson here? If you can add kettlebells into your training programs you have an excellent vertical jump training tool that is hard to beat.

2. Another great thing about kettlebells reiterated by Steve Cotter is that there is a unique quality in the shape of kettlebells: The shape I believe and many other trainers will agree is that they actually guide you into proper form. Because of the round shape any deviance from bad form and you automatically feel it so you get right back into the correct groove. This is key and something I’ve never really experienced with barbells and dumbbells. Furthermore, a big premise of kettlebells is that training is practice and practice develops your skill. The more skilled you are the stronger you will be and the higher you will jump. I mean do you ever really see guys that can jump or are really fast not run or jump with excellent form? Not really. Fix someone’s technique and form and that in itself will help them jump higher.

3. Keep things simple. Read that again and again. All three guys alluded to this. We know what works and have known for a long time. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel and just use what we already know. Basics like the dead lift, squat and its variations combined with explosive lifting, actually jumping, and of course excellent technique will take you very far.

4. Another big point to drive home from this panel was keeping the reps low (3-5) when strength training. A great vertical requires excellent strength and that means to train movements like the dead lift, squat and pull-ups with low reps to develop that strength. No need for higher reps as that can lead to weight gain and possibly using bad form. Simple enough right. 5 sets of 5 reps on big bang exercises and you are good to go! Don’t forget to practice your jumping. I mean would you ask someone wanting to improve their speed not to sprint? Get even more free Vertical Jump Training Secrets from Steve, Jason and Brett along with over10 more Vertical Leap Experts! Visit Jump Experts right now!

Virgil Aponte brings over 12 years of experience as a Personal Trainer, High School PE Teacher and Strength & Conditioning Coach. He has trained hundreds of people including elite professional athletes of the Women’s National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. He earned his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College and is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Instructor. Based in Brooklyn New York he is considered by many fitness industry experts as the authority on stair exercise training and is the author and creator of the Ultimate Stair Exercises for Athletes. Learn Stair Training Secrets to help your athletes Maximize their Strength, Power & Conditioning with just stairs.