Plyometrics May Not Work For You – How To Do “Real” Plyometrics.

plyometricsFirst, let me say that plyometrics correctly done will have a serious effect on your vertical leap, especially your vertical from a running start. Second, let me say that most athletes are not training plyometrics correctly, which leads athletes to exclaim, “I tried plyometrics and it didn’t work for me.” Let me be blunt, and completely honest.  If plyometrics didn’t work for you, some portion of your plyometrics training is wrong.  Period. In this article we will talk about what plyometrics are, how to perfectly perform them, and how to set up a plyometric routine.

So what exactly do plyometrics do?

Plyometrics train your central nervous system to maximize your vertical leap, AND enhance the elastic properties of your muscles and tendons.

You may have seen this video already but watch it to get a review of how plyometric training works:

 

 

Correct plyometrics in a nutshell will train your muscles and tendons to become more elastic, which means faster contraction.  Your central nervous system will also be trained to contract faster following an eccentric contraction.  You will jump higher if you do correct plyometrics, guaranteed.

 

COMMON MISTAKES

1. Overtraining (which I also call under-recovery).  As with all training methods. training causes a stress on your body which causes your body to compensate.  This compensation usually involves repairing and strengthening tissue, as well as recovery from energy loss.  Overtraining is when you do not allow the effects of your training to take place.  Instead you continue to break down your muscles and systems only becoming weaker and weaker.

You must allow your body to recover and “super- compensate” from your training or you will NEVER reap the benefits of your hard work.

- I would not recommend training plyometrics more than 1 – 3 times per week.  Most of you will be in the 1 – 2 range.

- Listen to your body and track your performance in the vertical jump.  If you have lower performance you are likely suffering from under- recovery / overtraining.  This is extremely common.  Lower performance and feeling sluggish or tired are common effects of overtraining.

- Sleep well, take a day off, de-load  for one week etc… if you notice the effects of overtraining.  Don’t play intense ball every single day.

 

2. Never focus on quantity over quality.

 

Do you want to train your endurance or your maximum jumping height?  IF you are able to jump at 25 inches it does very little for your vertical when you jump 10 inches off the ground 50 – 1000 times.  Just like if you want to sprint faster it does you no good to walk, or even jog for hours.

EVERY SINGLE JUMP SHOULD BE TREATED WITH THE FOCUS AND INTENSITY OF A SINGLE EVENT.

Measure your performance – use a tape measure or something to gauge the intensity and height of each jump.   Make sure each jump is at or above your highest mark.  If you are jumping below, rest more between reps, or if you can no longer hit your high mark repeatedly, it’s time to end the session.

Reps are more important than sets – The number of sets is not important at all.  The importance is the quality of each rep.  If you do a set of 10 you will naturally pace yourself.  Keep your sets low, to 5 or lower.  If your jumping height lowers than you need to do less reps per set.  If your goal is 40 reps, break it into 10 sets of 4.  Better to jump 1 – 4 times at maximum intensity than 8 times at sub-maximum intensity.

Plyometrics should never feel exhaustive EVER – This is counterintuitive.  We love to feel the burn, but the burn should be our cue that our workout is training endurance!

Never feel the burn.  The burn is your body lacking energy source for contractions, and thus you are performing at a sub-maximum level.  The burn is for endurance, NOT explosive training.

3. Always couple a plyometric routine with a strength training regime.

While you will achieve some strength gains by plyometric training, a plyometric routine cannot match the effectiveness of a strength training routine.  It is well documented that plyometrics and strength training are mutually beneficial and yield MUCH more results than either technique alone.  There are many options for strength training with or without a weight room.  There is simply no excuse for neglecting a strength training program at least once a week.  Focus on glutes, quads, calves, hams, and core.

Can you do a one leg squat… I am talking one leg and bring your butt to the ground, then stand up from one leg.  If you can’t do this 10 times in a row (few can) then you have some serious strength work to do, and you are missing out on incredible gains on your vert.

4. Nutrition – People die of starvation.  People get sick of malnutrition.  Why is it so hard to believe that good nutrition can make us stronger and faster?  This is one of the “secrets” of great athletes.  Why?  Because it is so elusive.  We think because we eat 3 meals a day we are fine.  You need protein, carbs, amino acids, vitamins.  Eat a well-rounded diet.  I’m not going to get into all the specifics of your diet here, but without a proper diet your training and performance will never be as effective as it could be.

5. Be ready to be patient.  Be committed. – Results come, and for many they come quickly.  There are hundreds of reasons and variables that could effect how quickly results come.  I recently worked with a 29 year old athlete.  After 3 weeks of training he was frustrated.  Why was he not jumping higher?  After sticking to it, and learning as he went, 8 weeks later he has gained 8 inches.  That is an incredible gain.

Most athletes can’t make it through the valleys of training.  Be prepared to be patient.  Be one of the few who can maintain intensity and dedication day in and day out, week in and week out, month after month, year after year… and achieve greatness.

I could lecture on this for a week :)  I have just seen so many athletes give up and go looking for the magic pill after a few days of training, or even a couple weeks, some even last a month.  This is not the dedication of a great one.  Do you really want this?  Or would it just be nice to have if it is convenient?

This is Part 1.  Before I write the rest of part 2 I want your feedback.

Comment below so I know what your questions are, then part 2 will have the rest of the plyometric setup information and answers to your questions.

Don’t forget to add me to Facebook – > See right side…

 

For a full training program visit:

The Jump Manual

 

VIDEO: 9 Things I Did To Jump Over 40 Inches

Article by Jacob Hiller

Jacob Hiller's best selling book "The Jump Manual" has been used and taught in over 30 countries and in 4 different languages and featured on ESPN and Fadeaway. Coach Hiller has worked with professional and Olympic level athletes and is currently touring the globe.

Jacob has written 228 awesome articles for us.

  • Drew

    How big is nutrition in this? like, what kind of difference does it make on your gains?
    Could you develop this part?

  • Zach

    how fast of gains should I be getting if i’m 17 and my vertical is already 35 inches

  • Matt

    Would you recommend doing plyos and weight training in the same session, or is it more beneficial to do them at separate times during the week? And for that matter, would it be better to do say a week or two of only weight training and then a week or two of only plyos?

  • Joe Sirakis

    The greatest quote of my life thus far came from the high flying, super sexy, lion taming Jacob Hiller !!
    ” Try to envision success at least more than you envision failure”
    You see guys, i am that 29 year old Mr Hiller commented about above. You HAVE to have dedication!! I personally would have made this rule number one of the manual and then repeated it several times through out. You have to WANT it, not just “want” it. You have to go get it and not settle for anything less. You see i feel that i not only represent myself but also Jacob and i would not let the frustration cause US failure. Its the easy way out. To sit there and give up and say “ahh that jump manual did not work and try to make him look bad is nothing but you giving up!! Jacob can only tell you what to do, he cant make you do it and if you put the faith of his knowledge in your hands and just do it, There are no limitations to put on yourself or anything else. Guys I am 30 years old in a few months and i am probably in the best shape of my life… Through DEDICATION and listening to someone that knows what they are talking about, that is why Jacob offers his coaching……TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT !! You not only have to gain strength you have to gain knowledge and if your anything like me you want to know the “whys”and “hows” of things, to me it makes you train that much harder and better when you have the knowledge of your body and how it works…… Anyway, thats just my opinion on things and i hope you guys can train hard continue it with the fire and intensity of the first time you laid eyes on this manual……. Heres to our vert!!

  • Ryan Steffens

    Im just about done with my 12 weeks and I have gained about 4-5 inches to my vert. Am I happy? Yes and no. Yes because I have learned soo much about health, training, and all the variables to a good program, I almost feel like I took a nutrition course. I also am in perhaps the best shape of my life. Im bigger, faster, and am more of a factor under the boards these days. No, because of the obvious. I have been eating right, taking extra days, working my a$$ off, basically life alteringly and Im still stuck at just grabbing rim on good days. I touch the rim from a 3 step approach, and grab it from a 5 or greater. I worry about my technique at times, like I might be loosing some of that momentum, or perhaps Im not exagerating my last step enough. My best jump to date was a 3 step grabber, i was also comming off a 6 day break from the last strength workout. I am going to test again Saturday the 16th, it will mark an 8 day break and a 5 day break from the last plyometric day. If i dont show any improvements, then yes, some frustration might settle in.
    My original goal was to dunk (outside hoop, witch is where I play) by my 30th birthday, witch is this October 30th.
    Since that probably wont happen, I will not give and be patient, I hear that inches can come out of nowhere.

  • Jacob

    Drew, Nutrition is very important, especially for the resistance training portion. After any workout you need carbs and protein. I recommend orange juice, and a protein shake. If you don’t have a sufficient store of energy, muscle could be broken down, or at least not recovering well. Just ask Joe (below) how nutrition changed his program.

    Zach, That is one of the hardest questions to answer. There are so many variables: weight, current strength and plyometric ability, current jumping efficiency and form etc.. 1/2 inche to 1 inch each week is a great goal. As you get more proficient with your program your improvements will steady and increase as you approach your potential.

    Matt, Plyos in the same session is a great idea. I like including jumps in between every 2 sets of heavy resistance. This helps your body to understand that you are training to jump, not just lift heavy weights. The integration is going to accelerate your transfer of strength to vertical jump.

    Joe, Thanks so much for your input bro. To know that I have inspired you is one of the greatest compliments you can pay me. Thanks so much. Joe has made serious progress on his vertical in the first 8 weeks of the program. He is turning into a lion among men. Joe had some road blocks at the beginning, and he will have more before he reaches his ultimate goals but he has already felt the triumph, and I have no doubt he will continue to triumph.

    Ryan, The gains definitely sneak up on you as you are in pursuit of them, as long as you stay in hot pursuit of them. It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride as your vertical goes up and down during recovery sessions, but ultimately a gain is realized, and often when you least expect it. For me it was always after a pick up game. Definitely email me so we can get a proper assessment on how to move forward with your training. 5 inches in 12 weeks is still great progress; it’s not the best I have seen but it is nothing to scoff at. At this pace you will gain 20 inches in one year! The best way is to keep in touch and continue improving your knowledge and practice of proper principles. Occasionally I get an email from someone who has never contacted me in months of training and they are making CLEAR mistakes in their training by leaving key practices, exercises, and most of all over training. It kills me to know that we could have easily assessed and made adjustments to folks.

    Proper training can be so new and seem complicated at first but as you stick with it, the training becomes simpler and easier until it becomes nearly second nature.

    Keep up the hard work all, and keep us updated with your progress!

  • Joe Sirakis

    Hey drew . I trained in mixed martial arts for 2 1/2 years and i was a trainer at our dojo and then i stopped and did nothing for about a year and a half and got WAY out of shape. I started playing ball again, witch was my passion my whole life and then started to work out. I never had really payed attention to nutrition, though i did not eat garbage. Now i’m 4 1/2 months into working out and just completed week 9 of the manual. When i started working out i was a BAD 199lbs and kinda started to eat healthier and in about a month i dropped to 194lbs. When i started the manual i really followed Jacob’s nutrition guide and then i got into taking proper supplements and now i weigh 209lbs. Dude nutrition is KEY in success!! Its just as important as the workout. Most people think taking supplements and nutrition contribute to stuff you can see like arms, chest and whatever else shows in a cutoff shirt. You are building the biggest muscles in your body with this program. You need the supplements for your legs just as much as arms, chest, and whatever else but nobody thinks about that, In the last 4 1/2 weeks my squat has gone from 195lbs to 315lbs and calve raises went from 200lbs 315lbs as well , actually everything in the weight training portion of the manual has gone way up. Even in my regular workout routine everything has gone up like bench, arms, back , and shoulders. There is no doubt that along with the dedication and nutrition that i would not have achieve these gains. Poor Jacob, i took sooo much advantage of his coaching lol !! I was always emailing him and asking about this and that and what to take and eventually i just learned it all on my own through trial and error and now i have found the best supplements for me…. But dont let anyone tell you otherwise bro!! Nutrition is a MUST.

    Ryan – LOL you sound exactly like me dude!! Jacob must go crazy for the amount of times he heres this!! Trust me bro you HAVE to stay in contact with Jacob (although i literally got on his nerves im sure)lol. We changed my routine soo many times just adjust to how i was feeling and what my body was telling me with soreness and injury. I know it sounds like im nut swinging off of Jacob, but i give credit when credit is due and there is NO DOUBT that Jacobs coaching made that difference for me! Even if it was just to fish for a compliment or to just talk to him about life…. He responded…. He truely cares about your success, He cares about his program and his name and will back it up witch is why i have absolutely no problem backing him up and vouching for him. Tell him exactly what is up and he will fix it for you. I kinda looked at the whole thing this way, you always have to be curious. If your not seeing results, you have to ask why? Don’t just keep moving on if what your doing is not netting the results. the manual is just a general guide to do, there are ALWAYS going to have to be tweaks and changes to make it work for YOU…Hope this helps a little, i know your 30 years old and don’t need someone else telling you what to do. lol

  • Jacob

    Joe, please send me the bill for your comments :)

  • Hunter

    I need to play ball Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s for school, but I want to be able to train my vertical in the time remaining before the season. Tryouts are Nov. 16th. What would be the best way to do this?

    Also, during the season I have practice or a game every day except Sunday. Is there any way I could train my vertical during the season without over training?

    During the offseason I went through 8 weeks of the Jump Manual with no results, so any help is definitely appreciated!

  • Tyler

    Hey Jacob,

    First off I want to thank you for all that you have done to help me become a better jumper and a better athlete. I am 5’9 and a few months ago I could barely touch the rim. After 2 1/2 months I gained an impressive 8 inches to my vert but summer came, I had two jobs, and I wasn’t able to continue my training like I wanted to. Now that I am back at college I have started to train again and I can currently dunk (finally). I have gained a total of about 10 inches since I first started and I am going to get even more serious about my training and hopefully I’ll be the next T-dub lol
    One suggestion would be to show us EXACTLY what plyometrics should look like. I know you give excellent suggestions and detail in how to properly do them but I think that SEEING you do them would give me some piece of mind.
    I guess a specific question would be how to leg press properly using plyometrics and how much weight I should use.
    what is your definition of “exploding” the weights. I press as quickly as I can to try to bring the weights back up but I don’t know how fast i SHOULD be bringing them up to be considered as plyometric training.

    Thanks,

    Tyler

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Hunter, in season training can be as easy as getting one plyo and one resistance training day in, as well as adding some plyos on the resistance day of course. But it also depends on what your practices are like. If you are training extremely hard or even doing resistance training in your practices you are going to need to adapt. You are simply going ot have to be flexible. You want to give yourself plenty of time before your games so you can perform at your highest level, but at the same time you ideally want to continue increasing your performance levels throughout the entire season. If you have the program please me and we can go over the details.

    Tyler, or maybe you be the first T to the Yler! Thanks for sharing your story sounds like you have had some excellent results so far. As squats and leg press these are technically not “plyometric” in nature. The reason we do resistance training is to place “tension” on muscle fibers which results in a super-compensatory strengthening. We also explode with the weight to train our bodies to send very strong neural signals and trains the muscles to fire in explosive ways.

    The most important thing is your intent to explode, rather than the actual velocity you achieve from the explosion (lift). To gain strength you will be working with high percentage of your maximum ability, so the weight may not move fast, and you surely won’t be leaving the ground, but your intent to move the weight as fast as a possible under a load is going to help the strength training portion to transfer over to vertical leap increases.

    To be honest Tyler you are likely doing things very correctly, your results are proof of this. Keep up the hard work. You know now that when you get busy it’s hard to keep up the program so think about using some non weight alternatives like the one leg squat (excellent lift). Establish a “minimum” benchmark of activity so even in those hard times you can make consistent progress.

    Thanks again for sharing.

  • Drew

    Thanks for answer both Joe and Jacob!

    Jacob you should hang out in the forum more often man! Most of the guys out there are getting their questions unanswered. It would really help and motivate them if you pass by and drop an answer from time to time.

  • heng

    is merely pushing our maximum vertical jump considered a plyometric?how effective is pushing our maximum vertical jump as a training routine?i have been doing standing vertical jumps ever since i started training.i juz don’t know how to jump one foot or take off from a running start.Jacob,are there techniques that i could adopt so as to improve my one foot jumping and jumping from a running start?

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Heng, Click on blog, then click on my post about Standing vs Approach jumping, plenty of tips about jumping form. I have many videos on youtube about jumping form. Also, watch the video explaining plyos, the first one. Pushing your maximum jump is a plyometric activity, especially when you are approaching it with a “hop” into your jump. The video will explain what the amortization phase is.

    Think of this – When you bounce a ball that is flat it doesn’t return the energy and bounce very high right? When you bounce a ball that is overfilled with air it is harder and returned the energy much better from the bounce. This is very similar to the effects that take place on your tendons as you properly train with plyometrics, you are able to return the energy from the hop into the jump.

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Drew, You are right. There are alot of athletes giving excellent advice and follow up in the forum, which is it’s original intent, as I work one on one with athletes via coaching. However, I have been thinking about ways to improve the forum for a while now. I have thought about a new format, adding live chat or facebook connect. Ideally I want athletes to connect with athletes, I can always give people information but I want people to connect and create accountability and support. Many athletes are taking advantage of that, but not enough.

    Any suggestions Drew or others? What kind of community would you actually participate and benefit from? Facebook style? People are just too busy to participate in another social network do you think? I am also looking at ways to connect facebook with the Jump Manual so they are integrated but somehow like minded folks like yourselves can all get involved.

  • Gregory

    Hey,

    My Question : Type of surface to train on for plyos…?

    I’ve read and heard that grass is “the best” surface to do plyos. But the problem is there ain’t any grassy areas near my place and the couple of ones i know off, i don’t have access to. In my training i lifted weights on monday and thursday and did my plyo on tuesday and saturday. I did all the plyos on a cement basketball court and i still saw a gain of 3-4 inches to my previous vertical of 28 inches.. I wanna know if my gains would’ve been more if i had did those plyos on grass……..???
    The types of surface tat are available for my practice are cement(basketball court) or tar(road). Can i continue my training on cement or should i definitely change my surface to grass……….???

  • Jacob

    Greg, Good question. Type of surface is not an issue of results so much as it is an issue to knee and joint health. A cement surface is not very forgiving and place more impact on your knees. Having strong legs, suitable shoes will also help with this as the proper shoe and muscles will help to absorb the impact so the joint isn’t forced to brunt the impact. Grass, as long as it is flat is a fine surface, although you may not jump as high because of low energy return, wooden courts have a little more spring but aren’t extremely forgiving as well. I small pad, or rubber pad is fin to place on cement etc. This is most important if you have a history of knee soreness etc.

  • Ameya

    hey…
    Im 16 and Im from India…
    I kinda play basketball at state level here and the chief problem i faced was having to surrender rebounds to taller players… Im two weeks into the jump manual training regime and already, Ive gained around 4 inches…
    More importantly, ive finally got my 2 footed jumping form right…
    My games improved a whole lot and i feel taller when im on the court…
    Thanks a lot man… I owe you most of my rebounds now :P

  • http://blog.jamieisaacs.com Jamie Isaacs

    Jacob, I have a question regarding your recommendation to Matt to combine plyos and weight training. Do you feel there are any risks for injury? I trained this summer in the sand for beach volleyball combining plyometrics with exhaustive leg conditioning. I suffered a mild knee injury during a plyometric workout that set me back 2 weeks in my training. Most personal trainers and sports physicians I have talked to recommend doing plyometrics only when your legs are not fatigued. Any thoughts?

    Can you also follow up on Tyler’s question on proper workout form? He mentions not being able to see the proper form for the exercises. I purchased the Jump Manual about two months ago and I was also a bit confused with the proper form for some of the workouts. I don’t think the animated images provided enough visual reference and feedback. Is there an issue with delivering private videos to your paying customers? Can I offer to help you set something like this up?

    Also, I can’t wait to get back on the Jump Manual program. I gained an inch after the first workout and resting for about four days. Just one workout! The problem is, I haven’t done another one since our volleyball season started. I don’t have enough time with coaching and work, but I’m excited to see more results after the season is over.

  • Felix

    I do the excercises according to the Jumpmanual for several month now.
    The most important lesson i learned was that it was crucial to reevaluate your routines regarding nutrition, performance of the exercises and the danger of overtraining. Even if you think you are doing everything according to plan you should observe your performance closely and scepticaly. I ask myself after every workout what i could have done better. In order for this to work i try to be as honest as possible to myself and i watch Jacob’s videos over and over again. There is always room for improvement!

    Thanks for the article!

  • Joe Sirakis

    Felix
    That is awesome bro!! I do the exact same thing!! You hit the nail on the head!!

    Hang time Hiller…… Ya bro you getting into the conversations DEFINATLY make people feel better about whats going on. I know you and i have had COUNTLESS emails and messages back and forth but it takes a different effect when its a group conversation, it kinda helps to rule out the little voice inside everyones head that makes us ask ourselves “is Jacob just telling us this to make money or scam us” kinda thing….. you know what i mean?? After getting to know you I know for 100%sure its not true but look how many emails it took back and forth it took to gain the trust. It would kinda help you in the long run i think if you stayed active on here, it would cut down answering the same question 500 times when you can answer it once and those 500 people can read it. Know what i mean brotha?? Hope this helps

  • Jacob

    Jamie, The volume of training when doing a “combined” plyo and resistance session should be much lower. In fact the reason for the training is different. When you do a combined session you are doing so to help carry over the strength gains, rather than simple increasing the plyometric response. You are not going to be going through many repetitions are much lower than during a regular plyometrics session.

    A new version of the manual is soon coming out, and new videos is on the list, although I have had a hard time getting someone to film me again. Better descriptions etc are definitely on the list. If you are having trouble with a particular exercise please email me and I can get you further information. If you have a particular suggestion on how to provide my customers better videos in a secure manner please send via email.

    Lastly Jamie, please email me I will give you some non weight alternatives that can do at home when you don’t have time that are quite effective.

    Thanks for your comment Felix.

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Joe, I can definitely see that. I do soooooooo much emailing with my clients that maybe that I should spend more time in the forum. Like before I initially wanted that to be athletes working with athletes, which is still what I would like to see more of in the forum. When athletes unite like that and create that sense of camaraderie and accountability it is something I just can’t do I don’t blame anyone for thinking being skeptical through the process, of course those who email me know that I am always there for them, but I have been thinking of alot of ways to improve the forum. Maybe the current layout is fine I should just “peek” in more. Thanks for the feed back fellas.

  • kdrag

    nutrition is one of the biggest aspects of any kind of physical training… if u do not fuel your body properly then it will not build muscle as you desire, which means your gains in anything will not be maximized… recovery is another huge part, and obviously working out at max intensity… you have to find a balance between these three aspects otherwise your gains will not be what they could if you were doing all three things properly… you will still get gains if you do not eat great, but if you eat the way you should… for instance as is outlined in the jumpmanual… i could not dunk consistenly before i started the jumpmanual and after 3 weeks i dunk consistently off of 1 foot and 2 days ago i dunked off of 2 feet(which is not my strongest) i follow the nutrition principles that any person who works out a lot… a lot of protein carbs fruits and veggies… my advice is, if you want it bad enough, eat properly

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Kdrag, thanks for the comments and keep up the hard work. For building muscle nutrition is one of the toughest habits to get into. It really does make a huge difference.

  • Jacob

    Ameya, thanks for your testimonial.

  • Steve

    When jumping, in order to minimize the amortization phase should I think about concentrically contracting the whole time even while I am eccentrically loading? Or should I be thinking about accepting the load eccentrically THEN pushing concentrically? For example, after taking that last long powerful step in the jump, there is a short time spent in the air with no ground contact. should I start pushing my legs down concentrically BEFORE they touch the ground???? Or wait until they make contact???? Is eccentric contraction a conscious thing? Or something that just happens when trying to concentrically contract???

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Steve,

    The carry over is almost simultaneous, and a “rocking” motion into the jump makes it more than just an up and down movement. There is a moment of timing the impact with the reflex of the body, but that moment is so small that it is as if you are jumping as soon as you hit the ground, and are even poised or in the motion to react a moment before. Think of a trampoline, if you just dig into the trampline full force without timing the rebound of the springs then you wont get as high, of course this happens much much much much faster, about .25 seconds is what it take to execute a jump.

    If you are on an approach jump you are going to hit with your heals first; driving the heels through activates the glutes and hamstrings, you will also be projecting up with your lower back (erectors), and as the movement goes forward (literally leaning slight forward now), you will engage your quads and calf muscles for a final explosion, while timing an exaggerated arm swing.

    Lots of practice is going to help you get your timing exactly right, review the section in The Jump Manual about form as well as my other videos. You definitely need to have something that is at or near your maximum height so you can actually know that your technique is getting you higher and not just “feeling” good.

    So think about starting the concentric before or right as you hit the ground, but the resistance of the ground and your weight coming down on your body will activate the stretch reflex, create an “elastic” effect from muscles and tendons, and at that point is where you really need to explode. Of course this happens to fast to deliberate, and will come mostly be practice and focus.

  • Zach Shaw

    Hey. I really haven’t started my training yet and was wondering if it is worth it if I can’t go to a weight room and my parents aren’t really happy about me taking supplements. My vertical is about 30 inches though I haven’t tested it in a while. And also if I am playing volleyball a few times a week what amount of training should I do. Thanks

  • steve/kyle

    Combined weight training – intense, with plyometrics and agility training three days a week, squats are at 585 on the squat deck, yet the gains in vertical where not there and ran into problems with the left knee, thinking it is from over training combined with being 46. Will say this in 6 weeks was able to get back to touching rim which I thought was lost to me. thinking the knee flaired up also because of doing the agility-dot drills, and the plyo on concrete and wonder what you would recommend should point out I shut everything down on with the exception of doing light lunges, not even doing single leg bulgarian squats due to the knee.
    Do I start with the plyometrics and light weights or just the weights and then add in the plyometrics?
    Grass over concrete?

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Zach, I have alternative exercises for you and you don’t need a weight room. We can still pack the inches on. Email me at the email included with the program.

    Steve – Kyle, Please email me from the email included with the program so I can get some more information about your knee and the next stages of your program.

  • mike

    hey jacob whats up… i just wanted to let you know that ive been lifting hard for about a month or so and am feeling and seeing more muscle than ever before… i do believe though that the fact that i have not been able to be plyometricaly active… my results are not at their full potential=(

    i need to start plyos again asap but i honestly have no idea when i will be able to get it done b/c of a hectic schedule=(

    but thanks again for another important beneficial lesson

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Mike, That great news. If you can at least do the plyos that are on the strength training day, and on the plyo day warm up in your room at home, and do some of the in place plyo exercises. Set a minimum, because we need to get as much of that strength transferred over to explosiveness as possible, if you want some help setting up schedule customized for you email me and fill me in on the details.

  • Ryan Steffens

    Jacob,
    Like Mike, I have been wieght training hard and im in pretty good shape now and my legs look like that of a super hero. Only problem is I havnt seen any results in over a month. At this pont Im thinking its a pylometric issue. Joe above wrote that I reminded him of himself and he was in contact with you on a regular bassis. I DESPERATLY WANT TO JUMP HIGHER. Im touching the rim easily now and Its like Ive maxed out.:( How does your private coaching work and what can I expect from it? My main sport is volleyball but I play BBall for the exersise and jumping. I have tons of questions.

    Thanks,
    Ryan

  • http://www.jumpmanual.com/cb?cb=jacobwh Jacob

    Ryan,

    Many people do a training regime with a “strength” phase and a “speed strength” phase. During the strength phase they don’t expect any gains at all, and during the “speed strength” phase is where they intend to convert their strength to “speed strength” or explosive strength. Many programs do this, and it can be effective, however, I believe that adding elements to convert strength to explosive strength throughout the entire program not only provide results during all phases, but in the end yields a greater total result of inches gained.

    What I am trying to say is that all is not lost in only doing strength work, and many, especially very active player, find the gains will convert fairly naturally, but in order to ensure results you must add a “speed strength” element such as plyos, jumping practice, as well as the explosive lifts, it pulls it all together.

    If you are having a hard to creating your schedule, or you are not sure exactly where the “hole” in your program is email me and we can take a look at an assessment, or try the forum.

  • Ron D

    What did u mean Jacob when u talked about the one legged squat; explaining that if u cant touch the ground with your butt off one leg then u arent ready for plyometrics. Explain the exercise bcuz its no way in hell anybody can touch the ground with your butt on one legg and come all the way back up. Continue educating us its helping out alot

  • Gregory

    @ Ron D :

    Search for “Pistol Squats ” on google.. That is the other name for one legged (body weight ) squat.. You’ll be surprised to see how many people can actually touch the ground with their butt on just one leg.. :)

  • http://none Michel

    Hello Jacob,
    I’ve just subscribed to the site ! Looks very interesting. But already one question. I’m a volley ball coach for teens and adult (15 to 25). We get two sessions a week. Do you think that working 40mn a session on Plyo/Strengh can be effective ? I’m currently testing your method on myself…Waiting for a good new but in centimeters…Lol
    Michel

  • JACK

    How many exercises should i include in a plyometrics routine?
    and should ALL excercises work on explosiveness? or should one or two work on muscle endurance?

  • Michel

    What about the Tabata Intervals ? Good for the jump or not ?

  • solid702

    where the heck is the plyometric workouts???????

  • pein

    hi jacob.
    i am 5″4 only and can only touch the backboard with my running jump.i wan to dunk so madly but whenever i try to touch the rim,people laugh.can you please suggest some food that can boost my vertical jump since nutrition is so important?

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