
Speed endurance sprints of 40-80 meters for one leg jumpers. Maximal sprints, both accelerating and maximal velocity in nature. A variety of sport specific jumping efforts. Here are the primary parts of vertical jump training: Specific practice jumping, sprinting or throwing is the first and foremost determinant of athletic success. Strength training and plyometrics are awesome, but they aren’t the deciding factor in whether or not an athlete runs a faster 40-yard dash over the course of their career. The Absolute Essentials of Vertical Jump, and Athletic Power Training Any program can work for a period of time, but to reach ones highest potential, athletes need to perform a high specific volume of relevant training exercises, and do so in a way that fits them best.īelow is an excerpt from my latest training book, Vertical Ignition, which focuses on some of these concepts. The best vertical jump (or speed, or any sort of power-performance training) program out there is one that takes the most important elements of jumping, and arranges them around the athlete.
Ultimately, training must be specific to be effective, and it is the intensity, density and sequencing of these specific variables that athletes must be aware of to help them intuitively push themselves to another level of performance.
Smart coaches will include an emphasis on specific jump efforts within the training program.
Others put a high mark on bodyweight training and core conditioning. Some push particular types of plyometric work. Some coaches favor strength and barbell work. The problem is, that arranging training efforts around a “program” has the unfortunate side-effects of making your body yield to whatever exercise bias that program is created with. What is the best way to train vertical jump?Īsk the question on an internet forum or social media, and you’ll often get a response that points you towards a particular fixed 12-week program.