depotman
05-06-2010, 12:10 PM
I ended up purchasing the Vertical Mastery software. It has you test a bunch of jumps and then input the numbers into their software and it creates a program to help improve your vertical.
Instead of being a cookie cutter program the software takes your numbers and tries to see what your weak points are and then focuses on that each time you re-test
Some people may not believe this type of program could work very well, but I am willing to give it a shot.
Anyhow I thought I'd share what has gone on so far for anyone interested, and I will also track my progress through the program in my member journal and share any gains I make.
I am about 5'10 185lbs. Standing reach of 90 inches, Standing jump of 110.5 inches = standing vertical of 20 inches.
Here are the following tests you start out with.
Test 1: Stand next to a wall reach and record your maximum height touched while standing flat footed. Now jump vertically as high as possible using your arms and legs to assist your body upwards. Attempt to touch at the hightest point of your jump. The best of three attempts is recorded. Record the difference between the two to come up with your standing vertical.
Mine happened to be 20 inches.
Test 2: Depth Jump Test (helps determine how reactively (eccentrically) strong you are):
Stand on 18 inch box, perform the depth jump and try and touch the wall/object at the peak of your jump.
Test 3: Paused Jump Test (intended to indicate how explosive you are relative to your regular standing vertical jump):
To perform test jump up and descend into a 1/2 squat that is approximately same height as the bottom position of your standing jump. Hold for 5 seconds before exploding up and touching the wall/object at hightest point of your jump. Record best of 3 attemps.
Test 4a: Step Single Leg Vert Jump Test
Take 3 running steps before leaping as high as possible off one leg. Use both arms and legs to assist, record the best of three attempts.
Test 4b: Step Double Leg Vert Jump Test
Take 3 running steps before leaping as high as possible off both legs. Use both arms and legs to assist, record the best of three attempts.
Test 5: Asymmetry Test (designed to assest how well balanced you are from a strength and coordination stand point. Testing to see if you are excessively strong on one side of the body compared to the other.
Stand behind a line on one leg, then perform 3 consecutive forward hops all off that one leg aiming to get as much total distance as possible. Then repeat with opposite leg.
Test 6: Relative Strength 1 Rep Max Estimates
The 1 rep max estimate test is designed to assess how strong you are relative to your body weight using both a box squat and a barbell deadlift.
To complete the 1 rep max you will be required to perform 2 sets to failure for the box squat and deadift using a lighter weight, followed by a heavier weight.
For box squat warm up first , then pick a weight you can lift for no less then 5 reps but no more then 10 reps. Record weight used and number of reps.
Next choose a heavier weight that you can lift for no less then 2 reps but no more then 5 reps. Record weight and number of reps.
Now do the same for Deadlifts.
Enter all this info into the Vertical Mastery Software and then it goes over your strengths and weakness and provides a custom tailored program for about 10 weeks and then has you re-test again to see where you are at then.
I can't remebmer exactly what strengths and weakness's the program listed for me (I'll look and post when I get home) but I know one of my weakness's was explosive strength, and I think strength as whole as I can't squat 1.5 x my bw. I think it did list me as having good reactive strength though.
Here is what workouts the program recommended to me.
Week 1
Day 1
Sets / Reps / recommended weight (each person will have a different recommendation)
Box Squats 4 x 4
Step ups 4 x 4
GHR 4 x 4 Body Weight
Hang Clean 5 x 3
Reactive Split Squat 4 x 4
Day 2
Is a Sports specific day where you go out and practice jumping for whatever sport you are trying to improve at. 25-40 minutes worth of sports specific jumping
Day 3
Hang Clean 5 x 3
Paused Jump Squat 3 x 6 x 25lbs
Plyo Lunges 4 x 5 x 15
Box Jumps 4 x 5 x BW
Seated Box Jumps 4 x 5 x BW
That would be the first week of the workout. If you are in season of your sport and already training a good bit you would skip the sport specific day and only workout two times per week. Need to have atleast one day off between workouts.
Phase one is four weeks worth of workouts with the weight increasing each week then you take a week to deload.
Phase two is another four weeks of workouts and then a week to deload and then you re-test. Input your new numbers into the software and see how things look.
For anyone interested I will be logging all this in my Member Journal. My current goal is to increase my vertical 5 inches from 20 to 25 inches by the end of the 10 week program.
Instead of being a cookie cutter program the software takes your numbers and tries to see what your weak points are and then focuses on that each time you re-test
Some people may not believe this type of program could work very well, but I am willing to give it a shot.
Anyhow I thought I'd share what has gone on so far for anyone interested, and I will also track my progress through the program in my member journal and share any gains I make.
I am about 5'10 185lbs. Standing reach of 90 inches, Standing jump of 110.5 inches = standing vertical of 20 inches.
Here are the following tests you start out with.
Test 1: Stand next to a wall reach and record your maximum height touched while standing flat footed. Now jump vertically as high as possible using your arms and legs to assist your body upwards. Attempt to touch at the hightest point of your jump. The best of three attempts is recorded. Record the difference between the two to come up with your standing vertical.
Mine happened to be 20 inches.
Test 2: Depth Jump Test (helps determine how reactively (eccentrically) strong you are):
Stand on 18 inch box, perform the depth jump and try and touch the wall/object at the peak of your jump.
Test 3: Paused Jump Test (intended to indicate how explosive you are relative to your regular standing vertical jump):
To perform test jump up and descend into a 1/2 squat that is approximately same height as the bottom position of your standing jump. Hold for 5 seconds before exploding up and touching the wall/object at hightest point of your jump. Record best of 3 attemps.
Test 4a: Step Single Leg Vert Jump Test
Take 3 running steps before leaping as high as possible off one leg. Use both arms and legs to assist, record the best of three attempts.
Test 4b: Step Double Leg Vert Jump Test
Take 3 running steps before leaping as high as possible off both legs. Use both arms and legs to assist, record the best of three attempts.
Test 5: Asymmetry Test (designed to assest how well balanced you are from a strength and coordination stand point. Testing to see if you are excessively strong on one side of the body compared to the other.
Stand behind a line on one leg, then perform 3 consecutive forward hops all off that one leg aiming to get as much total distance as possible. Then repeat with opposite leg.
Test 6: Relative Strength 1 Rep Max Estimates
The 1 rep max estimate test is designed to assess how strong you are relative to your body weight using both a box squat and a barbell deadlift.
To complete the 1 rep max you will be required to perform 2 sets to failure for the box squat and deadift using a lighter weight, followed by a heavier weight.
For box squat warm up first , then pick a weight you can lift for no less then 5 reps but no more then 10 reps. Record weight used and number of reps.
Next choose a heavier weight that you can lift for no less then 2 reps but no more then 5 reps. Record weight and number of reps.
Now do the same for Deadlifts.
Enter all this info into the Vertical Mastery Software and then it goes over your strengths and weakness and provides a custom tailored program for about 10 weeks and then has you re-test again to see where you are at then.
I can't remebmer exactly what strengths and weakness's the program listed for me (I'll look and post when I get home) but I know one of my weakness's was explosive strength, and I think strength as whole as I can't squat 1.5 x my bw. I think it did list me as having good reactive strength though.
Here is what workouts the program recommended to me.
Week 1
Day 1
Sets / Reps / recommended weight (each person will have a different recommendation)
Box Squats 4 x 4
Step ups 4 x 4
GHR 4 x 4 Body Weight
Hang Clean 5 x 3
Reactive Split Squat 4 x 4
Day 2
Is a Sports specific day where you go out and practice jumping for whatever sport you are trying to improve at. 25-40 minutes worth of sports specific jumping
Day 3
Hang Clean 5 x 3
Paused Jump Squat 3 x 6 x 25lbs
Plyo Lunges 4 x 5 x 15
Box Jumps 4 x 5 x BW
Seated Box Jumps 4 x 5 x BW
That would be the first week of the workout. If you are in season of your sport and already training a good bit you would skip the sport specific day and only workout two times per week. Need to have atleast one day off between workouts.
Phase one is four weeks worth of workouts with the weight increasing each week then you take a week to deload.
Phase two is another four weeks of workouts and then a week to deload and then you re-test. Input your new numbers into the software and see how things look.
For anyone interested I will be logging all this in my Member Journal. My current goal is to increase my vertical 5 inches from 20 to 25 inches by the end of the 10 week program.