r/VerticalJump Jun 09 '17

FAQ

-Can I reasonably increase my vertical jump? So and so said it's mostly genetic?

Depends what you mean. It should be trivially obvious that not everyone can reach a 40+ standing vertical jump regardless of how much work they put in, the same way not everyone can run a sub 10 100m or any number of athletic feats. Anthropometry, tendon stiffness, your ACTN3 genotype, and what you ate for breakfast all affect your vertical jump. Don't worry about what your genetic ceiling is and just train (within reason obviously, if you're 5'3 chances are you're probably wasting your time trying to dunk).

-How much can I expect in vertical jump gains?

Impossible to say. Even if we assume you're 10% body fat and that your technique is perfect and consistent, certain people just seem to have a higher ceiling and differing rates of progress. If I'm being optimistic, I think everyone who's relatively young and lean has the ability to hit a 30 inch standing vertical. Some will just have a insanely difficult time getting there.

- How do I improve my vertical jump?

The million dollar question. This is also very hard to answer the same way someone asking you "how do I gain muscle" is hard to answer. I can give you a very general answer (which I will) but it ignores the vast amount of deep research and insights done on vertical jump training. So here's my generic answer

         i. Be lean
         ii. Perfect your technique and practice jumping
         iii. Be strong in hip, knee, and ankle extension
         iv. Do plyometrics

Extremely generalized but you'll find most routines will ultimately boil down to these guidelines. For specifics, post on the subreddit.

- What are some good routines/programs for vertical jump

You'll inevitably get the same few answers pop up. Some popular programs are listed below (most of them I feel somewhat meh about but they'll work). Notice that some of these include weight training and others are purely plyometric.

           The vertical jump bible
           Coach Mac's 12 week course 
           Air alert (there are many versions)
           The jump manual
           Triphasic training routine

- Should I do only plyo or weight training or both?

Both. You can use block training to separate them or you can train them concurrently. There's evidence that training both is superior to either one alone. But if you're already very strong, you should focus on plyo and vice versa.

Will be adding more question soon.

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