Vertical & Plyometrics

[Young Scrappy]

I tore my ACL a few years ago and trying to back into competitive basketball. I want to get my jump back. I do lunges, squats, leg press and all the machines in the gym. I've tried developing my routine for plyometrics but only see a little improvement. I wanted to try the board before I went to a professional.

Right now, I do legs twice a week and hit the track to do rudiementary plyometrics 1-2 a week.

 

[kever]

When I really improved my jumping ability I incorporated a lot of power lifts into my workouts. Other than the typical squats and deadlifts and lunges and things, I added power cleans, hang cleans, snatches, and hang snatches. It can be difficult to get the hang of, so if you haven't done any of these before, get a professional to show you how. This is an interesting article on speed and power and such, and this is the workout I did when I gained a noticable amount in my jumping.

It might be what you're looking for, but maybe not. If nothing else it's an interesting read. Good luck getting back into it. Knee injuries suck..

 

[Young Scrappy]

Thanks for the info. I checked out link and it is very informative. The pictures help alot. What weight do you generally start off with doing snatches? And after that 15 week session, did ever revisit that workout?

 

[kever]

Snatches are tough. I usually started with about 5KG's per side to get used to the motion. I worked my way up to about 20KG's per side (about 60KG's total), but I really focused on the speed of the bar more than the weight I was lifting. I used this to get ready for training camp for my basketball team, and since last year was my last competitive season, my workouts have a different focus now. I still might go back to this workout in the future for a while, because I did like the results, but it's not the best workout for my goals right now.
If you haven't done powerlifting before, please get someone who really knows to show you how. I can't stress that enough. I've taught 2 different workout partners how to do cleans, and both have struggled a lot with the technique.
good luck..

 

[chronoaug]

Don't forget calf exercises. Also, static and dynamic stretching works. Try lifting your leg over tall benches and such. Also, sprints and doing stairs helps a lot. I play competitive basketball as well and used to be able to dunk when i did these until school got really demanding and i got a girlfriend and stopped working out. It sucks because i lost about 4 inches.

 

[Young Scrappy]

Thanks for the response. I know its hard to make time. I do calf presses every other day. What else is there for calves? I do stairclimber a couple times a week. Do you suggest stadiums or something else instead?

 

[chronoaug]

Yes, stairclimbers are lame. For result and not just looks, do the real thing. Sprints instead of treadmills, stadiums instead of stairclimbers. Also, with stadiums, you can vary the step and speed pretty well. If you actually have a stadium, try doing the stretching i was talking about while taking a break from running the stairs. Just try stepping from one level to the other over the seats. It should stretch your hips and stuff. You need to have the top of your legs(hip flexors, etc...) flexible. For verticals it's also important to have a strong core. So don't neglect your lower back and abs.

What people don't think of a lot, is form. 2 identical people can have quite a difference depending on how they jump.

 

[The Deacon]

weight vest while running stadium steps (at Boston College) improved my vertical by about 6 inches between junior and senior yr in high school with little weight gain and no gain in height.

 

[Omar1223]

this stuff is great for me too. thanks a lot guys. im 6 ft tall and can easily grab the rim from a standing vertical, i just need those last couple inches to dunk.

i will def. try some of these strategies out.

 

[The Deacon]

jumping for bball and sprint speed is dependant on fast twitch muscle fibers. Jumping rope can help increase these, also just jumping period! When I was in jr high my boys and i were obsessed with vertical leap so we did everything possible to increase it. David thompson and Dr. J were our heroes. A friend constantly jumped up and down, as high as possible for sets of reps and it made his legs and upper body rock hard and muscular and he had a ridiculous "sargent jump" standing vertical leap. Also jumping as high as possible with little time on the ground after landing, kind of like the plyometric principal. My second jump was so good that I was consistently outjumping the Division one BBall guys at BC and UMass amherst for rebounds and my jump shot in pickup games and they were 6'4" to 6'10''. I'm 6'1" in socks and played up front, not guard.