Official vertical/jumping/dunking thread POST ALL VERT QUESTIONS HERE

[Prompous]

So, I want to dunk badly and I am super motivated to do this. I am 6'0" 180 pounds, but I have shortish arms, so my standing reach is not good. My standing reach is 7'8", My vertical is around 24 or 25 inches untrained (yes, I have had someone else meaure mine) and I have been working hard to up my vertical. According to dunk calculator, I need a 32 inch vertical to jump. I have been doing squats, explosive deadlifts (picking the weight up fast off the floor, then dropping), bench, and a variety of body weight exercises. I have days where I will dedicate to explosiveness. I will do jump squats, box jumps, jump as high as I can, and practice dunking about 3 dozen times. Is this an effective way to up my vertical by 7-8 inches, so I can dunk?

[amar654]

What are the numbers on your main lifts like? (Powercleans, squat, deadlift)

[Prompous]

I can max around squats 225-235. I can deadlift max around 300. I can bench press max around 165-170 (yeah I know, it sucks). I don't power clean.

[sowilson]

Need to get your squat up to around 350. Remember, when your doing plyometrics it doesn't do any good to do them until your tired. There is a point where form, force, speed, or acceleration fall off and that's when you stop. So, jumps 3 dozen times doesn't do any good after the first half dozen. Plyo's need to be done at %100 effort with plenty of rest between sets. You shouldn't be worn out when you're done with the plyo's.

[MikaHell]

I can only squat 280lbs and I have a 38-39inch running vertical. To increase your vertical you need to work on explosive movements. Heavy squats will help you but they're too slow. It's better to do light squats explosively.
It worked for me and I dunked at 30 for the first time AFTER a broken leg injury!
Good luck!

[amar654]

I can only squat 280lbs and I have a 38-39inch running vertical. To increase your vertical you need to work on explosive movements. Heavy squats will help you but they're too slow. It's better to do light squats explosively.
It worked for me and I dunked at 30 for the first time AFTER a broken leg injury!
Good luck!

There are a lot of factors that go into dunking, and that explosive squat advice is good but I feel like the 350 squat is a good prerequisite to that. Box squats are another excellent movement, but once again imo a higher squat is needed before you should do that exercise.

[MikaHell]

Yep for sure, many factors like you said! I was just saying that he shouldn't feel down if he can't squat 350.
It's better if he can but if it isn't the case, there are always other exercises that can help him dunk/jump higher.

[K3RB3R0S]

I am shifting all of my focus to learning how to dunk next week. Was doing PPL.


I want to make sure my program will get me there.

1RMs no equipment outside of shoes, unless it is the DL, that is in socks...and nothing has been tested in a couple months:

Squat 405 (questionable depth)
DL 505, I do 495 about once a week
Power Clean 225 (My form is not the greatest)
Box Jump: nipple height, questionable form (not rigid back and a lot of knee tucking to land)
Current Vertical: I have touched rim twice, when I started towards this goal I was a good 4-6 inches away.



3 Day split done twice a week and Sundays off. 3 Weeks as is followed by a 1 week Deload week. I will be adjusting diet to stay in between 180 and 185 lbs...unless I look shredded heavier

4ish Total Sets per Exercise only 2 Full Force sets, this is basically cutting my current volume in half. I generally don't have DOMS after lower rep range work.

Weights will hopefully be adjusted higher as progression made but this is where I am right now.

Day 1:

-Squats 5-8 reps @ 135-225-315-315
-Jump Squats Either Bar or Dum or maybe even med ball, if Bar: 3s @ 45-95-135-135
-Paused Box Squat: 3s @ 135-185-225-225
-Front Squats: 5s @ 135-185-225-225
-12" Step up Jump Lunge: 3 sets for 3 reps a leg at BW, explosive and as high as possible
-Hammie Curl: 5 Ramping Sets @ 12ish reps
-Heavy Calf Raises 6RM, either Smith or what ever


Day 2: not going to bother with weights, 2 warm up sets ramping up in weight, 2 working with same weight around 6RM or less and exercises will be subbed as needed

-Muscle Ups 1 set
-Plyo Pushups 1 set
-Dumbell Bench
-UG Power Row
-Incline Dum Press
-Pullups weighted
-Military Press Or Dips weighted
-Dumbell Row


Day 3 Plyos:

-Power Clean: 7 singles up to 225 in 20lbs increments
-Jump test 3 tries: Place in gym where I jump and get my hand as high as possible on 2nd floor...floor? It's an indoor balcony.
-24" Box Jump: 5 reps focus on form, explosive
-Seated, med ball 24" Box Jump: 5 reps also focused on form and explosion
-Single Leg 24" box Jump: 3 Each Leg
-Power Skips: 3*3 height focus
-Butt Kicks: really not sure what these are called is more of a warm up into the next...
-Sprints: 2-4 Half effort sprints followed by 2-4 full on sprints, length of small basketball court




Immediate Questions:

-Jump Squat tips from experience, there is only so much you can read and watch on youtube
-How to Deload?
-My knees do not love Step up jump lunges, I think it is mostly the landing.

[Jamhour1992]

30" vertical. 180lbs. I want 35" vertical. And new lifting program . I play basketball a few days a week. I have weaker glutes and hanstrings , I'm not flexible at all. I want to have a weekly program with squats , deadlifts hip thrusts, lunges, box jumps , and power cleans. But I don't want to over train. Squatted Saturday 225 5 times a good bit below parallel . Barely made the last one up. Any input is appreciated

[MikaHell]

30" vertical. 180lbs. I want 35" vertical. And new lifting program . I play basketball a few days a week. I have weaker glutes and hanstrings , I'm not flexible at all. I want to have a weekly program with squats , deadlifts hip thrusts, lunges, box jumps , and power cleans. But I don't want to over train. Squatted Saturday 225 5 times a good bit below parallel . Barely made the last one up. Any input is appreciated

I would definitely work on flexibility! That alone will help you tremendously!

[Jamhour1992]

Yeah man, I've been stretching religously the past couple months. As far as the routine, Would that be over training tho?

[MikaHell]

Yeah man, I've been stretching religously the past couple months. As far as the routine, Would that be over training tho?

Don't think so, check out the Jump Manual, imo it's a real good vertical jump program, u can download it.
It has all the exercises you mentioned above!

I did it and played ball twice a week at the same time, and didn't feel like I was overtraining

[Jamhour1992]

Im not including any upperbody work in here at all all the other days are back and bi chest and tris
Sunday - ( Sprints , Broad jumps, Box Jumps, Depth Jumps )

Tuesday - Game day. (basketball game, play about 35 out of 40 minutes)

Wednesday - Squats , Hip thrusts , Glute/Hamstring Ball curls, Weighted Calves

Thurs or Friday- will go play pickup basketball for a few hours.

Saturday - Deadlift, Powercleans , glute/hamstring Ball curls, Weighted calves

I will Squat or Deadlift Lift light on the day I do powercleans, So one week Squat Heavy and do powercleans on the same day of deadlifts, and another week I will deadlift heavy and power clean on the same day as my light squats.

On both days Im debating if I should include Kettle bell swings or Lunges instead. I dont know what would be more beneficial.

Goal is to improve vertical and speed.

[athleticmastery]

I am shifting all of my focus to learning how to dunk next week. Was doing PPL.


I want to make sure my program will get me there.

1RMs no equipment outside of shoes, unless it is the DL, that is in socks...and nothing has been tested in a couple months:

Squat 405 (questionable depth)
DL 505, I do 495 about once a week
Power Clean 225 (My form is not the greatest)
Box Jump: nipple height, questionable form (not rigid back and a lot of knee tucking to land)
Current Vertical: I have touched rim twice, when I started towards this goal I was a good 4-6 inches away.

I know this is a bit late, but if you're focusing on learning how to dunk, nothing will help you better than actual trying to grab rim/ dunk. Learning how to jump off of different approaches is one of the best ways to improve dunking ability. Plyometrics will help with nervous system activation. However, they will not necessarily help you learn how to approach/jump in realistic situations.

I've seen plenty of athletes who are strong, and decent at plyometric exercises, but can't dunk because of a bad approach.

Around 30-50 maximal jumps trying to grab rim/dunk is very good for learning how to dunk. A normal progression could look like grab rim 1 hand -- grab rim 2 hands -- dunk tennis ball -- dunk volleyball one hand -- dunk volleyball 2 hand -- dunk womens ball 1 hand -- dunk women's ball 2 hand -- dunk men's ball 1 hand -- dunk men's ball 2 hand.

You can also work on a variety of approaches. Jump off of both two feet and one foot. Jump off both your right and left leg for one foot jumps. Use both a left-right and right-left approach for two foot jumping. Vertical jump, jump off of drop step, or full speed approaches can all be used.

[cunxinh2088]

Thanks for the advice guys.

[r0cketscience]

Hi, please help me out here..I'm 5' 9'' and ~166lb and I've been wanting to dunk for the longest time. I'll be turning 24 in a couple of months, and it scares me that time is almost running out and I'll never be able to accomplish my dream of dunking a basketball. Here are some of my jumping videos. I'm a two foot jumper but I just cannot get the 1-2 plant down..You notice I always take that little hop which hinders my potential and slows down any momentum I had..If I could get my approach down, I would probably jump two inches higher instantly.

I also have lost some of my hops since the first video due to lower back issues I've been dealing with for the past year.

Just found out I cannot post links with under 50 posts...

please look up "ItsN0tRocketScience tennis ball" on youtube and watch three of the jumping videos I have on there..Any criticism that will help me reach the next level is greatly appreciated.

[addseo1118]

great videos which posted here.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad to see your responds also.

[zengmon]

First post here. I too want to dunk! I have been doing squats and plyo. I think plyo fell off for me.

I am: 5'11" @ ~183lbs. Short arms. Anyways, prior doing plyo, I could not touch rim, only tip backboard. After plyo for 6 months, I can fully grab rim with one hand (not two).

I tend to not push myself unless I have spotters because I am afraid of breaking things.
Bench: 225lb @ 10 reps by 3 sets.
Squats: 225lb @ 12 reps by 3 sets.
Deadlift: 225lb @ 10 reps by 3 sets.

Here is a video of me jumping (its about couple months old), probably need to work on form too. Won't let me post of link because I am new, replace the (dot) with "." instagram(dot)com/p/xpvebkpJJT/

Give or take, I need about 4-6inches of vert to be able to dunk with the ball. Any advice would be appreciated!

EDIT: I stretch about everyday on a roller for (7-15min) and off the roller (5-10min).

[MikaHell]

Hi, please help me out here..I'm 5' 9'' and ~166lb and I've been wanting to dunk for the longest time. I'll be turning 24 in a couple of months, and it scares me that time is almost running out and I'll never be able to accomplish my dream of dunking a basketball. Here are some of my jumping videos. I'm a two foot jumper but I just cannot get the 1-2 plant down..You notice I always take that little hop which hinders my potential and slows down any momentum I had..If I could get my approach down, I would probably jump two inches higher instantly.

I also have lost some of my hops since the first video due to lower back issues I've been dealing with for the past year.

Just found out I cannot post links with under 50 posts...

please look up "ItsN0tRocketScience tennis ball" on youtube and watch three of the jumping videos I have on there..Any criticism that will help me reach the next level is greatly appreciated.

I dunked for the first time at age 30...so you still have plenty of time! Keep working!

[thedivac]

So I think somebody asked before, but I am also interested, did anyone here try Vertshock?
I need to do something about my Vertical Jump this offseason :-)

[PhillipQ25]

Everyone here trying those fancy vertical programs needs to stop. Get in the weight room and hit the squat rack and deadlifts. Maximal strength is CRUCIAL for vertical jump, just go watch Candito. He's dunking at 5'7" just because his legs are so damn strong. You can do as many plyometrics as you want but you won't get anywhere if you can't squat 1.5x your B.W.

[89Trainer]

Back in the day I used JumpSoles, they actually helped. I gained 6 inches on my vertical. Thats not to say that other exercises wont achieve the same or even better results.

[vnggg]

Hi there, (cross post from a separate thread)

I have done plyometric training in the past as part of my vertical jump training and am thinking of getting back to it. I don't want to follow a complete plyometric training program because I am currently doing a 12-week strength training program.

So if I were to do 1 plyometric training per training day (I train 3 times a week). What would you say is the most essential and crucial plyometric exercise out there? By the way, I am training for basketball.

[asbury5]

My Son just turned 16 and he's 5'11 205lbs, and also a RB. I've taken him to countless trainers and spent massive amounts of money. @ whom played in the NFL and one still trains college and pro athletes. Now, the problem is, he's extremely tight in all areas of his legs. I'm sure if he was to loosen everything up, he'd drop his 40 time. Can you Inbox me and let me know what exactly I need to do to get him there, please?? Much appreciated, and keep up the great work

[samira858666]

The simplest method to measure an athlete's vertical jump is to get the athlete to reach up against a flat wall, with a flat surface under his/her feet (such as a gym floor or concrete) and mark off the highest point he/she can reach flat-footed (this is referred to as "standing reach"). Then, instruct the athlete to take several jumps from a standstill, marking off the highest point he/she can reach. Next, measure the distance between the two. This is the athlete's standing vertical jump and this can be monitored to track any increases in vertical jump.

The method described above is the most common and simplest way to measure one's vertical jump, but other more scientifically accurate methods have been devised. A pressure pad can be used to measure the time it takes for an athlete to complete a jump, and then using a kinematics equation (h = g*t2/8),[4] the computer can calculate his/her vertical jump based on the time in the air.

A second, more efficient and correct method is to use an infrared laser placed at ground level. When an athlete jumps and breaks the plane of the laser with his/her hand, the height at which this occurs is measured. highest vertical jump Devices based on United States Patent 5031903, "A vertical jump testing device comprising a plurality of vertically arranged measuring elements each pivotally mounted..." are also common. These devices are used at the highest levels of collegiate and professional performance testing. They are composed of several (roughly 70) 14-inch prongs placed 0.5 inches apart vertically. An athlete will then leap vertically (no running start or step) and make contact with the retractable prongs to mark their leaping ability. This device is used each year at the NFL scouting combine.

[charlesougf]

Good day I just wanted to know how and when does Winstol take real effect on the body because I've been on Winstrol for 2weeks now and my main purpose for taking Winstol is for the physique benefits and athletic performance (sprinting speed). So far I haven't really felt it but on day 15 of it I could really feel my forearm harden while I was holding the dumbbell but then for some reason when I went to sleep and woke up that hard feeling I had in my arm was gone and I was confused because I thought I would really feel the hardening of my body in the morning as my muscles would be relaxed and not being used so Winstol could take effect but it didn't. So I wanna know how does Winstol harden the body and when does it

[Jamhour1992]

Mainly talking about legs
My main goals are to get very strong as fast as possible. Trying to get a great vertical jump and get faster.

this is my current routine just for legs
Monday- roughly 4 sets of heavy Squats of each, Heavy db lunges, Hip Thrusts, Hamstring Ball Curls and sometimes squats

Thursday - roughly 4 sets of heavy Squats, Heavy db lunges, Hip Thrusts, Hamstring Ball Curls.

I do Deadlifts on Back and bi days (Wednesday and Saturday)

I really want to do Plyometrics twice a week. ( Box jumps, Broad jumps, Split Squat Jumps )

On top of this I usually play pickup sports about 5-6 hours a week at minimum.

[Paulos20]

should you isolate your calves? Does it help vertical and what exactly you should do calf raises on machine basic 3sets 10 reps?

[mlgpro]

should you isolate your calves? Does it help vertical and what exactly you should do calf raises on machine basic 3sets 10 reps?

Calves do matter, unlike what most people think. Get your calves strong with the standing calf raise machine. Obviously squats/deadlifts/cleans are more important, but the calves still have their value. Don't forget the core (low back, abs, gluteus medius) as well.

[AcMr]

Could i do pylometrics 4 times a week?
And should i do them before Strength Training or on another days?

AcMr