Vertical Jump
Maximal jump straight up, no bell. Upward power expressed with nothing in your hands.
The lesson
- 01
Start small
The first jumps of the set are not maximal. Hop, land soft, hop a little higher. You build to the top of the set; you don't open on it.
- 02
Load and go
Dip fast — hips and knees together, about a quarter of the way down — and reverse it immediately. The dip is a spring, not a squat.
- 03
Arms are part of it
Swing them down with the dip and up hard as you leave the floor. They are worth real height and most people waste them.
- 04
Reach at the top
Pick something above you and go for it. A jump you are not trying to win is just a hop.
- 05
Land quiet
Absorb through the whole foot, knees tracking over the toes. A loud landing is a landing you didn't control.
- 06
The test
Every rep should be the same height or higher than the last. The moment one drops, the set is done — you're training power, not endurance.