At-Home Jump Training Program

At-Home Jump Program

This is a quick, easy workout to maintain or slowly increase your vertical jump with minimal equipment.

One must never miss a workout, always use proper technique, and give each repetition their best effort to see optimal results.

The workouts are six days a week for four weeks. The fifth week do another workout daily (eg. Pool Sprints).

Jump to: Tuesday ~ Wednesday ~ Thursday ~ Friday ~ Saturday ~ Weeks 2+

Week 1: Monday – Legs

Warmup – Abductors: (12, 10, 8, 6, 12 reps for each leg). Lay on the left side on a mat or the floor. Raise the uppermost leg upward, explosively, then return it to a resting position. Rest 45 seconds between each set. Make sure you do both the left and right leg.

Single Leg Butt Kickers: Standing on the ball of the right foot, explode the right heel upward into the right gluteus maximus (your rear end). Continue until you feel a rep that is no longer explosive. Even the slightest amount of tapering off of explosiveness indicates that was your last rep. Do the same on the left leg. Record the rep count for each leg. Rest 45 seconds, then repeat. When the rep count for one leg or the other drops to half that of the first set, that is the final set for this exercise (for both legs). Do not train to exhaustion, train until the firing of the contraction tapers.

Hip Ups: Lay on your back with the heels of your feet in range to rest on the couch (or a bench). Bend one leg and hold it in the air alongside the leg that rests on the couch. Explosively thrust your hips upward into the air, then return the hips to the floor. Do this exercise to taper. Taper involves being explosive each rep until a rep is less explosive, or when you taper. When you notice a taper, stop and switch legs. Repeat with the other leg on the couch. Continue until your explosive rep count drops to about half that of the 1st set for one of your legs–at this point you are on the last set. This exercise works the hamstrings and gluts, isolating them for each leg.

Single Leg Flying Step Ups: Place the left leg on a chair. Explode upward using the left leg with a sudden burst of power. You should seek to explode high enough into the air so that both feet are equal or higher than the seat of the chair. Land exactly the way you started, with the left foot on the chair and the right foot on the floor. Be sure the right heel does not touch the ground!!! This creates vibration which travels through the joints and bones which is not beneficial to your body. When a subsequent rep is not explosive, that is your final rep for that set. Record the number of reps and switch legs. Continue sets until a set ends with half the rep count of the first set—that will be your final set.

Single Leg Isometric Bulgarian Squats: Place the left leg on a chair with the dorsal (top) part of the foot contacting the seat of the chair. Step out with the right leg until you are able to achieve a 90 degree bend at the knee (do not let the knee go forward past your right foot). Hold this position for 1 minute, or until you are unable to hold this position. If you move or shift your weight, you are recruiting new muscles to help out—that means it is time to stop. When you start to struggle to hold the position, focus on squeezing the right butt cheek and on pulling backward with the right heel. Once this exercise can be done for a full minute, add dumbbells. Do this exercise for each leg, 1 minute apiece.

Single Leg Forward Back Lunges (dumbells): x15, x12, x8 each leg forward and back. When performing lunges, ensure the forward leg bends to ninety degrees and the back leg is straight. When your back leg is straight, your hip flexors activate on the return movement, benefitting them as well.

Static Dumbbell Squats: x15, x12, x8. Keep your back straight, remember you want to lift with the legs while keeping the back straight and core activated.

Dumbbell Step Ups, Single Leg: x15, x12, x8. Using a chair to step up to, start with both feet on the ground. You only step up with one leg. Placing one foot entirely on the seat of the chair, step up until you can easily rest the other foot on the seat of the chair as well. Then step back down. Remember to repeat for the other leg.

Choose between Super Hops or Calf Raises (see below):

Calf Raises: Hold 1 dumbbell, balance on the ball of 1 foot, and do x50 calf raises on 1 leg. Do this on the other leg when done.
Super Hops: 1 minute of hops, never leaving the ground, each rep as fast as you can, drop and extend the full range of movement. Remember, full range of movement = full range of benefit. Rest exactly 1 minute between each set. Do 5 sets during week 1 legs days. Equipment for this exercise is a pair of Jump Soles. Here is a link:
http://jumpusa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=J&Product_Code=1001B&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1&Affiliate=google

Mirror Drill (requires a partner): Find an area with space to jump around. Find a partner. One of you is the leader and the other person is the follower. Next, both of you assume of low crouch, like a defensive stance when preparing to dig a hard driven volleyball. The leader leaps and lands in a random direction. The follower attempts to do the same in response, mirroring what the leader does. The follower also tries to react immediately. The leader continues making dynamic, explosive leaps in random directions, all the while maintaining a low crouch posture prior to jumping. If the follower makes a mistake (eg. Jumps in the wrong direction), you switch roles, with the follower taking the leader role and the leader adopting the follower role. Go until you have switched roles 5 times, completing 1 set.
Perform 5 sets total. Optional: Both people wear a pair of jump soles while doing the exercise for even more benefit.

Static Stretching

Week 1, Tuesday: Core and Arms

Warmup – Body Builders: 3 sets of 8. Starting position is standing. Squat down placing both hands on the floor. Kick the legs back so you end up in a pushup position. Lower your chest to the ground like doing a pushup. Pushup back to the leaning rest position of a pushup. Kick each leg laterally outward into a spread eagle while maintaining the leaning rest position. Kick the legs back into a leaning rest position. Bring the legs back into the squat position. Stand.

Warmup – Inchworm Dynamic Stretch : (2 sets covering 25 yards). Starting position is standing. Starting in front of the toes, walk the hands forward until you are in a leaning rest position. Lift the right arm in the air above the torso, balancing on 1 arm and both legs. Hold this position for 2 counts. Return the right arm to the floor (reacquiring the leaning rest position). Lift the left arm in the air above the torso, balancing on 1 arm and both legs. Hold this position for 2 counts. Walk the hands back to the toes and stand. Stand and take 1 huge step forward. Repeat.

Explosive Pushups: Facedown, on the floor, explode upward with enough force for both hands to be off the floor. Catch the body on the return down with the arms “almost” straight (but not quite). Then lower the torso to the floor (or mat). When a rep is not as explosive, stop, OR, do 3 reps minimum until you have enough upper body strength to exceed 3 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets. Do 30 explosive reps, totaling up all the sets of reps (eg. If you do ten sets of 3, your tenth set is the final set).

Face Down Ball Plank: Place both hands on a medicine ball or basketball with both arms straight, as though you intend to do pushups (with the feet out behind you and your face toward the floor. Hold this position for 1 minute while maintaining your balance. Rest 1 minute, then set up for a reverse ball plank.

Reverse Ball Plank: With both arms behind the back and on the ball, hold up the body with the legs out in front of you on the floor in a balanced, flat position for 1 minute.

Woodchoppers: Hold an 8 lb. medicine ball in both hands, arms straight above the head while laying on your back. Have your legs apart and resting on the floor. With an explosive movement, bring the ball from the floor above your head to the floor between your legs. Continue reps until you taper. Time the duration. Rest 1 minute, then repeat. When your explosiveness tapers in half the time of your first set, that was your final set (best done with a timer/clock visible—cell phones have this).

Shoestrings: Same as woodchoppers, but both legs are in the air, toes pointed to the ceiling. Touch the medicine ball to the shoestrings, then back down to the floor overhead while keeping both arms straight. Same reps and sets as woodchoppers.

Left-Rights: Sit on the floor with a medicine ball in both hands. Start by swiveling the torso and bringing the ball to the floor beside one hip, and then bring it to the floor beside the other hip. When your explosiveness tapers, stop, rest 30 seconds. Repeat until your explosive duration is half that of the first set.

Dumbbell Press: Lay your back down on a bench while holding two dumbbells. Start with the dumbbells held just above the arm pits. Press the dumbbells upward as though doing a bench press rep. Do x15, x10, x8, x8 (drop set). Start with a light set of dumbbells for the first set, then increase the weight as you progress through the third set. The 4th set is a drop set, so drop the weight down to either what you used in set 2 or set 1. 10 seconds rest between sets (enough time to grab new dumbbells).

Flys: Lay on your back on a bench with dumbbells. Push the dumbbells up like a dumbbell press. Slightly bend the arms and lower the dumbbells outward to the sides until they’re even with the shoulders (but not lower than the shoulders). Bring the dumbbells back up to the start position to finish the rep. Do x15, x12, x8 reps.

Dumbbell Military Press: Sit in a chair or angle a bench to 45 degrees. Lay with your back on the bench or chair. Hold 2 dumbbells at shoulder height. Press both dumbbells upward to full extension, then return to the start position. Do x15, x12, x8 reps.

Dumbbell Bicep Curls: Stand holding two dumbbells. Curl the dumbbells x15, x12, x8 reps.

Dumbbell Tricep Extentions: Lift the elbow to shoulder height. Extend the arm holding the dumbbell until straight then back down. While moving, do not move the upper arm/elbow whatsoever. Do x15, x12, x8 for each arm.

Static Stretching

Week 1, Friday: Legs

Warmup – Abductors: (12, 10, 8, 6, 12 reps, each leg)

Step-Offs: (3 series). Find a bench, chair, or table which is about two inches above your standing vertical jump. Another option I used to use was a ramp. I used a tape measure to gauge the height needed and marked it. Warning: Do not exceed two inches above your vertical. Play it safe always. You risk impact injury otherwise. If your joints or muscles are at all injured, do not do this exercise. Step off the height with both feet landing on the floor. Land on the balls of your feet and immediately hop twice as fast as possible. Repeat until 5 reps are completed. If, at any time you feel a sharp pain, do not continue.

Next, hop off an object half the height of the one you just stepped off with only 1 leg. Land on the ball of your foot and hop twice immediately. Continue until 5 reps havebeen completed. Switch and do the other leg now. Once done, you have completed 1 series. Do 3 series total, resting 1 minute between a series (note: a series consists of a two legged step off followed by one legged step offs
for each leg).

Proper technique is critical to achieve optimal results. Here is a key tip: When you step off the plyobox or PlyoTower, step out and then drop the height of the box. Many athletes have a tendency to slightly step down while doing the two legged step off (as though moving down a set of stairs). Stepping down rather than out (and dropping) negates the benefits of this exercise entirely.

This exercise should be followed with 2 days of low impact exercise or rest, to allow the joints to recover and strengthen. Failing to do so may result in injury over the long term. This exercise runs a razor’s edge between injury-failure and success. Your best results with this exercise will occur with the coaching by a knowledgeable jump trainer. Remember, this is a watered down version of a great exercise used by jump trainers. Swimming, sand volleyball and other low impact activities are good to pursue for the 2 day recovery period.

Over time of doing this exercise properly, the joints and bones will thicken, allowing additional height adjustment to be incorporated into the exercise. Again, this exercise should never ever be done if an athlete is even mildly injured. Having a trainer present is strongly advised.

The neat thing about this exercise, aside from the massive gains one may achieve relative to other exercises, is how it changes one’s body. When an athlete lands from a height slightly higher than their best vertical jump height, a message travels along the nervous system in the feet to the brain. The message to the brain, simply put, is, “Hey! You’re jumping higher.” The central nervous system (CNS) then begins to change by thickening around the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers. Thicker myelin sheath walls cause faster firing of electrical impulses through the CNS, ultimately producing a faster, more explosive jump (you jump higher).

While jump training is not about speed alone, this type of exercise can ramp up an athlete’s vertical jump height gains faster than other speed exercises combined. The equipment for this exercise is just as important as doing the exercise with excellent technique. One needs to be able to adjust the plyo box to a personalized, specific height, else one risks injury or absolute failure to achieve favorable results whatsoever. Each individual has their own vertical jump height. Static height jump boxes cannot serve the needs of this exercise. The jump box must be adjustable in 1 inch increments. The jump height of an individual must be current, or measured within a week or 2.

Single Leg Butt Kickers

Single Leg Flying Step Ups

Hip Ups

Calf Raises or Super Hops

Mirror Drill

Static Stretching

Weeks 2-4, 6-8, same as week 1, except for Wednesday:

On Wednesday, if you have access to a pool, you will train there. This is hydro training. Training in the pool creates muscle confusion and enables you to improve rapidly over weeks of training (avoiding the training plateau.) Water is low impact (saves the joints) and provides excellent resistance training for the entire body.

If unable to access a pool, then use the Wednesday workout per week 1.

Warmup – Zig-Zags: Start at one end of the pool and push off the outside part of one foot explosively moving upward, forward and slightly to the side. Land, and push off the outside part of the foot you landed on the same way. Continue this until reaching the other end of the pool. Ideally, you will be able to do this the entire length of the swimming pool, typically 25 yards. Complete 100 yards of this warmup.

Single Leg Shallow Water Explosions: In hip deep water, balance on 1 foot. Crouch down, then explode upward. Continue this until you “taper”. Taper being when you feel a rep isn’t as explosive as the previous rep. Rest 30 seconds and do the same exercise on the other leg. Remember the rep count in each leg. Do subsequent sets until the number of explosive reps before tapering is about half that of the first set. That is the final set for both legs. As your anaerobic endurance builds, the number of sets you are able to complete will increase dramatically. As this number changes, it also is an indication that your body is changing and, that you are jumping higher than you used to.

Single Leg Butt Kickers: Same as on land, with the vital part of this exercise being that your heel contact your butt each repetition. Work to taper (see previous exercise explaining the taper concept). Do this for each leg. When you jump with 2 legs, one leg is dominant and one non-dominant. Single leg exercises isolate and develop the weaker leg rapidly.

Double Leg Shallow Water Explosions: Same as Single Leg Shallow water explosions, except use both legs to jump. This too is to taper.

Kangaroo Race: x6 lengths of the pool. You will bound upward and forward. Rest 1 minute between each set. This is a sprint!

One Legged Kangaroos: Same as the kangaroo race except you explosively jump up and forward off of 1 leg. Do 1 leg for 25 yards, then the other leg the next 25 yards. Do 6 lengths of the pool total.

Deep Water Single Leg Explosions: In shoulder deep water, explode upward off of 1 leg. Train to taper. This exercise has a lot more water resistance so you probably will not be able to do as many reps.

Deep Water Double Leg Explosions: Same as single leg, but jump from both legs.

Static Stretching

If you can find a pool to train in 1 day a week, the hydro workout is absolutely critical for increasing your vertical jump.