My First Group Dunk Session!

If there is anything funner than dunking, please tell me what it is!!! I had my first ever group dunk session with my new friends Clint and Dallon this past Saturday. It was an absolute BLAST!

We dunked for about 3 hours and it absolutely wiped me out! I was exhausted after the first hour but these guys just kept dunking and dunking! It's now 3 days later and my legs are still crazy sore!

I got 2 new dunks during the session:

1) cuff dunk
2) dunk off backboard with someone else throwing it

A couple of Dallon's dunks got me so hyped, I even tried a windmill! LOL! I have a WAYS to go to get that. I almost got a lefty dunk off the glass and I did get a cleaner lefty dunk off the dribble.

I can't wait to dunk with these guys again!

Here's the video:


Later that same day, I went to a dunk contest as part of a top high school tournament. It featured Frank Jackson (Duke commit) and Gavin Baxter (BYU commit) and these guys can fly!

I got some pretty good footage and put together a video. I did a bunch of slow-motion so I could really watch their technique. So much you can learn just from watching someone jump.

Check it out!



HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Dunk Mix at 43 years YOUNG

I recently finished 12 weeks of training using Bounce Kit and decided to put together a mix of some of my dunks during the last couple of months. I know that compared to most dunkers out there, my dunks are not that impressive. I can't believe the things guys are doing now. Jumping over people, going between the legs, jumping over people while going between the legs, behind the back, etc. But, I'm stoked with my progress and just want to keep improving every day.

I'm going to be doing a dunk session soon with a guy who is an unbelievable dunker - Dallon Findlay and can't wait for that. I've never really had the opportunity to dunk with anyone who can jump as high as this guy. I'm excited to see his dunks and learn from him. I'm also hoping he will inspire me to finally throw down a 2 hander!

Thanks for reading. If you haven't already, please follow me on Instagram @overthehilldunker. I am posting on Instagram fairly often as it's so much easier to interact and share information.

Go Get Your Dreams!

Started vert training again - Week 12 (off backboard, new PR on drop-step)

Instagram @overthehilldunker

I made it! I've finished 12 weeks of training using Jordan Kilganon's Bounce Kit program! Feels so good to complete it. I didn't miss a single workout during the 12 weeks and the results are starting to show. This week I had one of my best dunking sessions ever.

I'm so close to being able to hang on the rim on my no-step vert. I actually think I'm high enough to do it but am too scared to hold on to the rim! I'm going to get it next week when I have fresh legs! 

I also got an all-time PR on my drop-step jump and was able to hang on the rim with 2 hands without "cheating". First time I've ever done that in my life!

I also got probably the most dunks I've ever had in a single day. The rim where I'm getting most of the dunks in this week's video is a little low but it's still great progress for me. The two hand off-the-backboard or lob is not far off! Gonna get it!

Now that I've finished training I can take some time to just do dunk sessions and enjoy the gains. I can't wait for next week!

Thanks for watching!

Follow me on Instagram @overthehilldunker

Started vert training again - Week 11 (lob and dribble dunk)

Almost finished with this 12 week phase of training!

Week 11 went really well. I finally got a dribble dunk on a rim that has been taunting me for a while.  The last time I dunked on this rim off the dribble was back in September of last year. Felt great to finally get that down. Also got fairly close on some off-the-backboard dunks. I think I will get that this week.

If you saw my last post, I mentioned I started an Instagram account (@overthehilldunker) and hope you will follow me there. I plan to post there more regularly and depending on how things go, I may not post here very much. I guess the big limitation on Instagram is it's not as easy to provide detailed information like you can on a blog. We'll see how it goes.

If you've been following my blog since the early days, you may remember me mentioning a guy I play hoops with who told me I would never dunk. I had not really talked to him about that conversation we had over 4 years ago until this week. After we got done playing, I asked if he remembered the day he was mocking my dunk attempts when I had first started this quest.

He said he didn't remember saying any of those things! We had a great laugh about it. I thanked him for giving me extra motivation by telling me I couldn't do it. It actually did give me extra determination to work towards achieving my goals. There were days I wanted to give up and his words ringing in my ears was just the extra push I needed to keep going.

Another example on not giving up happened this week when I got the dunk off the dribble. I made 3-4 attempts before I got that dunk down. The first few were some of my worst attempts I've had in weeks. I got completely hung on the first attempt. The second attempt I slipped on a sweat spot on the floor and almost fell on my face. The third attempt I tried off the glass and threw it way too hard. At this point everyone is impatiently waiting on me to start the next game while I try all this stuff and so I'm feeling a bit silly at this point. They get really tired of me trying to dunk all the time. But, I had to try one more! I went for it and I got it! So glad I did. Don't give up!

Here's my Week 11 video. Follow me @overthehilldunker. Thanks!

Follow me on Instagram! And...I'm using Bounce Kit!

I've noticed a big decline in traffic and comments on my blog over the last 2 years. Now, I'm sure this is because I wasn't posting as often and it was probably getting really boring reading pretty much the same thing over and over again. Andy is old and he still wants to dunk. Blah blah blah! :)

But, I also think it's largely due to the popularity of Instagram! Blogs are so yesterday! Everyone is on Instagram! I've even noticed YouTube is no where near as popular. For example, my favorite dunker - Jordan Kilganon - who is arguably the best dunker in the world only has 5K subscribers on YouTube and hardly ever posts there anymore. On Instagram, he has 200K followers and posts a few times a week.

So...today I created an Instagram account and invite you to follow me there. The blog just doesn't seem to provide much value anymore as there is so little interaction. I've gotten like 3 comments on my blog in the last 3 months! I've only had the Instagram account a few hours and I've already had a ton of comments!

Also, for this 12 week phase of training that I started 10 weeks ago, I am actually doing Jordan Kilganon's jump program called - Bounce Kit. I was going to wait until I had completely finished the program before saying anything to see how my results turned out but changed my mind today when I created the Instagram account.

I've been following Jordan on YouTube for the last 4-5 years and his progress has been nothing short of amazing. When he released his own vertical jump program, I couldn't pass it up.

If you have questions about Bounce Kit vs Jump Manual, post them below or ask me on Instagram.

My instagram name is "overthehilldunker"

Thanks for the support!

Started vert training again - Week 10 (some dunks and misses)

Made it through another week of training and for the most part I'm feeling really good. I have just 2 weeks left now of this 12 week block of training.

I'm really looking forward to having a few days off and doing a dunk session when I'm completely fresh and can go all-out. I've continued to play basketball 3 times per week during this training -- and that's probably not ideal for maximizing training results. But, I just can't stop.

I almost grabbed the rim on my no-step vert test this week. Just 1 more inch and I should be able to do it. That would be an all-time PR at any age for me. I've never done that before even in my younger years.

I've now been on creatine for 2 weeks and can definitely feel a difference in my energy and strength. I've experimented with taking it post workout and taking it and pre and post workout. I've noticed more energy taking it before a workout and so will continue to do that. And what's been really nice is I haven't had the normal weight gain either. I'm still hovering between 170-172 lbs.

That's about it for this week! Here's the video:

Started vert training again - Week 9 (couple of dunks, lots of misses)

I've now completed 9 weeks of training for this phase. Only 3 weeks left!

This week went really well. I felt really good and was jumping well. I missed a TON of dunks off the dribble. I really thought I'd get at least 1 to go down but missed them all. I did get 2 dunks off the lob and those felt really easy.

I definitely noticed a difference in my energy this week. And, I'm sure that is from the creatine. That stuff definitely works! I'm also really happy that I didn't gain any weight this week as I've typically gained 5 lbs the week I start taking creatine. But, so far -- no weight gain. I think the difference this time is I've been drinking a ton of water. Creatine does pull water into the muscles and so you need to drink extra water. I have and that seems to be working.

Here's this week's video. Enjoy!

Started vert training again - Week 8

Another week in the books!

I've now completed 8 weeks of this 12 week phase. I am still 100% on hitting every single workout so far. This week was the first time though that I was not able to complete all the exercises in every single workout. It was on one of my plyo days and I still had a few jumps left to complete. But there was nothing left in the tank.

It wasn't a great jumping week. My body actually doesn't feel that broken down but it has to be after this many weeks and workouts. I'm also still playing basketball three days a week on top of all the workouts. I would probably get better results if I didn't do that and let my body rest more. But, I have to play. It's an addiction!

I mentioned last week that I was going to start taking creatine again and I started yesterday. I am very curious to see how my last few weeks go and am counting on some extra energy from creatine to help me get a few inches in gains!

I'm also adding in my "secret exercise" during 2 of the workouts each week until I complete this phase. Right now,. I'm focusing primarily on getting super explosive and that exercise in my opinion is one of the best on teaching you to get off the ground as quickly as possible.

That's about all for now. Here's this week's video. Enjoy!

Started vert training again - Week 7 (one weak dunk)

This 12 week phase of training is moving by quickly. Already done with 7 weeks!

I had high hopes for this week since I got my first dunks in many months last week. But, I felt a little sluggish and tired this week. In fact, one night I came home from work and fell asleep on my bed at like 6:30 pm!

I'm really happy with how things are progressing so far. We always want things to go faster than they do. But, I am really happy that I'm dunking again and am not even taking creatine at the moment. One thing that has been pretty consistent for me is my highest jumping has always been when I've been taking creatine. I'm sure some more inches are on the way with the added boost of energy and strength (and probably some placebo effect too) that comes from creatine.

However, I was hoping to get down to 165 lbs before starting to take creatine again because I immediately gain about 5 lbs when I"m on it and I don't want to be over 170 lbs. My best jumping has been when I've been around 170. Unfortunately, I'm still hovering between 170-172 and with just a few weeks left in this phase, I may just have to go for it.

Anyways, here's this week's video. Enjoy!

Started vert training again - Week 6 (I'm dunking again!)

I'm now half-way through this 12 week phase of training! This past week was definitely the hardest so far. I really struggled with motivation. I also ate like crap! Dang it!

But...today I got the first dunks I've had in a really long time. They weren't anything special but man it felt good! They were lobs -- so the easiest possible dunk. But, again I'll take 'em! Progress is good even if it's small.

It's so strange how my best jumping days come unexpectedly. The days I feel really good, when my legs feel the most fresh, and I can hardly wait to get on the court to see what I can do -- almost always end up being disappointing days. However, the days where I'm really not expecting anything good to happen (today for example), often end up being my best days.

Today, my right quad was super sore from a knee to the thigh from playing ball on Wednesday. My back was hurting, I went to bed really late, and I just didn't feel great. And then to my surprise, I got 2 dunks to go down.

Anyone else had a great jumping day on a day when you felt way less than 100%?

Here's my Week 6 video. Thanks for following along.

Started vert training again - Week 5

5 weeks completed for this phase of training!

Things are going well. I've done every single workout so far and have been consistent with stretching, foam rolling, and icing on a daily basis. I've even been foam rolling and stretching before bed on most nights. My body feels good.

I've done reasonably well on my eating but that continues to be my biggest weakness. I just love sugar sooooooooo much! Despite my sugar addiction, I've kept my weight down and hover between 170 to 172 lbs (down from 178-180 lbs a few months ago). To maximize my vertical, I feel like I need to get down to the 165-167 range while gaining muscle and strength.

Overall, my vert is up around 2 inches since I started this phase of training. That's not spectacular but I know the full impact of the training won't be apparent until I've had a week or two to recover from all the training. I should be really flying around 7-8 weeks from now which will be right around Thanksgiving.

While I look forward to setting PR's next month, I fully expect to get some legit dunks next week. I've had some pretty close ones already. This past week I missed some really easy ones on a rim that is 2-3 inches low which really frustrated me. I should be able to dunk on that rim even on a bad day but just couldn't get any down that day. That's the way it goes sometimes. Oh well. You will see those attempts in my Week 5 video below along with my weekly vert tests on no-step, 1 step, and full run.

Started vert training again - Week 4

I totally forgot to post my Week 4 update. My apologies to the millions of followers out there who have been waiting for an update! :)

Honestly, I don't remember much about what happened during Week 4 other than my no-step vert has gone up about an inch since the previous week. My one-step and full approach seem about the same.

Here's the video:



I guess the good news is those of you who do read the blog will get double the fun today as I will also post Week 5 results later today.

Thanks all!

Started vert training again - Week 3

I've now finished 3 weeks of this phase of training.

Things are going really well so far. Despite the volume and intensity, my body is feeling really good which has surprised me. Guess these last 4 years of training has built up some tolerance. It was hard to take time off during these last several months but it was definitely the right decision. I'm also icing and stretching like crazy which I know helps.

Here's a video showing where I'm currently at. About the same as last week, maybe a bit higher on the one-step jump. But, I know my legs are not completely fresh either so I'm not too worried about it. Probably could have gotten a dunk on the lob today if it was a perfect throw. It was just a little high for my current vertical! :)

Give me another week or 2 and I will be dunking again. And then, I'm going to jump higher than I've ever jumped before.

Started vert training again - Week 2

Feels so good to be training again!

Tomorrow will mark 2 weeks into this 12 week phase of training and I'm noticing a difference already. I feel stronger and more explosive. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how well my body is responding in terms of not being crazy sore especially after not doing squats, deadlifts, etc. in a really long time. I have been stretching and icing a ton which definitely helps.

This morning I tested my no-step, 1 step, and running vert. It's hard to know for sure but I would estimate that I'm up about a 1/2" on my no-step and about 1 inch on both my 1 step and running vert from last week. It's subtle but at least in my mind it looks like I'm moving a little better and am more explosive compared to last week.

Here's the video.

Video - testing my vert at beginning of training

Yesterday, I tested my no-step, 1 step, and running vert as part of my workout. I think it will take 4-6 weeks to get back to where I was and then another 4-6 weeks to hit new PR's.

By the end of 12 weeks, here are my goals:

• No step vert: hang on rim with 1 hand
• 1 step vert: hang on rim with 2 hands
• Running vert: both wrists above rim and dunking 2 hands off dribble and off backboard

Here's the video from yesterday showing where I'm currently at on my vert.


My running vert looks SO SLOW! Got to speed that up!

Excited to be back training again!

Two Hand Dunk Training - Day 1

Yesterday, I started what might be my final 12 weeks of extremely intense, laser focused, give everything I've got -- vertical jump training. If I'm going to dunk 2 hands, it's gotta happen in the next few months! FatherTime is chasing me faster than Usain Bolt! :)

To get a baseline, I tested my no-step vertical and was surprised how much it has gone down. I did 15 no-step jumps and my highest was only a 26.8. My PR from about 2 years ago was a 31.8. So that's a huge difference. To be fair, I don't think I was completely warmed up during those jumps which definitely makes a difference. I will test again on Friday and make sure I'm more warmed up and see how different the results are.

Regardless, I expect my no-step jump to increase rapidly as I build my strength back (no-step vertical is highly related to strength). I haven't done squats, deadlifts, etc. in several months so it makes sense that my no-step vert would be down. The good news is my running vert is still pretty good. It's down some from my peak from about 1 year ago but not a ton. As my no-step vert improves that will carry over to my running vert and hopefully I'm hitting new PR's and the elusive 2 hand dunk!

I do have video of my 15 jumps but am going to hold off posting to see how Friday goes. I kind of hate posting since it was so crappy. But, I will post something by end of the week.

Training begins August 24th

Just a quick update so the 3 people who still read this blog (ha!) know I'm not being a complete slacker. On my last post, I said I would start my training again on August 10th. But, due to some minor injuries (shin splints), I need a little more time to let my body heal so I can go into this phase a little more fresh.

I will do some light work this week with lots of stretching and ice to get my body ready for the next 12 weeks which is going to be really intense. I plan to workout and stay fit consistently for the rest of my life, but I think this will probably be my last attempt at giving everything I have to dunk 2 hands. 

If all goes according to plan, I will post a video next Monday with my starting stats on my no-step, 1 step, and running verts.

Stay tuned and wish me luck!

Feeling better! Lost 8 lbs

I mentioned in my last post about a month ago that I was starting a 10 day cleanse to help me get back on track with eating healthy and losing some weight. That ended up being a great experience! It blew my mind to learn how much the food you eat impacts the way you feel. If you have ever eaten super healthy for an extended period of time, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you eat sugar, processed foods, etc. on a regular basis (like I was), you may not have experienced this and you have no idea what you are missing. I didn't until I did the cleanse.

After those 10 days of eating perfectly - I felt absolutely amazing. Like, I can't even explain how much better I felt. I also dropped 8 lbs and most of the pain in my joints including my left knee are gone. What a difference!

Now that my body is feeling better from eating right and getting some recovery from months of training -- I'm ready to get back to training again. I am going to start my next round of training on Monday, August 10th and will be documenting my progress more regularly here on my blog and YouTube channel.

My recommendation to anyone out there who is wanting to feel better and jump higher is take a serious look at the food you are putting in your body. Eating clean is not easy -- but you will feel amazing.

Training update

I don't know if anyone visits this blog anymore! But, just in case here's the latest on my dunk training.

The last few months haven't gone super well. I've gained some weight and had some nagging injuries and just haven't been jumping very well. Some days my left knee really bothers me and other days it feels alright.

I've been trying to ice and stretch more and that has helped some. I've also started using the leg extension machine at the gym and that has seemed to help the most. Makes me think there could be a muscle imbalance between my quad and hamstring that is causing some of the problem. I've noticed if I do leg extensions the day before I play or jump, it feels better than other days where I haven't done leg extensions.

To address the weight gain, I started a 10 day cleanse yesterday that hopefully will allow me to drop some fat quickly (without losing muscle) and get me on track for eating healthier. For most of my life, I've always been one of those skinny guys who wanted to gain weight and had the hardest time. That is no longer a problem! I can gain weight pretty easily if I don't eat right.

I'm going to take the next few weeks off from training to let my body recover. I will hit it hard again in early August.

I do feel like my next round of training (12 week phase) will probably be my very last attempt at chasing the 2 hand dunk. My life is just too crazy and Father Time is becoming harder to battle. But, I'm going to give it one more shot.

Stay tuned!

I'm in Sports Illustrated!

In this week's issue of Sports Illustrated (June 1 issue), there is a super cool article written by Michael McKnight called the Dunk Project. The story is about Michael chasing his dunking dreams at age 42.

About 6 months ago, Michael came across my blog and reached out to me to ask some questions and get some of my advice since we are about the same age and shared a common goal. We traded some emails and phone calls since then and I've had a front row seat to watch his amazing progress during the last several months.

Michael mentions me in the article which was a great honor! My dream of being in the pages of Sports Illustrated finally came true! Just 25 years late! :)

You got to check it out! Head to your local store and pick up a copy of the June 1 issue of SI.

You can also see the online version here including some very cool videos.
http://www.si.com/longform/2015/dunking/index.html

If you're reading this Michael, thanks again!

Back at it!

The last few months have been crazy busy and among the most stressful of my life. My training has taken a back seat and it shows. But, all that really means... is it's time to get back to training!

I started on Monday of this week and I'm going to give everything I've got to reach my goal of dunking 2 hands over these next 12 weeks. Besides the workouts, I will be super strict on eating healthy, stretching and icing every day, and getting proper rest each night.

As far as workouts go, I'm doing a mix of Jump Manual and other exercises that have given me the best results over the last few years. That includes my "secret exercise" that I've mentioned in a couple of my previous posts.

Speaking of this exercise, check out this email thread from a few weeks ago:

--------

On Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 1:23 PM, Derrick James <derrickjames330@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi I Am willing to try your secret exercise and share the results with you.

Could you please snend it. 

Thanks in advance 

On Friday, February 13, 2015, Andy Nicholson <andy@kalunaproductions.com> wrote:

Hi Derrick,

Here is the video of the exercise that has seemed to make a difference for me. Hope it helps! Let me know it goes.

my "secret" vertical jump exercise

On Sunday, February 15, 2015, Derrick James James <derrickjames330@gmail.com>wrote:

Hi Andy 

Thanks, I'll get back to you in 4 weeks 

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Derrick James James <derrickjames330@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh hey

The exercises helped improve my quickness, I can dunk now thanks.

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Andy Nicholson <andy@kalunaproductions.com>   wrote:

That is fantastic! Congrats! How much higher are you jumping now?

On Thu, Mar 19, 2015 at 4:12 PM, Derrick James <derrickjames330@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks, I am jumping about 2-3 inches higher now 

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Andy Nicholson <andy@kalunaproductions.com> wrote:

Awesome! First time you ever dunked? How tall are you and what is your age?

On Thu, Mar 19, 2015 at 4:16 PM, Derrick James <derrickjames330@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes first time I've ever dunked 

I'm 6,2 15 yrs old

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So that makes 2 people I know of who started dunking after they did this exercise for a few weeks. Pretty cool!

Happy training everyone!

Another year - What's possible?

Here we are in 2015 and I've had yet another birthday! I'm now 43 years YOUNG!

I have started training again after taking some time off the last few months. It feels really good to be working out again. 

For the next 12 weeks, here's what my workout schedule looks like:

Mon, Wed, Fri - play hoops and do my "secret exercise"

Tue - Deadlifts, chin-ups, and core

Thu - Upper body

Sat - Squats, Cleans, and a few plyo's

This is the routine (with a few minor changes) I was following about 6 months ago that got me jumping really well this past Fall. 

Anyone else try my "secret exercise"? 

And, you got to check out the progress my new YouTube and FB friend, "Mick Pick" has made! He's using the Jump Manual and also told me he's been doing my "secret exercise" as well. So fun to see people reach their goals! Inspiring stuff! Watch his videos and subscribe to his channel!

Happy New Year everyone! Let's get to work!