Got some nice dunks today

Just a quick update. I got 2 really nice dunks today. The best one wasn't on camera (of course). But, the second one was. Here's the video:

My training is going really well. I am actually doing less vertical training than I have in the past. Lots of basketball and short workouts. Here's the training schedule I've been following the last few months in case anyone is interested:

Monday - play basketball, run 1 ladder at full speed, speed rope
Tuesday - upper body (weights)
Wednesday - play basketball, 10 pistol squats, speed rope
Thursday - upper body (bodyweight exercises only)
Friday - play basketball, run 1 ladder at full speed, speed rope
Saturday - squats, deadlifts, zig zags, medicine ball throws, etc.

Anybody still out there? I feel like my blog is dead! :)

I like low rims and I can not lie...

The court I play basketball on a few times each week has one rim that is 2 inches low. Everyone prefers to have that hoop. The team going to that basket has an advantage for sure. It's easier to shoot on. And, it's also easier to dunk on! :-)

Last week, after several weeks of Jump Manual training, I dunked 3 times on the low rim. But, didn't get any of them on video!

Today, I got another dunk on the 9'10" rim and this time had the camera rolling. Come on! Just need 2 more inches. Is that too much to ask???

Got to dunk on 10 foot next week!

Here's a few of the attempts along with my one dunk. Thanks for reading and watching!

2 inches...just 2 more inches!!!

In addition to doing the Jump Manual training six days per week, I also play hoops 3 days per week. The basketball court I play on has one rim that is 10 feet and another rim that is 2 inches low (9' 10"). Yes, I have measured both rims!

One of my goals during my vertical jump training has been to dunk on the low rim. I have tried several times during these last few weeks without success. That is...until today!

I'm very pleased to announce the 9' 10" goal has been conquered! I'm so bummed this wasn't caught on video! I should know better by now than to make dunk attempts without a camera rolling. My best jumps always come in between games when I'm completely warmed up but when it's not particularly convenient to grab the video camera. So I don't have a video to post (yet), but I do have several witnesses including my buddy who threw me 2 perfect alley oops for 2 dunks.

And oh man...it felt so good! Especially the first one.

2 more inches! I just need 2 more inches!

I'm so motivated! Gonna get there!

8 weeks of the Jump Manual completed

I've now completed 8 weeks of the Jump Manual. Time is flying! Wish I was too! :-)

As usual, I played hoops this morning and wanted to test my vertical again. I'm jumping high enough now that I'm starting to make some dunk attempts. Not quite there yet but feel like I'm getting closer. I'm also getting more steals, blocked shots, and rebounds. If nothing else, my basketball game has improved and that is fun.

Below is my latest video showing my progress thus far. My closest dunk attempt came right after a game when the blood was really flowing but of course when the camera wasn't rolling. It was closer than the ones you will see in this video but I guess you will just have to take my word for it.

Thanks for reading and watching!

For the haters and naysayers...

During the filming of my most recent vertical jump test video earlier this week, one of the players started to crack some jokes. I can't really blame him. I'll admit it is kind of funny!

He asked what I was going to do with the video. I briefly explained that I'm working really hard to improve my vertical jump (Jump Manual) and each week I film a quick video to track the progress. I also told him I fully expect to be dunking in the next few weeks. He smiled with one of those "yeah right!" smiles. To which I said, "you don't think it's possible for me to dunk"? I don't remember his exact words, but it was something like, "I've been playing ball with you for 5 years and never seen you dunk. Now you're 39 and I don't see it happening."

We'll find out soon enough if he is right or wrong. But, what he doesn't realize is that he has given me some extra motivation. And that extra motivation might be the difference. So...to all the haters and naysayers out there...THANK YOU! I look forward to proving you wrong. That will make this even more fun. :-)

7 weeks of Jump Manual in the books

Another week has passed and that means I've now successfully completed 7 weeks of the 12 week vertical jump program known as the Jump Manual. 12 weeks sure seemed longer when I started this adventure back in mid April. Got to finish strong and achieve my goal which if you haven't figured out by now is to dunk!!!

These final 5 weeks, I'm going to be very disciplined with my diet and get as lean as possible. I'm also going to push really hard on the weights. I am convinced that the increases in my vertical thus far are more to do with my gains in strength than due to improvements in quickness or reactivity from the plyometric portions of the training. I guess it's impossible to know for sure but that's how I feel. This is a bit surprising to me because I had always thought that plyometrics were most important for improving your vertical. I don't believe that anymore. To really fly, you've got to be really strong in relation to your body weight!

As usual, I played hoops this morning and brought my little video camera along and had a friend film me in between one of the games. I'm pleased to report that I can now touch the rim on my standing vertical which is an increase of 5 inches since I started 7 weeks ago. You can watch my initial standing vertical jump test here.

I also had him film a jump off the run. Like last week, I was able to grab the rim 2 hands. My best jump of the day wasn't caught on video unfortunately but I know it was higher than the one you will see in the video. At any rate, my running vertical has also increased around 5 inches.

My current stats are now:
Standing vertical jump: 27 inches (start was 22 inches)
Running vertical jump: 34 inches (start was 29 inches)

Here's the video. Thanks for reading and watching!

Jimmer's vertical - NBA combine footage

Proof that technology is changing the way we can follow athletes, Jimmer just launched his own youtube channel. In only a few days, he already has 1300 subscribers and 76,000 views! A video was just posted with footage of him competing in the athletic tests including the vertical jump at the NBA combine.


You can see Jimmer's combine stats and all the other NBA hopefuls here:

Check out clips of Jimmer at the NBA combine:

Sometimes it's good to take a break!

This past week I was on the road again for the fourth straight week and was seriously lacking in motivation for the first time since starting the Jump Manual. This program isn't easy and traveling only makes it more difficult. I also felt like my body was breaking down so I took most of the week off. I told myself that I'm half way through, I've worked really hard, and so why not take a little break?

I'm glad that I did. I played hoops this morning and was feeling really good. I could tell I was jumping better than I have in a long time. So, I had a friend grab my little video camera and film me jump a couple of times while we were waiting for the next game.

The result was I grabbed the rim with 2 hands which is the first time I've been able to do that since starting the Jump Manual. Compared to where I was six weeks ago when I could get my fingers a little over the rim, I've made some solid progress. My vert has increased probably 4 or 5 inches so far. I must say it feels pretty good. I need another 3 or 4 inches and I should be dunking!

Here's the video from today. Thanks for reading and watching!

5 weeks of Jump Manual

I've now completed 5 weeks of the Jump Manual. I had a minor setback last week by spraining my left ankle. Like many basketball players, I've had my share of ankle sprains but thankfully this one was not too bad. If nothing else it got me to rest a little which probably was a good thing.

Today, I decided to go ahead and test my vertical again. My ankle isn't 100% but it's good enough. Here's where I'm at after 5 weeks:

My no-step vertical has increased 3 inches (1 inch increase since last test)
My one-step vertical has increased 1 inch (no change since last test)
My running vertical has increased 2 inches (no change since last test)

I was surprised that my one-step and running vertical jumps didn't increase since my no-step vertical did go up an inch. It could be due to the ankle sprain I suppose. I also have missed my plyometric workout the last 2 weeks and focused more on weights. That seems to be helping my strength which is more important for standing vertical but now my quickness and reactive ability may be slipping. Not missing any more plyo workouts that's for sure!

Here's a video of the test I did today. Thanks for reading and watching.

Vertical Jump Test - After 2 weeks of Jump Manual program

So I've been doing the Jump Manual for 2 weeks now and thought it was time to test my vertical again.You can read about and watch a video of my original vertical jump test at this previous blog post.

Yesterday, I did the same tests as I had done 2 weeks before. It's a little hard to tell if I've increased my no-step vertical. Maybe just a little? Not sure. I was feeling good about my one-step vertical as it seemed like it was about a 1 inch improvement. But, after watching the video it was clear that I cheated! I actually took 2 steps! So don't have an accurate comparison and will make sure not to cheat next time. :-)

My running vertical has increased about 1 inch. Before, I was grabbing the rim at the knuckle of my middle finger. This time I was grabbing the rim at about the top of my palm which would be about a 1 inch increase.

So a 1 inch gain after 2 weeks. Not too shabby. But, I wish it was more! At this rate, I would be looking at about a 6 inch gain during the 12 weeks. That would mean I would barely be able to dunk on a good day when the planets were aligned and the wind was blowing just right. I'm hoping for more like 10 inches! That would be over 11 feet maximum height and even without being able to palm the ball should be plenty to throw it down.

My no-step vertical seems way too low to me which means I've got to hit the weights harder! Depending on how things go during the next few weeks, I may alter my workout to do less plyometrics and more weights. Many of the "vertical jump experts" out there say you must be able to squat at least 1.5 times your bodyweight and I have a ways to go on that.

I will test again on Monday and hopefully by then I'll have figured out a better way to test and film my vertical jump. Wish I had an extra $600 so I could buy one of those vertecs! Those are sweet.

Week 1 Jump Manual - Recap

First week of 12 for the Jump Manual is in the books and I’m pleased to report that I was able to complete all the workouts! I’m only a little sore too which is nice. When I originally started this program about 18 months ago prior to my knee injury (not related to Jump Manual), I remember being so sore that I had to take several days off after the first few leg workout days and plyometric days before I could continue the program. Those workouts are really intense! The Jump Manual is really big on recovery which I also agree is extremely important. My body seems to be a little better prepared this time. But, don't get me wrong it was still crazy hard!

The leg workout yesterday especially challenged me. About half way through, the thought came to me that I would never push myself this much without having this program and a commitment to do it. It’s just too easy (at least for me) to show up at the gym, throw some weight around, get a little sweat going, and call it good. If you do the Jump Manual, you will have to push yourself!

One thing I’m doing much better this time is doing all the stretches every day. My buddies mock me because I’m not able to even reach down and touch my toes. So flexibility is a big weakness that I can improve on and should help my jumping ability. In just one week, I’ve already made a ton of progress.

Another thing I’m doing differently this time is using a log book to record my leg workouts so I know how much weight I lifted and the number of reps. If you’re doing the Jump Manual, I’d be happy to send you a copy of what I created. I’m also finding this blog to be motivating as it has given me a greater feeling of accountability. This is out there for the whole world to see (although maybe no one will ever read it) and somehow that makes me want to try a little harder.

I will test my vertical again and post a new video showing where I'm at in a few days. Thanks for reading!

Vertical jump test - video

You know how those workout programs like bodyforlife have you take a picture before you start? You think you look okay but then you see the picture and you're like, "do I really look like that"?

I pretty much feel the same way about this video! The extra motivation is good.  But, wow.

This is a short video showing my standing, one step, and running vertical on Day 1 of the Jump Manual.

Day 1 stats - ouch!

To know how far you have to go to reach a goal, you must know where you are now. So as part of my first plyometric workout of the Jump Manual, I tested my vertical and had the following results:

Reach:
93 inches (7 feet 9 inches)

Standing vertical jump:
22"

One step vertical jump:
27"

Running vertical jump:
29"

To dunk, I will need to get at least 8 inches above the rim which means I would need to add at least 6 inches to my vertical since my max height is 10 feet 2 inches (93 inch reach + 29 inch jump = 122 inches).

Six inches doesn't seem like much but that will be no easy task. I'm mostly concerned about my standing vertical. 22 inches just seems pathetic! Based on what I know about the importance of strength vs quickness in jumping, my strength is limiting my jump more than my quickness.

I have some video clips that show my vert test. Will post when I get a chance.

I'm starting the Jump Manual

This Monday, April 11 I am starting the Jump Manual vertical jump program created by Jacob Hiller. I'm creating this blog as a way to track my progress and hopefully provide some additional motivation to complete the 12 week program. Yes, I want to dunk!

I actually started the Jump Manual about 18 months ago and unfortunately about 2/3 of the way through, I had a pretty bad knee injury in a city league game that took several months to heal. I'm feeling pretty healthy now and want to make another go at the program. I was getting some decent results and so I'm excited to go for it again.

Jacob Tucker's youtube video and winning the NCAA Dunk contest is partially to blame for this renewed obsession. That guy is ridiculous! And, I want to be just like him. Or just a little like him would be just fine.

I'm just under 6 feet tall and 39 years young. Given those facts, you may think this quest is a tad unrealistic. Great! That will only push me harder. I will tell you that in my younger days I could dunk. But, it has been a LONG time (at least 10 years). So, it certainly is possible. But, is it still possible? This is a race against a clock that seems to be ticking more and more quickly. If I'm going to dunk again, it's going to have to be soon!

The other reason I'm doing this program is I have an 11 year old son who I hope becomes a much better athlete than I ever was. I want to determine which programs are best to help him when he gets a little bit older. What better way to figure that out then do the programs myself?

If you are doing the Jump Manual or other vertical program right now, I'd love to hear about your results.

Thanks for reading and hope you will follow along for the next 12 weeks.