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!
Showing posts with label jump manual before and after. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jump manual before and after. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Friday, May 31, 2013
Shocking news! Elite jumpers are not FAT!
For those of you following my blog (thank you!) and my apologies for the lack of posts. Things have been extra busy lately but I am ready to get back to posting updates and videos of my vertical jump training.
My last post talked about how I'm WAY TOO FAT! My bodyfat as of a few weeks ago was 17.9% at a bodyweight of 173 lbs which equates to 31 lbs of fat. As a comparison, I looked up the bodyfat % from the NBA combine for each player with at least a 38" max vertical. This includes 46 athletes over the last several years. I decided to crunch the numbers and figure out the average bodyfat % for these athletes. Not surprising, the average is very low -- only 6.33%! In addition, there were only 2 of the 46 athletes who had a bodyfat % over 10%.
So I'm absolutely going to get much leaner and stronger. My goal is to be 8% by August 5th. To help achieve this, I started Intermittent Fasting (IF) a few days ago. I first heard about IF from Jacob Hiller (creator of Jump Manual). He was posting before and after pictures on his facebook page and I was amazed at the results he was getting.
So I'm absolutely going to get much leaner and stronger. My goal is to be 8% by August 5th. To help achieve this, I started Intermittent Fasting (IF) a few days ago. I first heard about IF from Jacob Hiller (creator of Jump Manual). He was posting before and after pictures on his facebook page and I was amazed at the results he was getting.
For those of you not familiar with Intermittent Fasting, it is pretty simple. You eat during a 8 hour window each day and the rest of time you don't eat (water is ok). My eating window will be from noon to 8:00 pm. It is also recommended to take BCAA (branch chained amino acids) as a supplement before, during, and after your workouts. I didn't think I had taken this supplement before but it is included in many protein powders including the one I take (Optimum Nutrition). But, I have not taken BCAA all by itself before. I got watermelon flavor by Scivation. You just add it to water and it actually tastes really good.
I won't go into all the reasons why Intermittent Fasting seems to be an effective way to get very lean and strong but read up on it if you are interested. It actually contradicts everything I and most people believe about nutrition (eat every 2-3 hours). But, I have an open mind and am willing to give it a shot. I will be sure to post updates on how it's going.
To wrap up this post, I want to leave you with this amazing video I saw yesterday. This is a high jump competition in Kenya with some high school athletes who are absolutely unreal. I hope these guys get access to some better resources and a shot at the Olympics. They absolutely deserve it. BTW, I bet these guys bodyfat % is also just a little lower than 17.9%! :-)
On my next post, I will let you know what tweaks I've made to my training. My vert has increased a little over the past few weeks and will share what I've been doing different.
Happy Summer!
Monday, May 13, 2013
I'm Too Fat!
Whoa! It's been a month since my last post. I think that is my longest hiatus since I started jumpmanual training just over 2 years ago. It was nice to have a break but it's time to get back on this!
Last Thursday, I got my body fat tested again using a bod pod which is supposed to be the most accurate test out there. If you have been following this blog for a while, you may recall I also did this in January 2012 and was shocked to find out I was 18% body fat (was expecting to be around 12%). Well, nearly 18 months has passed since my last bodyfat test on the bodpod. And I thought for sure with all my training that surely I would be down in the 12% range this time. Nope! I was able to drop a HUGE .1% in bodyfat. My test came in at a disappointing 17.9%.
So, it is painfully clear that I've got to drop some bodyfat. I currently weigh 173 lbs and 31 of those lbs are fat! That is just way too much! My best jumping days were when I was 29 years old and was in probably the best shape of my life. I weighed 169 lbs and was just 7% bodyfat which means I had only 12 lbs of fat. Today, the scale says I weigh only 4 lbs more than I did 12 years ago but I'm carrying 19 more lbs of fat. It also means I have 15 lbs less muscle. That is a pretty substantial difference in the wrong direction.
So the bad news is I am too fat! At least in terms of maximizing my vertical jump. Of course, I'm not saying I'm obese or anything like that. But, I'm too fat to be an elite jumper. And I want to be an elite jumper!
The good news is I am jumping really well right now. I actually had of my best dunks and best misses ever last week. And, if I lose 20 lbs of fat that should surely help me jump a few inches higher which would be two hand tomahawks all day long.
Today, I started another 12 weeks of training. I have made some changes to my workout and diet that I will tell you guys more about in a future post as this one is already quite long and unlikely many people are still reading this. :-)
Have a great summer! Keep workin hard!
And...if you haven't had your bodyfat tested recently, get it done. Maybe you are like me and need to drop some lbs.
Last Thursday, I got my body fat tested again using a bod pod which is supposed to be the most accurate test out there. If you have been following this blog for a while, you may recall I also did this in January 2012 and was shocked to find out I was 18% body fat (was expecting to be around 12%). Well, nearly 18 months has passed since my last bodyfat test on the bodpod. And I thought for sure with all my training that surely I would be down in the 12% range this time. Nope! I was able to drop a HUGE .1% in bodyfat. My test came in at a disappointing 17.9%.
So, it is painfully clear that I've got to drop some bodyfat. I currently weigh 173 lbs and 31 of those lbs are fat! That is just way too much! My best jumping days were when I was 29 years old and was in probably the best shape of my life. I weighed 169 lbs and was just 7% bodyfat which means I had only 12 lbs of fat. Today, the scale says I weigh only 4 lbs more than I did 12 years ago but I'm carrying 19 more lbs of fat. It also means I have 15 lbs less muscle. That is a pretty substantial difference in the wrong direction.
So the bad news is I am too fat! At least in terms of maximizing my vertical jump. Of course, I'm not saying I'm obese or anything like that. But, I'm too fat to be an elite jumper. And I want to be an elite jumper!
The good news is I am jumping really well right now. I actually had of my best dunks and best misses ever last week. And, if I lose 20 lbs of fat that should surely help me jump a few inches higher which would be two hand tomahawks all day long.
Today, I started another 12 weeks of training. I have made some changes to my workout and diet that I will tell you guys more about in a future post as this one is already quite long and unlikely many people are still reading this. :-)
Have a great summer! Keep workin hard!
And...if you haven't had your bodyfat tested recently, get it done. Maybe you are like me and need to drop some lbs.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Jump Manual - 41 years old - Week 11 Results
Week 11 of my Jump Manual training went better than last week.
I took my sister-in-law's advice to incorporate some additional 1 leg exercises into my workouts such as lunges (stopped doing these a while ago), bulgarian squats (new exercise for me), single leg glute bridges (have done these off and on), and reverse hyperextensions (new exercise for me). It felt really good.
I have already been doing pistol squats (1 leg squats) fairly regularly and will continue doing them. I think pistol squats might be the single best exercise out there for improving your vertical as well as preventing injuries. When I finish this round of training, I am considering going to an extremely simple routine that would heavily focus on pistol squats and other mostly bodyweight exercises and plyometrics. In about 2 weeks, I will start training with my 13 year old son everyday and so time for my own personal training will be very limited. I'm actually excited about it because I think I can still make some really nice gains while actually training less. More details on that later. My son and I will also be making videos to track his progress and so that will also be fun.
Speaking of my son's training, he's at a camp this week with Micah Lancaster, who is one of the top basketball trainers out there. So wish I had access to this caliber of training growing up. Things have changed so much. When I was growing up, many coaches and trainers discouraged basketball players from lifting weights. "It will mess up your shot!" This partly explains why I weighed in at a hefty 140 lbs as a 5'11" senior.
If you don't strength train now, you simply won't be able to compete in today's game. The level of strength and athleticism is just unreal. A few weeks ago, my son played in a basketball tournament that featured some of the best 6th, 7th, and 8th grade basketball teams in the country. I'm not kidding when I tell you there were 7th grade teams that looked like high school varsity teams in skill, strength, size, athletic ability, and talent. They even had a dunk contest. Absolutely blew my mind. Doubt I could even touch the net when I was in 7th grade! Last year's dunk contest at this same tourney might have been even better.
Going to finish this last week really strong! Eating right, stretching, and getting after it for all my workouts. I'm planning to get a dunk video posted this week and then a video next week hopefully featuring a two hand dunk!
Happy "Spring"!
I took my sister-in-law's advice to incorporate some additional 1 leg exercises into my workouts such as lunges (stopped doing these a while ago), bulgarian squats (new exercise for me), single leg glute bridges (have done these off and on), and reverse hyperextensions (new exercise for me). It felt really good.
I have already been doing pistol squats (1 leg squats) fairly regularly and will continue doing them. I think pistol squats might be the single best exercise out there for improving your vertical as well as preventing injuries. When I finish this round of training, I am considering going to an extremely simple routine that would heavily focus on pistol squats and other mostly bodyweight exercises and plyometrics. In about 2 weeks, I will start training with my 13 year old son everyday and so time for my own personal training will be very limited. I'm actually excited about it because I think I can still make some really nice gains while actually training less. More details on that later. My son and I will also be making videos to track his progress and so that will also be fun.
Speaking of my son's training, he's at a camp this week with Micah Lancaster, who is one of the top basketball trainers out there. So wish I had access to this caliber of training growing up. Things have changed so much. When I was growing up, many coaches and trainers discouraged basketball players from lifting weights. "It will mess up your shot!" This partly explains why I weighed in at a hefty 140 lbs as a 5'11" senior.
If you don't strength train now, you simply won't be able to compete in today's game. The level of strength and athleticism is just unreal. A few weeks ago, my son played in a basketball tournament that featured some of the best 6th, 7th, and 8th grade basketball teams in the country. I'm not kidding when I tell you there were 7th grade teams that looked like high school varsity teams in skill, strength, size, athletic ability, and talent. They even had a dunk contest. Absolutely blew my mind. Doubt I could even touch the net when I was in 7th grade! Last year's dunk contest at this same tourney might have been even better.
Going to finish this last week really strong! Eating right, stretching, and getting after it for all my workouts. I'm planning to get a dunk video posted this week and then a video next week hopefully featuring a two hand dunk!
Happy "Spring"!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Jump Manual - 41 years old - Week 10 Results
Week 10 of Jump Manual training was kind of mediocre.
So, here's where I make excuses....
My brother and his wife and kids came to town (which was awesome) to ski and hang out. As a result, my wife made a plethora (jefe...do you know what a plethora is?) of yummy food which I ate way too much of. There was also extra junk food around the house since we had guests and my will power just sucks. The day they arrived my weight was the lowest it had been in a while (175 lbs) and when they left it was back up to 178 lbs. I also missed a workout and didn't stretch very much. Dang!
On the positive side, my brother's wife is an athletic trainer and so we talked at length about vertical jump training, strength training, etc. She really knows her stuff and gave me some great advice. She is a big believer in doing exercises that as closely mirror the athletic movement as possible. So for example, she said I should be doing more 1 leg exercises as you do a lot of jumping off 1 leg in basketball. She also suggested doing squats, lunges, etc with your feet in the same placement as when you jump (which would actually be somewhat of a staggered stance at least for me when I jump off 2 feet). So I will be trying to incorporate some of her suggestions and am curious to see how they impact my results.
No video this week. Sorry about that. Will make sure I get one next week.
Only 2 weeks left!!!
So, here's where I make excuses....
My brother and his wife and kids came to town (which was awesome) to ski and hang out. As a result, my wife made a plethora (jefe...do you know what a plethora is?) of yummy food which I ate way too much of. There was also extra junk food around the house since we had guests and my will power just sucks. The day they arrived my weight was the lowest it had been in a while (175 lbs) and when they left it was back up to 178 lbs. I also missed a workout and didn't stretch very much. Dang!
On the positive side, my brother's wife is an athletic trainer and so we talked at length about vertical jump training, strength training, etc. She really knows her stuff and gave me some great advice. She is a big believer in doing exercises that as closely mirror the athletic movement as possible. So for example, she said I should be doing more 1 leg exercises as you do a lot of jumping off 1 leg in basketball. She also suggested doing squats, lunges, etc with your feet in the same placement as when you jump (which would actually be somewhat of a staggered stance at least for me when I jump off 2 feet). So I will be trying to incorporate some of her suggestions and am curious to see how they impact my results.
No video this week. Sorry about that. Will make sure I get one next week.
Only 2 weeks left!!!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Jump Manual - 41 years old - Week 9 Results
Week 9 training using the Jump Manual was a good week.
I got in all the workouts except for one and that was because I was unusually sore after my Tuesday workout which I changed up a bit this past week. I mentioned in my last post that I was going to start adding in some additional plyometrics and that's probably what the additional soreness was from. So I took Thursday off to recover. I hate missing days as it makes me feel lazy. But, sometimes you just have to rest.
I've continued to modify and tweak my workout during these last 9 weeks and I feel like what I'm doing now is perfect for me. Admittedly, I have a tendency to change things probably a little too much. But, I think this is the right combination of strength, plyo, core, upper body, etc. It pushes me hard, doesn't take too long, and is giving me results.
To be honest, I was feeling a little discouraged (my wife would say I was "very grumpy") last week as I was expecting to see some nice progress after having a week off but didn't see any gains. However, that all changed this morning! I was in the basketball gym at Gold's doing my depth jumps (I prefer to do them with the basketball rim so I have a target and can tell how well I'm jumping) and some guys came over and asked me to play 3 on 3. It drives me nuts when guys ask me to play hoops at Gold's because I have no willpower to say no! And, I need to workout!
So of course, I said okay and we started playing. We played a very low key game where no one played defense or tried very hard (at least I didn't). After the game, they said okay let's switch up the teams and play again. I grabbed the ball and drove in hard to the basket and threw down a pretty nice one hand dunk. I don't think they were expecting that. One of the guys said, "He's on my team!". That made me laugh and feel really good.
Once again, I jumped really well when I wasn't expecting it and didn't have my camera out to capture the moment. I had already done squats and depth jumps and was a little tired and had no intention of playing basketball today. I also had on my old Kobe's that have no traction and wasn't wearing my knee brace either. I'm not very comfortable jumping with all my effort unless I have that on. In spite of those things, I jumped really well today. The modified workout, taking creatine, stretching more, and eating better (I'm now down to 175 lbs) are making a difference.
I'm really excited again and feeling optimistic that reaching my goal of the two hand tomahawk dunk is possible. On the right day, when the adrenaline is pumping, I think I could do it. But, the planets and stars may have to align perfectly.
When is the next full moon?
I got in all the workouts except for one and that was because I was unusually sore after my Tuesday workout which I changed up a bit this past week. I mentioned in my last post that I was going to start adding in some additional plyometrics and that's probably what the additional soreness was from. So I took Thursday off to recover. I hate missing days as it makes me feel lazy. But, sometimes you just have to rest.
I've continued to modify and tweak my workout during these last 9 weeks and I feel like what I'm doing now is perfect for me. Admittedly, I have a tendency to change things probably a little too much. But, I think this is the right combination of strength, plyo, core, upper body, etc. It pushes me hard, doesn't take too long, and is giving me results.
To be honest, I was feeling a little discouraged (my wife would say I was "very grumpy") last week as I was expecting to see some nice progress after having a week off but didn't see any gains. However, that all changed this morning! I was in the basketball gym at Gold's doing my depth jumps (I prefer to do them with the basketball rim so I have a target and can tell how well I'm jumping) and some guys came over and asked me to play 3 on 3. It drives me nuts when guys ask me to play hoops at Gold's because I have no willpower to say no! And, I need to workout!
So of course, I said okay and we started playing. We played a very low key game where no one played defense or tried very hard (at least I didn't). After the game, they said okay let's switch up the teams and play again. I grabbed the ball and drove in hard to the basket and threw down a pretty nice one hand dunk. I don't think they were expecting that. One of the guys said, "He's on my team!". That made me laugh and feel really good.
Once again, I jumped really well when I wasn't expecting it and didn't have my camera out to capture the moment. I had already done squats and depth jumps and was a little tired and had no intention of playing basketball today. I also had on my old Kobe's that have no traction and wasn't wearing my knee brace either. I'm not very comfortable jumping with all my effort unless I have that on. In spite of those things, I jumped really well today. The modified workout, taking creatine, stretching more, and eating better (I'm now down to 175 lbs) are making a difference.
I'm really excited again and feeling optimistic that reaching my goal of the two hand tomahawk dunk is possible. On the right day, when the adrenaline is pumping, I think I could do it. But, the planets and stars may have to align perfectly.
When is the next full moon?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - took another week off
This past week I took a break from my Jump Manual training. It was nice to have some time off and give my body and mind a break.
I'm now headed for the home stretch. My last 4 weeks of this phase of training! And I'm actually coming up on 2 years since I started using the Jump Manual back in April 2011! In fact, my 2 year anniversary is almost exactly one month from today (April 11). It would be so amazing to reach my goal of the two hand tomahawk before then.
So...I'm going to do everything I can this last month to make that dream come true. Here's the plan:
-- Start taking creatine again (started yesterday)
-- Stretch everyday
-- Adding back in some additional plyometrics
-- Shortened workouts that focus on explosiveness
-- Play basketball 1 time per week instead of 2 times per week. Got to spend the time training instead of playing hoops.
-- Eat super healthy. Get as lean as possible without losing strength during these next 4 weeks.
-- Get more sleep. I regularly go to bed at midnight or later and get up at 5:45 am. Not ideal.
And I'm also going to pray! :-)
Hope your training is going well. Wish me luck during these next 4 weeks.
I'm now headed for the home stretch. My last 4 weeks of this phase of training! And I'm actually coming up on 2 years since I started using the Jump Manual back in April 2011! In fact, my 2 year anniversary is almost exactly one month from today (April 11). It would be so amazing to reach my goal of the two hand tomahawk before then.
So...I'm going to do everything I can this last month to make that dream come true. Here's the plan:
-- Start taking creatine again (started yesterday)
-- Stretch everyday
-- Adding back in some additional plyometrics
-- Shortened workouts that focus on explosiveness
-- Play basketball 1 time per week instead of 2 times per week. Got to spend the time training instead of playing hoops.
-- Eat super healthy. Get as lean as possible without losing strength during these next 4 weeks.
-- Get more sleep. I regularly go to bed at midnight or later and get up at 5:45 am. Not ideal.
And I'm also going to pray! :-)
Hope your training is going well. Wish me luck during these next 4 weeks.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Jump Manual - 41 years old - Week 7 results
I'm late posting an update on my progress from this past week from using the Jump Manual! My life has been crazy and just very little free time right now.
I've been off creatine for almost about a month now and have dropped a few pounds. I'm down to 176 lbs from 182 lbs but I have felt a decline in my strength in the last 2 weeks. My bench press has gone down and seems like my squat has too. I think it could be a combination of fatigue and not using creatine. I might take next week off to rest like I did 4 weeks ago. We'll see. But, I am going back on creatine. Whether its mental or not it gives me a big boost in strength that I notice whenever I'm taking it.
I have been trying more dunks lately by throwing lobs to myself. I have never been very good at these. I don't seem to jump as high as I'm not super confident the pass is going to be in the right place so I tend to hold back a bit. I usually jump higher on dribble dunks which is weird since without the full arm swing you actually shouldn't be able to jump quite as high off the dribble.
But, I've been watching my friend Steven Celi throw down some really nice dunks lately off lobs and it's made me want to try them more. Check out one of his latest vids:
This morning I did get one weak dunk off a lob and actually got it on video.
Enjoy!
I've been off creatine for almost about a month now and have dropped a few pounds. I'm down to 176 lbs from 182 lbs but I have felt a decline in my strength in the last 2 weeks. My bench press has gone down and seems like my squat has too. I think it could be a combination of fatigue and not using creatine. I might take next week off to rest like I did 4 weeks ago. We'll see. But, I am going back on creatine. Whether its mental or not it gives me a big boost in strength that I notice whenever I'm taking it.
I have been trying more dunks lately by throwing lobs to myself. I have never been very good at these. I don't seem to jump as high as I'm not super confident the pass is going to be in the right place so I tend to hold back a bit. I usually jump higher on dribble dunks which is weird since without the full arm swing you actually shouldn't be able to jump quite as high off the dribble.
But, I've been watching my friend Steven Celi throw down some really nice dunks lately off lobs and it's made me want to try them more. Check out one of his latest vids:
This morning I did get one weak dunk off a lob and actually got it on video.
Enjoy!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 6 Results
Week 6 of this phase of Jump Manual went pretty well over all.
I did miss my big Saturday workout which sort of bummed me out. We went camping on Friday night and then my son had a basketball game as soon as we got home on Saturday. I then did a 2 hour skill workout with him and the day just got away from me. I wasn't completely lazy though. I did some pushups, situps, and body squats as well as some foam rolling and stretching.
I was really looking forward to basketball this morning as we always have good games on holidays and play for a long time. But, my body actually wasn't feeling that great this morning. I felt sore which made no sense at all. I brought my jump mat to test my no-step vertical like I do each Monday. But, I turned it on and it died. Hopefully its just the batteries and not broken or something.
The good news is instead of doing my no-step vert tests in between games, I made some dunk attempts and got the best dunk I've gotten in a while. Felt so good! Jumping is so unpredictable. I really wasn't feeling that good today and yet I jumped probably higher off the run than I have in a while. My approach felt really strong and fast. I think the extra core work I've been doing this phase of training is helping a lot with my running vertical. Or maybe it was watching the slam dunk contest! Although it was kind of lame. With Gerald Green and James White, it should have been so much better!
Some other good news this week is I got a PR on military press. I really suck at this lift! I finally got 105 lbs for 5 reps. Hopefully I can continue to make improvements there. Strong shoulders are important for the arm swing and helping you jump higher.
Unfortunately, I wasn't filming my dunk attempts as I would love to seen the footage. Will make sure I do that next week. I will leave you with this video which blows my mind. I keep watching it over and over and trying to figure out how in the world this 5'6" high school kid can dunk so easy. He's even dunked a few times in games which is even more insane.
Have a great holiday!
I did miss my big Saturday workout which sort of bummed me out. We went camping on Friday night and then my son had a basketball game as soon as we got home on Saturday. I then did a 2 hour skill workout with him and the day just got away from me. I wasn't completely lazy though. I did some pushups, situps, and body squats as well as some foam rolling and stretching.
I was really looking forward to basketball this morning as we always have good games on holidays and play for a long time. But, my body actually wasn't feeling that great this morning. I felt sore which made no sense at all. I brought my jump mat to test my no-step vertical like I do each Monday. But, I turned it on and it died. Hopefully its just the batteries and not broken or something.
The good news is instead of doing my no-step vert tests in between games, I made some dunk attempts and got the best dunk I've gotten in a while. Felt so good! Jumping is so unpredictable. I really wasn't feeling that good today and yet I jumped probably higher off the run than I have in a while. My approach felt really strong and fast. I think the extra core work I've been doing this phase of training is helping a lot with my running vertical. Or maybe it was watching the slam dunk contest! Although it was kind of lame. With Gerald Green and James White, it should have been so much better!
Some other good news this week is I got a PR on military press. I really suck at this lift! I finally got 105 lbs for 5 reps. Hopefully I can continue to make improvements there. Strong shoulders are important for the arm swing and helping you jump higher.
Unfortunately, I wasn't filming my dunk attempts as I would love to seen the footage. Will make sure I do that next week. I will leave you with this video which blows my mind. I keep watching it over and over and trying to figure out how in the world this 5'6" high school kid can dunk so easy. He's even dunked a few times in games which is even more insane.
Have a great holiday!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 5 Results
Week 5 for this phase of training using the Jump Manual went extremely well!
I'm really glad I took the previous week off to rest. I admit it was hard to resist the temptation to work out and I was worried about losing some of my gains or slowing down progress. And, there's always a chance when you take time off that 1 week turns into 2 weeks and so on. But, I came back super motivated and was able to push hard with my body feeling fresh again.
I got in all my workouts and stretched every day. Also, my flexibility is finally starting to improve again and believe it is due to changing how long I hold each stretch. Previously, I would hold a position for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. This past week, I began holding each stretch for 30 seconds and doing just 1 set. Holding each stretch for 30 seconds has allowed me to push just a little further and as a result my range of motion has improved. I still can't quite get my palms to the floor with straight legs but I'm getting much closer.
Yesterday, I tested my no-step vertical again. My legs were feeling great. I was absolutely convinced I would finally break 31". But, I didn't quite get it. I got 30.8" two times which matches my highest no-step jump on the mat from about 6 months ago. So next week has to be the week I finally break 31"! This is the reason tracking is so important as I'm so motivated to do everything I can this week to make sure I get a PR next week. Eating right. Stretching. Really getting after it on my workouts. If I wasn't tracking, there would not be anywhere near the same level of motivation.
Here's the video showing one of my 30.8" jumps.
I'm planning to start making dunk videos again. Maybe later this week. Stay tuned!
I'm really glad I took the previous week off to rest. I admit it was hard to resist the temptation to work out and I was worried about losing some of my gains or slowing down progress. And, there's always a chance when you take time off that 1 week turns into 2 weeks and so on. But, I came back super motivated and was able to push hard with my body feeling fresh again.
I got in all my workouts and stretched every day. Also, my flexibility is finally starting to improve again and believe it is due to changing how long I hold each stretch. Previously, I would hold a position for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. This past week, I began holding each stretch for 30 seconds and doing just 1 set. Holding each stretch for 30 seconds has allowed me to push just a little further and as a result my range of motion has improved. I still can't quite get my palms to the floor with straight legs but I'm getting much closer.
Yesterday, I tested my no-step vertical again. My legs were feeling great. I was absolutely convinced I would finally break 31". But, I didn't quite get it. I got 30.8" two times which matches my highest no-step jump on the mat from about 6 months ago. So next week has to be the week I finally break 31"! This is the reason tracking is so important as I'm so motivated to do everything I can this week to make sure I get a PR next week. Eating right. Stretching. Really getting after it on my workouts. If I wasn't tracking, there would not be anywhere near the same level of motivation.
Here's the video showing one of my 30.8" jumps.
I'm planning to start making dunk videos again. Maybe later this week. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - took a week off
After 4 weeks of hitting it pretty hard, I decided to take a week off from the Jump Manual. I'm glad I did.
Yesterday, I retested my no-step vertical and was able to match my highest jump of 30.6" (for this phase of training back on week 2) and actually got it 3 times! But, what was more encouraging to me was 6 of the 12 jumps were over 30 inches compared to 4 out of 12 a couple of weeks ago.
Here are the jumps:
Set 1: 29.7, 28.8, 30.6, 30.4, 30.6, 30.6
Set 2: 30.2, 30.1, 29.4, 28.3, 28.4, 28.6
So, I think the extra rest was the right choice. But, I will find out for sure next Monday to see if I can finally break the 31" barrier. I'm feeling pretty good about that.
Here's yesterday's video:
This past Saturday since I wasn't doing my normal workout, I decided to test my max lifts on squats, deadlifts, and bench press to see how much progress I've made.
I did 265 lbs for 2 reps on squats and my right knee started hurting so I decided to stop there although I felt like I could do maybe another 10 lbs. Since my right knee was feeling weird, I opted not to test my dead lift max and instead went right to bench press. I've been wanting to put 2 plates on each side for a very long time and so stoked that I finally got 225 lbs! My all time PR on bench was when I was 29 years old and got 225 lbs x 3 reps. Saturday is the second time in my life I have benched that much weight. And, it shouldn't be long until I beat that.
So after kind of a lazy week, I'm all fired up again and ready to get after it. Let's do this!
Yesterday, I retested my no-step vertical and was able to match my highest jump of 30.6" (for this phase of training back on week 2) and actually got it 3 times! But, what was more encouraging to me was 6 of the 12 jumps were over 30 inches compared to 4 out of 12 a couple of weeks ago.
Here are the jumps:
Set 1: 29.7, 28.8, 30.6, 30.4, 30.6, 30.6
Set 2: 30.2, 30.1, 29.4, 28.3, 28.4, 28.6
So, I think the extra rest was the right choice. But, I will find out for sure next Monday to see if I can finally break the 31" barrier. I'm feeling pretty good about that.
Here's yesterday's video:
This past Saturday since I wasn't doing my normal workout, I decided to test my max lifts on squats, deadlifts, and bench press to see how much progress I've made.
I did 265 lbs for 2 reps on squats and my right knee started hurting so I decided to stop there although I felt like I could do maybe another 10 lbs. Since my right knee was feeling weird, I opted not to test my dead lift max and instead went right to bench press. I've been wanting to put 2 plates on each side for a very long time and so stoked that I finally got 225 lbs! My all time PR on bench was when I was 29 years old and got 225 lbs x 3 reps. Saturday is the second time in my life I have benched that much weight. And, it shouldn't be long until I beat that.
So after kind of a lazy week, I'm all fired up again and ready to get after it. Let's do this!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 4 Results
Week 4 of this phase of training using the Jump Manual was just okay. I missed 1 full workout, part of another workout, and didn't stretch 3 of the 7 days. I definitely felt my motivation slipping and some fatigue setting on.
On Monday, I tested my no-step vertical and my best jump was only 29.6" which is an inch below my best from Week 2. I think it was just a bad day. It also may indicate that I need to get a little extra rest and so I've taken this week off. Several trainers recommend doing 4 weeks on and then 1 week off and so I decided to take their advice. This week I've played some basketball, done some pushups, and stretching. It has been weird to sleep in and has made me feel lazy. But, hopefully it's just what my body needs.
I will start my training again on Monday and go another 4 weeks really hard and may take another week off. We'll see how it goes. I've modified a few things to my workout and am excited about that. I've been on creatine now for about 6 weeks and will go off it for the next 4 weeks or so. Should be able to get my weight down at least 5 lbs but hopefully can keep the added strength. I'm also going to take a break from Freak Jump Technique for the next 4 weeks and will re-start again in March.
Since my vertical jump results this week were less than stellar, I'll instead share a quick video of me shooting some 3's yesterday. Man I love basketball.
On Monday, I tested my no-step vertical and my best jump was only 29.6" which is an inch below my best from Week 2. I think it was just a bad day. It also may indicate that I need to get a little extra rest and so I've taken this week off. Several trainers recommend doing 4 weeks on and then 1 week off and so I decided to take their advice. This week I've played some basketball, done some pushups, and stretching. It has been weird to sleep in and has made me feel lazy. But, hopefully it's just what my body needs.
I will start my training again on Monday and go another 4 weeks really hard and may take another week off. We'll see how it goes. I've modified a few things to my workout and am excited about that. I've been on creatine now for about 6 weeks and will go off it for the next 4 weeks or so. Should be able to get my weight down at least 5 lbs but hopefully can keep the added strength. I'm also going to take a break from Freak Jump Technique for the next 4 weeks and will re-start again in March.
Since my vertical jump results this week were less than stellar, I'll instead share a quick video of me shooting some 3's yesterday. Man I love basketball.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 3 Results
Week 3 of this phase of my vertical jump training using the Jump Manual went pretty well. But, not as well as last week.
Each Monday I test my no-step vertical by performing 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps. Today, my best was 30.5" which is .1 less than my best no-step jump last week. Out of the 12 jumps, 7 were over 29 inches (compared to 9 out of 12 last week). And, I had 3 jumps over 30" compared to 4 jumps last week. So my results were very similar to last week -- but down just a bit.
Of course I was hoping to break 31" which should be a new PR. So, I'm just going to have to really get after it and make sure I do that next week!
In trying to understand why I didn't have any gains this week, there are several possible explanations. First, I missed part of one of my workouts (core exercises) and I was too lazy to stretch 3 of the 7 days. Rest may have been a factor due to playing a little more basketball than I usually do and not getting as much sleep. Our 5 year old son was down with the flu this whole week and if you are a parent then you know what that does for getting sleep.
But, the reality is gains take time...so I have to be patient. If I stay consistent, I know this is going to pay off!
Here's my video from today showing my best jump of 30.5". Thanks for reading & watching!
Each Monday I test my no-step vertical by performing 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps. Today, my best was 30.5" which is .1 less than my best no-step jump last week. Out of the 12 jumps, 7 were over 29 inches (compared to 9 out of 12 last week). And, I had 3 jumps over 30" compared to 4 jumps last week. So my results were very similar to last week -- but down just a bit.
Of course I was hoping to break 31" which should be a new PR. So, I'm just going to have to really get after it and make sure I do that next week!
In trying to understand why I didn't have any gains this week, there are several possible explanations. First, I missed part of one of my workouts (core exercises) and I was too lazy to stretch 3 of the 7 days. Rest may have been a factor due to playing a little more basketball than I usually do and not getting as much sleep. Our 5 year old son was down with the flu this whole week and if you are a parent then you know what that does for getting sleep.
But, the reality is gains take time...so I have to be patient. If I stay consistent, I know this is going to pay off!
Here's my video from today showing my best jump of 30.5". Thanks for reading & watching!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 2 Results
I had another awesome week of training using the Jump Manual! I got in every single workout (including Freak Jump Technique) and stretched everyday.
Every Monday, I'm doing the "off-day exercises" which among other things include performing 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps. Last week, 5 of my 12 jumps were over 29" with my best jump being 29.7". Yesterday, 9 out of the 12 jumps were over 29" and I had 4 jumps over 30" with my best jump being 30.6". Almost a full inch increase! Now to be fair, I'm still working my way back to where I was so these are not "true gains". But, good news nonetheless. The best jump I've done on the mat is 30.8" about 6 months ago and I expect to beat that next week. I'm pretty confident anything over 31" would be a PR even if you go back to my younger days as my no-step vert has never been that good.
Anyways, here is a short video showing a couple of my jumps. Notice my friend in the background mocking me on the second jump. Lol!
In other good news, I got 210 lbs for 3 reps on bench press. My all time best is 225 lbs for 3 reps when I was 29 years old. I'm on track to beat that fairly soon.
Very excited! Progress feels good!
Every Monday, I'm doing the "off-day exercises" which among other things include performing 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps. Last week, 5 of my 12 jumps were over 29" with my best jump being 29.7". Yesterday, 9 out of the 12 jumps were over 29" and I had 4 jumps over 30" with my best jump being 30.6". Almost a full inch increase! Now to be fair, I'm still working my way back to where I was so these are not "true gains". But, good news nonetheless. The best jump I've done on the mat is 30.8" about 6 months ago and I expect to beat that next week. I'm pretty confident anything over 31" would be a PR even if you go back to my younger days as my no-step vert has never been that good.
Anyways, here is a short video showing a couple of my jumps. Notice my friend in the background mocking me on the second jump. Lol!
In other good news, I got 210 lbs for 3 reps on bench press. My all time best is 225 lbs for 3 reps when I was 29 years old. I'm on track to beat that fairly soon.
Very excited! Progress feels good!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Jump Manual 2013 - Week 1 Results
I finished my first week of Jump Manual training for 2013 and am pleased to say it was a great week. I got in all my workouts including Freak Jump Technique and I even stretched everyday!
My diet on the other hand was not so great! With New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and my wife's birthday -- I just didn't have the will power to pass up all the stuff that tastes so good and yet is so bad for you.
I played hoops this morning and my body felt pretty dang good. And since today is my birthday (41 years young), that made me feel pretty good! I brought my vertical jump mat which makes it so convenient to test my vertical.
Last Monday, I did 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps and my best was 29.2". Only 2 out of the 12 jumps were over 29 inches.
Today, I did 2 sets of 6 no-step jumps and my best was 29.7". So 1/2" better. I'll take it. And, 5 of the 12 were over 29 inches so nice improvement there. Here's the video:
About 6 months ago, my best no-step jump on the mat was 30.8". I am absolutely certain I will pass that very soon. I want a 33" no-step vert by the end of this 12 week phase. That would get me to 39-40" on my running jump which would be amazing and would mean tomahawk dunks all day long.
Well, my birthday is almost over and at this age, I could definitely use my beauty sleep! Plus, I'm getting up at 5:15 am for my workout.
About 6 months ago, my best no-step jump on the mat was 30.8". I am absolutely certain I will pass that very soon. I want a 33" no-step vert by the end of this 12 week phase. That would get me to 39-40" on my running jump which would be amazing and would mean tomahawk dunks all day long.
Well, my birthday is almost over and at this age, I could definitely use my beauty sleep! Plus, I'm getting up at 5:15 am for my workout.
Thanks for reading! Hope you have great success reaching your goals this year!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Jump Manual training for 2013
I have been using the Jump Manual on and off now for about 18 months. I got some pretty nice gains during my first 12 weeks of training. But, increasing my vertical since then has not been as easy.
In preparation for the new year, I have been going through my old tracking sheets, blog posts, YouTube videos, etc. to try and determine what has given me the best results and what hasn't. I've also been getting some coaching from Jacob Hiller (creator of the Jump Manual). He has provided some great insights and suggestions on how to improve which I'm very excited about.
The bottom line is...I'm not ready to give up the pursuit of the two hand tomahawk dunk. I know it's possible. So, how am I going to reach this goal?
1. Start Jump Manual again (I started this morning - Dec 31st). Going for 12 weeks and will finish this round of training on Saturday, March 23
2. Post a progress video every week (will post every Monday, starting next week). These provide extra motivation and help ensure I'm really pushing myself and getting all the workouts in.
3. Do Freak Jump Technique again. I only did this program for about 4 weeks back in 2011. But, in looking back at my old videos and blog posts, I got some of my best dunks during this period of time. Coincidence? I don't think so. Time to work on my technique again! I started it this morning.
4. Stretch every day. My flexibility has improved dramatically from when I first started training (couldn't touch my toes back then) but still needs to improve. Want to be able to get my palms flat on the floor.
5. Get to 7% bodyfat or less by March 23. I have been eating so bad during these last 2 weeks and the scale proves it. This morning I weighed 182 lbs and my waist was 35.5"! Ouch!
6. Get stronger! PR's to reach by March 23
Squat 1RM: 300 lbs (current max is approx 260 lbs going a little past parallel with good form)
Deadlift 1RM: 340 lbs (current max is approx 300 lbs)
Bench Press 1RM: 245 lbs (current max is 215 lbs)
So, here goes another 12 weeks of training. Going to really get after it. Hope you will follow along!
Happy New Year!
In preparation for the new year, I have been going through my old tracking sheets, blog posts, YouTube videos, etc. to try and determine what has given me the best results and what hasn't. I've also been getting some coaching from Jacob Hiller (creator of the Jump Manual). He has provided some great insights and suggestions on how to improve which I'm very excited about.
The bottom line is...I'm not ready to give up the pursuit of the two hand tomahawk dunk. I know it's possible. So, how am I going to reach this goal?
1. Start Jump Manual again (I started this morning - Dec 31st). Going for 12 weeks and will finish this round of training on Saturday, March 23
2. Post a progress video every week (will post every Monday, starting next week). These provide extra motivation and help ensure I'm really pushing myself and getting all the workouts in.
3. Do Freak Jump Technique again. I only did this program for about 4 weeks back in 2011. But, in looking back at my old videos and blog posts, I got some of my best dunks during this period of time. Coincidence? I don't think so. Time to work on my technique again! I started it this morning.
4. Stretch every day. My flexibility has improved dramatically from when I first started training (couldn't touch my toes back then) but still needs to improve. Want to be able to get my palms flat on the floor.
5. Get to 7% bodyfat or less by March 23. I have been eating so bad during these last 2 weeks and the scale proves it. This morning I weighed 182 lbs and my waist was 35.5"! Ouch!
6. Get stronger! PR's to reach by March 23
Squat 1RM: 300 lbs (current max is approx 260 lbs going a little past parallel with good form)
Deadlift 1RM: 340 lbs (current max is approx 300 lbs)
Bench Press 1RM: 245 lbs (current max is 215 lbs)
So, here goes another 12 weeks of training. Going to really get after it. Hope you will follow along!
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
PR's on lifts coming soon!
I'm continuing to really focus on strength and making some good progress. This morning I benched 195 lbs for 5 reps. I plan to beat my PR (225 lbs for 3 reps) by end of January.
For squats, I did 240 lbs for 5 reps this morning and should beat my PR (275 lbs) also by end of January. In addition, I'm now squatting to a little below parallel and certainly didn't get to parallel on what I've been calling my squat PR. Here's the video that proves it:
Of course, the real key is to translate this additional strength into jumping higher. I'm going to start adding plyometric and jumping technique back into my training soon and am confident this will allow me to utilize this additional strength and as a result pick up some inches.
Happy Holidays! May all your jumping dreams come true!
For squats, I did 240 lbs for 5 reps this morning and should beat my PR (275 lbs) also by end of January. In addition, I'm now squatting to a little below parallel and certainly didn't get to parallel on what I've been calling my squat PR. Here's the video that proves it:
Of course, the real key is to translate this additional strength into jumping higher. I'm going to start adding plyometric and jumping technique back into my training soon and am confident this will allow me to utilize this additional strength and as a result pick up some inches.
Happy Holidays! May all your jumping dreams come true!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Getting stronger...and fatter!
If you have read my last few posts, you know that I've modified my training a bit to focus on getting stronger. The good news is it's working! On Saturday, I benched 190 lbs 3 times. The last time I maxed out on bench, I barely got up 185 lbs so things are moving in the right direction. I am also making gains on squats and deadlifts. I should hit new PR's on those lifts in the next few weeks.
The bad news is that I'm gaining weight! And, I'm sure its not all muscle! :-) This morning I weighed 180 lbs which is the most I have weighed in quite a while. I haven't been eating as healthy and I've also reduced the plyometrics I was doing which means I've been burning fewer calories. I'm taking creatine and that always results in some weight gain too.
So, I got to keep getting stronger but must keep my bodyfat % under control. In fact, I need to drop it. This time of year is not easy (for someone like me who loves junk food) to have self control. But, I will make myself do it. Right after I eat this donut...
Train Hard!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Tomahawk before Thanksgiving - Weeks 8-9
If you read my last post from a few weeks ago, you may recall I went to Europe for a week. It was an awesome trip! But, derailed me a bit on my vertical training with the Jump Manual and on updating my blog. Since I returned from my trip, I've lacked motivation, strength, and energy and I missed several workouts. I'm ready to change that!
This morning I had a great workout and am confident this week is going to be a good one. I also started taking creatine again after being off of it for several months. I'm anxious to see how it impacts my results this time.
The next several weeks my focus is going to be on getting stronger. I think my strength is a bigger weakness compared to my "springyness" although I'd like to improve that too. My goal is to get my squat over 300 lbs and my deadlift to 325 lbs and get my bodyfat under 10%. When I do that, I should be dunking 2 hands easily!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tomahawk before Thanksgiving - Week 7
Week 7 of this phase of vertical jump training using the Jump Manual was another great week. That's 3 weeks in a row of really getting after it.
This week is going to be tough. I actually left for Europe on Sunday and will be traveling to France, Germany, and the UK. Long days and jet lag doesn't bode well for working out. I'm not planning to do much other than maybe some pushups and 1 leg squats in my hotel room. Taking a week off will actually be kind of nice. Give my body a break and get going again next week.
Will start posting videos again hopefully next week. Until then...au revoir and lebewohl!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)