Jump Manual at 40 years old - Week 10 Results

Week 10 of my vertical jump training using the Jump Manual started out great. But, then I went out of town for 3 days to go camping and didn't workout at all! I was fully planning to do the off-day exercises on Wednesday & Friday and my core & upper body workout on Thursday (like I normally do each week) as these are workouts that can be done just about anywhere. But, I didn't do it.

On the bright side, the strength & explosion workout (squats, deadlifts, cleans, etc.) that I do each Saturday did go well. I was able to increase the weights on squats and knee drives. What seemed crazy though is the workout seemed so much harder than it did the week before. Probably because I hadn't done anything for the last 3 days!  Also, not getting much sleep or eating well on my camping trip didn't help. About 1/3 of the way through the workout, I seriously considered calling it a day. So glad I didn't! This week is also going to be tough as I'm out of town for 4 days. Got to do better.

This morning I decided to play basketball since I hadn't played in like 10 days and was really missing it. I felt a little sore from Saturday's workout but not too bad. I did some depth jumps in between games and was able to beat my previous best of 29.1" (shown in my Week 8 video) with 30.8". However, I was jumping off an 18" chair as compared to a 12" step in my last test. So that probably explains some of the increase as I should be able to jump higher off the chair than the step.

Here's the video from today:

Happy Dunking in 2012!

Hard to believe but 2012 is already here! And that means my 40th birthday is just a few days away (Sat, Jan 7th). The last couple of weeks have gone really well with my vertical jump training. The holidays have been awesome spending time with my family and also having some extra time to train and make sure I get all my workouts in.

I mentioned in my last post that Jacob Hiller (creator of Jump Manual) helped customize a new workout for me. I LOVE IT. On Saturday, he had me add another new exercise and I'm SUPER EXCITED about it. The gains have slowed down for me these last couple of months and I really believe this new workout and especially this new exercise is going to help me get a few more inches on my vert. I will tell you more about it in a future post so make sure to come back and visit!

I played hoops this morning. Jumping felt so easy almost like I didn't even have to try. It might have been the highest I've jumped off two feet since I started my training back in April so felt really good.

I will upload a video on Friday or Saturday for sure showing where I'm at in my pursuit of the two hand tomahawk dunk. That's all I want for my birthday this year! :-)

Thanks for reading and check back this weekend for hopefully good news!

Want to jump higher? Do this...

There are two things I'm doing as part of my vertical jump training that I think have made a HUGE difference in my results so far. When I tell you what they are, you might be surprised. As they have nothing to do with plyometrics, weights, or nutrition!

The two things I'm talking about are my blog and my YouTube videos. How much difference have they made? It's impossible to say for sure but I don't think you can overestimate their impact. The reason I say this is when it comes to achieving a goal, it comes down to desire. How bad do you really want it? How hard are you willing to work to get it? Most people are just talk. They want to dunk but they workout a couple of times and give up. If you don't put in the work, you don't get the results. It's that simple.

So without this blog and my YouTube videos, I don't think I would have come this far. I think the motivation would have run out a while ago. I also don't think I would have come this far without the encouragement, compliments, and even new friends I've made as a result of pursuing this dream. I've had a few "haters" of course and although they can be annoying they have motivated me too.

I can think of several times when I wanted to skip a workout or not do another set or sleep in. And I would think about this blog and wanting to show some progress in my next video and it would give me that extra motivation I needed in that moment to keep going. And, that's what it takes.

So if you are reading this and want to dunk or achieve some other goal, my challenge to you is to tell the world and hold yourself accountable. Make videos and create a blog. You will have fun and it will help keep you motivated.

Thanks to everyone who is reading this and especially to those who have posted words of encouragement here or on my YouTube videos. I really appreciate the support.

Good luck!

One More Game!

Here is the video I promised to post that shows how I dunked to get one of the guys I play hoops with to stay one more game.

There are so many benefits to being able to dunk! :-)

Operation Tomahawk - Week 3 Recap

Week 3 of Operation Tomahawk is complete!

It wasn't the best week of training. I skipped one of my workouts and only got about 1/2 of another workout done. I also didn't stretch everyday. Sometimes things don't go perfectly. It often seems like there is just not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. But, you just do the best you can and keep going.

I did play basketball yesterday and filmed a little in between games but I wasn't jumping that well. My back has been bothering me a little bit and just one of those days where you just don't jump as high and can't quite explain why. Sometimes it just happens that way.

So, I don't have a new video that I feel is worth posting this week. Instead, I'd like to share a video I sent to Jacob Hiller (creator of Jump Manual) that he posted on his YouTube account that compares my before and after results using the Jump Manual. In less than a week it already has over 1,000 views and some nice comments which is pretty cool!

 I will definitely post a new video next week! Thanks for reading and watching!

Operation Tomahawk - Week 1 Recap

I had an AWESOME first week of "Operation Tomahawk" which is my 12 week plan to be able to do a two-hand tomahawk dunk before I turn 40 in January.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I completed 12 weeks of  Jump Manual training back in July and reached my goal to be able to dunk. While that was pretty cool, it left me wanting more.

After taking a few weeks off, I restarted the Jump Manual in combination with Freak Jump Technique and got about 3 weeks into it and unfortunately lost my motivation and started missing most of my workouts and eating really bad. But, that is over. I'm totally focused again and will do what it takes to reach my goal to dunk like this (okay...that might be a stretch but I'll do my best!).

So this past week, I got in all my workouts. I ate pretty much perfectly. Stretched everyday except one I believe. I did play basketball twice instead of once. So hard for me to skip morning hoops! My intention is to only play once a week to help my body have a little more recovery time. It was a great first week and can already feel a difference. It reinforced to me how important your diet is and how much better you feel when you're eating right.

I'm thinking about filming some of my workouts to show some of the exercises I'm doing. If you think that would be beneficial, post some comments below. If I get quite a few people saying they are interested, I may take the time and effort to put something together. We'll see.

This morning I played hoops and didn't play that well but I had a pretty good dunk so I still came home in a good mood.

Thanks for watching and reading!

Motivation...where have you gone?

I really thought I was back in the groove with my jump manual training, but I'm not there yet. The last few weeks have been tough.

My 40th birthday is now almost exactly 3 months away and will be here before I know it. I think I may actually start over again on Monday and do the full 12 weeks again leading right up to my birthday. I think it might help me stay on track.

Can't decide what to do about the Freak Jump Technique program. I do like it and think it helps but I feel like maybe trying to do both at the same time is just a little too much for me and all I have going on. The older I get, the more I realize that there isn't enough time to do all the things I want to do and so you have to prioritize.

Here is my latest video. I almost didn't post it as I am pretty disappointed with what I have to show for the last couple of weeks. Missed workouts = missed dunks. Not good.

Thanks for reading and watching.

2 weeks of laziness

Since completing my first week of Round 2 of Jump Manual training combined with Freak Jump Technique, I have been VERY lazy. It started when I went out of town for 5 days. For me, traveling is training kryptonite!

Sometimes a little break is good for your body and your mind but you also have to be careful about that just being an excuse to be lazy. These last 2 weeks were more of the lazy kind than needing a break to recover. I had already taken time off recently after I finished 12 weeks of Jump Manual training.

It was much easier to stay motivated when I was younger and had fewer responsibilities. Being married, 3 kids, busy career, family life, etc. makes it pretty easy to say, "I'll workout tomorrow."

Enough of this lazy crap!

Labor day is on Monday and is the perfect day to "get back to work"!

What kinds of things help you stay motivated?

A dunk is a dunk...right?

After 10 weeks of Jump Manual training, today is a very good day! I got a few dunks!

These can barely be considered dunks but I'll take it! I'm so excited about my results so far.  But, not even close to being done. Still have 2 weeks of the program left and I won't stop there.

I've had a number of people tell me during the last several weeks that there is no way a 39 year old, 5 foot 11, white guy is gonna dunk. Can I tell you how good it feels to prove them wrong?

To anyone out there who is working to improve their vertical or achieve some other goal (especially something people say isn't possible), don't give up! Keep going for it!

Thanks for reading and watching!

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!

Jump Manual - after 9 weeks of training

I was so sure today was going to be the "big" day. And by big day, I mean the day that I would dunk since starting the Jump Manual program around 9 weeks ago.

Here's why...

Last week I dunked 3 times on a 9'10" rim and yesterday I set some personal bests in my plyometric workout in terms of how high I was jumping on depth jumps and a couple of my standing vertical jumps. I went to bed at a decent time (which I rarely do), ate perfect, and so on. I even watched a ton of dunk videos in case they would somehow give me more hops!

But, to no avail...I must admit I'm a little disappointed or maybe I'm just getting worn down and tired after all this training. It's not easy. Thinking about taking a few days off to let my body rest. But, probably won't knowing me.

At any rate, I'm really hoping this Monday, July 4th will be the big day. That will make for the perfect holiday!

Here is a short video that shows my best dunk attempt from this morning. Thanks for reading and watching.

Some common Jump Manual questions...

I've been posting a video on YouTube each week to track my progress during my Jump Manual training. And, I've been getting quite a few comments and questions which has been pretty fun. Some of the same questions keep coming up so thought I would do a blog post answering those questions.

Q. Do you need a gym or weightroom to do the Jump Manual?
A. This is probably the question I get asked the most. You don't have to join a gym or have access to a weightroom in order to do the Jump Manual. However, it would make things easier and your results may come faster. One of the workouts you do each week called the "strength and explosion workout" includes squats, deadlifts, lunges, cleans, etc. So having access to a weightroom is ideal. If you are serious about improving your vertical, you must get stronger and lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to do that. So if at all possible, figure out a way to get into a weightroom at least once a week. There are so many places (schools, community centers, rec centers, local gym, etc.). If for some reason this isn't possible, don't let that stop you! You can do alternative exercises the Jump Manual recommends in place of lifting weights such as single leg squats.

Q. What equipment do you need to do the Jump Manual?
A. I do all my workouts at home with minimal equipment except for the "strength and explosion" workout (squats, deadlifts, etc.) which I do at Gold's Gym. For the other 5 workouts that I do at home, I use the following equipment:

- 10 lb medicine ball (highly recommend getting one of these)
- Speed jump rope
- 10 lb dumbbells
- pull-up bar

I also highly recommend getting a foam roller. I use mine everyday and it has been a huge help for getting properly warmed up before a workout and to speed up recovery following a workout.

Q. How many days per week do you workout with the Jump Manual?
A. The Jump Manual is 6 days per week. I take Sundays off.

The workouts include 2 days of core & upper body work, 1 day of plyometrics, 1 day of strength training, and 2 days of CNS (central nervous system) training.

Q. Will you send me the Jump Manual for free?
A. No, sorry. I won't and couldn't even if I wanted to. The Jump Manual is an eBook you download to your computer and is password protected. So there isn't a way to email it to someone. To some people, spending $67 may seem like too much for something like this. For me personally, the investment in the Jump Manual has been perhaps the best $67 I've ever spent. Being able to dunk at my age (39) and height (5'11") is a dream come true and you can do it too if you put in the work.

Bottom line - don't let money be an excuse to not improve as an athlete. If you really want to get better, figure out a way. If you don't have the money to buy a vertical jump program, search the internet or talk to your coach or someone you know who can jump really high. There are tons of free videos, websites, forums, and articles easily found online if you will spend a few minutes searching.

Q. Is the Jump Manual a book that is shipped to you?
A. The Jump Manual is an eBook you download to your computer. I believe it is around 60 pages. You can download it immediately after purchasing it. I printed the entire thing and put in a 3 ring binder and take with me whenever I workout. Some exercises (like squats), I had done before. But, there are several others that were new to me and having the printed version has been really helpful. Even after doing the Jump Manual for quite some time, I still refer to it often.

Q. How much time do the Jump Manual workouts take?
A. I would estimate the total amount of time I spend during the week doing the Jump Manual workouts would be about 5 hours spread across the 6 days of training. I really like the workouts. I remember trying to do the Strength Shoe workout in high school and quitting after 2 weeks because I felt like it took too much time. I really wish the Jump Manual had been around in those days! 

Also, one of the things I really like about the Jump Manual is there are really only 2 workouts that I consider hard and that take more than 30 minutes. The other 4 workouts are very short and don't "kill" you. The Jump Manual is really focused on training your explosiveness rather than endurance and so some people are surprised at how "easy" some of the workouts appear to be.

Q. Do you play basketball during the Jump Manual training?

A. Yes, I play hoops 3 times per week (at least). I'm 39 years old but am still a basketball junkie! I think the Jump Manual is going to allow me to play for many more years and still be competitive. I can't imagine a day in the future when I don't play this game.

Q. Were you sore after doing any of the Jump Manual workouts?
A. I was already very active before doing the Jump Manual. I was playing basketball and working out regularly so soreness was not a huge issue for me. The only workout I got sore was the strength and explosion workout. The first few times I did that specific workout I was sore for a few days after. Since about week 3 of the training, I don't recall being sore after any of the workouts. If someone went from being very inactive to doing the Jump Manual, I think they would be crazy sore and would need to take some additional days off for recovery for a while until their body adapted.

Q. How long did it take before you saw results from the Jump Manual?
A. After 2 weeks of Jump Manual training, my running vertical increased 1 inch. My standing vertical didn't increase until 3 weeks of Jump Manual training. Since then the gains have been fairly steady.
 
Q. How many inches have you gained on your vertical from doing the Jump Manual?
A. I have completed 9 of the 12 weeks so I'm not done yet. But, so far my standing vertical has increased 5 to 6 inches and my running vertical has increased 6 to 7 inches. My goal is 10 inches. That would mean I would be able to dunk pretty easily even on a bad day.

Q. Is it true that the Chicago Bulls are thinking about offering you a contract?
A. I can neither confirm nor deny this. Why, did you hear something? I wish! :-)

My mid-life crisis...

Some people who have a mid-life crisis do silly and sometimes even dumb things. Like buying some exotic sports car they can't afford.

My mid-life crisis to most people would probably seem ridiculous. Of course, I"m talking about deciding I have to dunk before I turn 40. I'm now in week 9 of my 12 week training program called the Jump Manual and I can tell you for the last several weeks, that I've been completely obsessed with this goal. Just ask my wife!

When I set my mind on something, I go all out. I suppose that is a good thing as long as I've set my mind on something good!

My goal is to dunk by July 4th which is now just a little over a week away. I dunked 3 times this week on a 9'10" goal so I know that I'm very close.

Hoping for some extra fireworks this Independence Day!

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!

2011 NBA Combine - Who has hops?

The athletic testing results for vertical jump, bench press, agility, etc. from the 2011 NBA combine have finally been released. I've been anxiously waiting to see if Jimmer has a 36 inch vertical as has been reported.

There were 97 players who had their vertical jump tested. But, like in past years only a small percentage of them have over a 40 inch vertical. This year had 5 players in that category. It makes you wonder if getting a 40 inch vertical is simply not realistic for most athletes? Or do these guys focus so much on skill development that they neglect working on their athletic ability?

Jimmer's max vertical came in at 33 inches and his no-step vertical was 28 inches. I'm very close to those numbers right now. But, Jimmer can shoot just a little better than me! Lol. He also benched 185 lbs fourteen times and his lane agility score was 2nd best. Solid results. Will be very interesting to see which team picks him up!

One guy's stats that really caught my attention are Josh Selby from Kansas. This guy has only a 29.5 inch no-step vertical but a 42 inch max vertical! Most guys are only 5 or 6 inches between the two vertical jump tests.

Well...time for me to get back on my Jump Manual training. I was on the road again this week and just couldn't find the motivation to workout. So I've basically taken the last 4 days off. I was feeling pretty fatigued though so think it was the right choice. I've traveled for at least 2 days every week for the last month and it was taking it's toll.

Taking some time off and getting some recovery hopefully sets me up to finish the last 6 weeks of this program strong and injury free. I don't think I will be traveling at all during the last 6 weeks so that should really help.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Half way done!

It's hard to believe but 6 weeks of training has come and gone. I'm half way done with the Jump Manual! But, am I at least half way to dunking?

Yesterday, I made a few dunk attempts on a rim that is 9 foot 10 inches. I got really close on a couple of them. It seemed like I was high enough but was just missing the dunks. So I think I'm just a few inches away from throwing down!

The Jump Manual is definitely working for me. My vertical is increasing and my legs are getting stronger. As I mentioned when I started the program, I have been using a log book to track my leg workouts. I've made some solid progress on several lifts:

Squat: increased 40 lbs
Hang cleans: increased 40 lbs
Calf raises: increased 80 lbs
Dead lifts: increased 40 lbs
Lunges: increased 20 lbs

I will test my vertical again on Monday and post a new video to show where I'm at.

Thanks for reading!

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.