Road to 40 inch running vert - Week 11 Results

Last Monday, I was feeling really stiff and sore and had a horrible jumping day. My highest no-step vert that day was a 29.9 which is about 2 inches below my PR. So, on Tuesday I decided to take a rest day. I slept in and skipped the gym. On Tuesday night, I fell asleep checking email at 8:00 pm lying on my bed.

I got up at 6:00 am and headed over to play some hoops. My legs were still a little sore but definitely felt better. After a couple of games, I went for a couple of dunk attempts and was jumping higher than I have in years. I then got the best dunk I've gotten in months and it felt so good. I am almost positive I could have dunked 2 hands that day based on how high I was getting. 

So...my training is working and I'm making gains again. I just wish I got that dunk on video!

I'm hitting it really hard for the next 2 weeks and then I'll be taking 1-2 weeks off which is when I will likely be able to see the full results from my last few months of training. I know I've said this before but I am absolutely sure that I will dunk 2 hands very soon. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and say that it will happen during the next 3 weeks. Before the end of 2013 for sure.

Thanks to all those who are still following this blog and especially those who post comments and ask questions. Hope your having success reaching your goals!

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.

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!

Jump Manual - 41 years old - 12 week results

I have completed another 12 weeks of Jump Manual training!

I was really hoping to have a video of me dunking 2 hands this week but I'm not quite there. But, I am getting closer. I am back to where I was in the Fall of 2011 and might even be jumping a little higher. What's even more encouraging to me is I have seen some gains in the last 2 weeks as I've started focusing more on single leg work and being explosive with lighter weights rather than always lifting super heavy.

I actually think if I rest for a few days (like I was supposed to do this week) that I can get a two hand dunk off a lob or maybe even the dribble. I intended to take it easy this week so that on Thursday I would be fully rested but instead I played basketball six times this week and also worked out 4 times.

Tomorrow, I go out of town until Thursday and so it will be much easier for me to take a bit of a break. The trick will be eating right and stretching. If I do that, I fully expect to get a two hand dunk on Thu or Fri of next week.

Regardless, some really good things happened during this phase of training.

1. Bench pressed 225 lbs for the second time in my life. Started having issues with my right shoulder so I stopped benching. Not sure if I will go back to it or not.

2. Got a new PR for my no-step vertical jump of 31.1 (see video below). My previous best was 30.8. I am going to test again on Thu or Fri of next week and fully expect to get 32" or better after having some actual rest/recovery.

3. Feel like I've figured out some better ways to train. I've become a big believer in single leg exercises and has me feeling really confident in my training.

Below are a couple of videos from this week. Stay tuned for a blog post and hopefully awesome dunk video next week! Also, I will give an update on what I'm doing for my next phase of training...no, I'm not stopping! :-)

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"!

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!!!

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?

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.

Jump Manual - 41 years old - Week 8 Results

My week 8 training using the Jump Manual went alright. I skipped one of the workouts completely and then did only about half of another workout. Definitely started feeling some fatigue and burn out and so I'm definitely going to take this week off and rest up a bit.

My plan is to play hoops 2 times this week and just do the "off-day" jump manual exercises on those days. I'll do some pushups, pullups, and some core stuff and of course stretching and foam rolling. But, I'm going to take a break from lifting (squats, deadlifts, etc.) and plyometrics. Going to eat really strict this week and see if I can lean out just a bit more before I start taking creatine again on Monday. Seems like I gain an instant 5 lbs within a couple of days taking creatine so would like to get down to around 170 lbs so that when I'm on creatine I'm around 175 lbs.

I also sprained my right ankle last week (not horribly bad) but that's another reason to take some time off. I have been doing tons of ice and advil and most of the swelling is gone already. It's my first sprained ankle since I started doing jump manual workouts almost 2 years ago which is really good for me. In the past, I  sprained ankles pretty regularly.

I will upload a new video later this week with some better dunks than that lob from last week.

Thanks for reading!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you have great success reaching your goals this year!

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!

Tomahawk before Thanksgiving - Weeks 10-11

Tomorrow (Thanksgiving) is my most recent deadline to throw down a 2 hand tomahawk dunk!

Now, I definitely believe in thinking positively and believing in yourself! But, the laws of gravity and physics still have to be overcome! And the unfortunate reality is I still have a ways to go to achieve this goal. With that said, I am playing hoops in the morning and will have my camera with me just in case it does become the best Thanksgiving Day ever! :-)

I've been thinking a lot lately about the basics in terms of vertical jump training. To increase your vertical, one or more of the following must happen:

- get stronger
- get more explosive/quick/springy
- improve your technique/form

Of these 3 key ways to improve the vertical jump, I feel I have the most room for improvement with strength.  So, that's where I'm really focusing right now. I have modified my workouts by reducing plyometric work and increasing the frequency of strength training. I also started taking creatine two weeks ago and am noticing a difference. In the last 2 weeks, I've gotten a little bit stronger, my lifts are increasing, and it's only a matter of time until that carries over to my jumping.

I'm going to continue this new routine for the next 10 weeks and have set the following goals:

- Squat: 300 lbs
- Bench: 225 lbs
- Deadlift: 325 lbs
- Bodyweight: 168 lbs
- Bodyfat: 10%

I believe these are the minimum levels of strength I've got to obtain in order to throw down two hand tomahawk dunks. And there are tons of other benefits to getting stronger too. But, dunking is my favorite!

Speaking of dunking, you've got to watch this video of Gerald Green. I've never seen anyone get their head this high above a rim. And, this is at the Pacers practice facility so should be a legit 10 foot rim. Even his teammates are freaking out.

Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

-Andy

Tomahawk before Thanksgiving - Week 1 Recap

After taking a week off to let my body rest, I hit my vert training hard this past week. I got in all my workouts and it felt awesome! In addition, I ate really well and stretched every day. Those are two areas that I haven't done very well in for the last several months. And, they are just too important to be neglected.

I looked back at my bodyfat results from the test I did back in January. To my surprise and horror, I was 18% bodyfat with 31 lbs of fat. I got my bodyfat percentage down to approximately 13% in March but over the last few months I'm probably back up to around 18%. If I'm going to get the two hand tomahawk dunk and win the Nike Elite dunk competition, I've got to get my bodyfat down probably to under 10%. So, I've recommitted myself to being super strict on my diet. I know it will help me jump higher.

Another highlight this week is yesterday I met JWdunk (Jeff) at Gold's Gym. I was doing my final exercise of the strength and explosion workout and saw a guy who looked like he was doing the Jump Manual workout and who looked somewhat familiar. I went and introduced myself and sure enough it was him. It is fun to be part of this community of aspiring dunkers and gravity defiers (is that word?)!

So, I'm off to a great start of another 12 weeks of Jump Manual training which will have me finishing right around Thanksgiving (or until I get the tomahawk). I'm calling this phase of training, "Tomahawk before Thanksgiving"!

After that, basketball season will be about to start and I think I'll just play hoops and enjoy the season. Or, I may actually start Crossfit. Either way, I think it will be time to take a break for a while. But, we'll see. When, I get the tomahawk, I will probably want to windmill! So this may never stop! But, I have several friends who are totally addicted to Crossfit and my 12 year old son has also started and is loving it.

Happy Labor Day! Tomorrow is going to be awesome. Will be playing hoops for like 3 hours!

Jump Manual at 40 years old - Week 12 Results

So another 12 weeks of Jump Manual is complete! Crazy how fast time goes by. I sure wish I was posting a video with some awesome 2 hand dunks but still not quite there. But, as I've said before...I'm not giving up! And, I'm actually more confident than ever that I'm going to get there. Maybe I'm delusional but I don't think so.

I was thinking that one thing that really helped motivate me during my first 12 weeks of training is I had a few "haters" that were telling me I would never be able to dunk at age 39. It made me mad! But, it also drove me. And I worked harder because of it. Honestly, I kind of miss it. Strange but true.

So instead of asking for some haters to provide some additional motivation, I'm wondering if anyone out there reading this blog would like to have a wager of some kind? Like first person to do X (for me it would be dunk 2 hands and for you it could be dunk for the first time or whatever) gets something cool. Doesn't have to be expensive. Maybe its a pair of Nike Elite socks or whatever. I just love to compete and might be fun to have a little extra bet to go along with our training.

Any takers? Come on. It will be fun!

While your thinking about it, I will leave you with one of my favorite new dunk vids. Enjoy!

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: