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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's this week's video. Enjoy!

Started vert training again - Week 8

Another week in the books!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another year - What's possible?

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

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

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

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

Tue - Deadlifts, chin-ups, and core

Thu - Upper body

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

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

Anyone else try my "secret exercise"? 

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

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

Anyone willing to try my "secret" vertical jump exercise?

2 posts in 1 week! Wow!
I had another pretty good dunking day this morning and wanted to share a new video:



These last 2-3 weeks, I've dunked the most consistently I have since I started vertical jump training 3 years ago. So what is the difference? I guess it's impossible to know for sure...but here are my thoughts.

• I'm training LESS in comparison to what I've been doing up until now. So leads me to believe I may have been over training or like Jacob Hiller likes to say, "under recovering".  I will be the first to admit that it is really HARD for me to do less. I am the guy who will kill himself in the gym and only feel like I got a good workout if I can't walk at the end of it. And, the only reason I cut back on my training was because of limited time. It is not easy to tell when you are over training...I would have told you that I was not over training. So, be very careful about it. 
• The last 2 weeks, I have iced and stretched almost every night for 30-45 minutes. My flexibility has increased and my body just feels better. Flexibility (and recovery) does make a difference.
• About 3 months ago, I started lifting upper body which I had kind of neglected for the most part until recently in terms of my vertical jump training during these last 3 years. My upper body strength has really improved and I'm very close to getting a PR on bench press. I'm also getting pretty close to being able to do a muscle-up on a bar which will be almost as cool as dunking. So why would upper body help my jumping? Arm swing? Or maybe just less fat? Jumping is an overall body strength exercise...so don't neglect or overlook the importance of upper body strength. 
• I also started doing an exercise I used to do back when I was 29 years old and was jumping the highest of my life. I don't know if you can call it a "secret" exercise but I don't know anyone else who does this exercise (the way I do it) and it was something I made up myself. What I can say for sure...is I was doing this exercise when I jumped the highest of my life (age 29) and I started doing it again a couple of months ago and I'm jumping really well right now. Coincidence?

In fact...I'd really like to know if there is something "special" to this exercise. If anyone reading this would be willing to try a new exercise 3 times a week for 3 weeks and share with me their results, I will tell you exactly what it is and how to do it. I'm dying to know if it will help anyone else. The exercise can be done at the end of a workout and will take less than 5 minutes.

If you are willing to try it, send me an email (andy @ kalunaproductions.com) or send me a message on FB (www.facebook.com/andy.nicholson.169). The only thing I ask in return is for you to tell me if it helped you jump higher!

Got some nice dunks today

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

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

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

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

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:

12 weeks of Jump Manual completed!!!

I'm very pleased to say I have successfully completed 12 weeks of Jump Manual training. I'm even more pleased about my results!

Today, I got my first dunks jumping off one foot since starting my training. It was totally unexpected because my left knee gives me problems sometimes. I don't think it will ever be the same after tearing my MCL about 18 months ago. But, today it felt great and just felt so easy to jump.

My 2 foot jump also felt really good until I had the ball in my hands. I wasn't able to get down any dunks jumping off 2 feet today. I have been focusing a lot on my technique for the last week and think it will help in the long run. But, today I felt kind of uncoordinated when trying to dunk off 2 feet. I've had several people comment on my youtube videos that if I improved my technique that I would be dunking really easy. So I'm definitely going to keep working on it.

Now that I've finished 12 weeks of Jump Manual workouts, I'm working with Jacob Hiller (creator of Jump Manual) to take my training to the next level. My new goal is to be able to dunk 2 hands with AUTHORITY. No more of these weak dunks!

Well, here is my latest video. Thanks for reading and watching!

Jump Manual Nutrition

I've had quite a few people asking me about nutrition, supplements, etc as part of my Jump Manual training so thought I'd share what I've been doing in this area.

About a year ago, I was introduced to "green smoothies" and have been hooked on them ever since. I have one nearly every morning for breakfast after my workout. The nutritional value of a green smoothie is off the charts and they make you feel so good. Typical ingredients I use are spinach, cale, protein powder, coconut oil, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and ice. Most people hear "spinach" or "cale" and assume it must be disgusting. It doesn't look pretty (green/brownish), but it tastes great!

I used to take Muscle Milk and several of the other popular protein powders out there but many of them upset my stomach and I'm really trying to stay away from eating anything that has a list of ingredients a mile long. Many of the popular protein powders have a ton of sugar and all kinds of artificial crap that I don't think is good for your body. So I did quite a bit of searching and found 2 protein powders that I like a lot. One is by Sun Warrior which is an all natural protein made with rice. It doesn't taste very good if you just mix it with water or milk but in the green smoothie it's great. I love that this protein literally has 1 ingredient and none of that artificial garbage.

The other protein I just started using a few weeks ago is by Mercola. This one is a whey protein that is all natural and has a bunch of other unique benefits. It also tastes pretty good just mixed with water and ice which is nice for those times when you don't have 10 minutes to make a green smoothie.

Around 10:30 am, I usually have a snack like an apple, almonds, banana, etc. For lunch, I usually go to Subway or some place like that for a sandwich. I also eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. What can I say...they are cheap and taste good to me!

I try to have another healthy snack before dinner (apple, banana, almonds, yogurt, etc.) but I find many days that I don't fit this in. For dinner, my wife often makes something from a cookbook we got several years ago when we did Body for Life called "Eating for Life". There are tons of good recipes in that book.

Also from Body for Life, I take one free day each week (usually Sunday) and eat whatever I want. I love junk food so this is my day to enjoy cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, and whatever else sounds good! The great thing about exercising and eating healthy is you then have freedom to eat some junk food every now and then without fear of gaining weight or causing other problems. It's just not realistic (at least for me) to completely eliminate all unhealthy food. A free day is a great way to maintain balance between eating good food without depriving yourself of things you really enjoy.

One new thing I've been experimenting with is having a protein shake right before bed. I've done this a handful of times and seem to have more energy and get a better workout the next morning. Not sure if it's coincidence or if this is in fact a good thing to do. Stay tuned on that.

I'm also using creatine and definitely can see and feel a difference when I'm taking it. Highly recommend using creatine as part of your training.

So, that's what I'm doing in terms of nutrition. But, what about you? What is working or not working for you?

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!

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!