On Wednesday, 17 November 1993 07:17:02 UTC+1, Anthony Chan wrote:

Hi,

Well, I've been weight training for about
four-and-a-half months now. The strength in my legs
has vastly improved; where once I only squatted
225 pounds for 10 reps, I can now squat 300 pounds
for 10 reps. Yet, there is little or no improvement
in my vertical leap, at least as far as I can acertain.
About one-and-a-half years ago, I lifted weights for
the same period of time, and increased my vertical
leap during that time, from 34 to 37 inches. And
at that time, only squated 245 for 10 reps. While
my vertical now is maybe 33-34 inches. So, I'm
much stronger now, but have not gained anything on
my vertical. Although I weigh about 10 pounds more
now than I did then, I can squat 55 pounds more;
which makes no sense. And the weight I gained has
been all muscle. Could anyone explain this? Thanks.

BTW: I'm testing my vertical in the early morning,
around 9:00 or so. Do you jump higher, later in the
day?

-Anthony

I'm sorry for bumping this old thread, found it while searching on Google and I really think I have something to add here.

Basic answer: Train your legs for explosive jumping. Note that explosive jumping, like what you need for dunking a basketball, is not the same as the jumping you’d do for skipping rope, for example.

When it comes to the actual training, there are myriad programs, systems and recommendations out there, so I’ll make my advice general and simple for you.

Practice jumping explosively. Play b-ball and jump for the rim. Box jumps. Hurdles.

Train your legs for explosion in the weight room, with lifts (squat, deadlift, calf raises, etc) that utilize heavy weight that is heavy enough to challenge you but not so heavy that you can’t move it explosively.

Train your upper body for explosion. Dunking is not just in the legs.

You need your arms and core activated as well for it. If you were to jump really high right now without a ball, notice how you use your arms to propel you upward. You can simulate this in training with medicine ball tosses straight up in the air (
probably donthis outside, and watch out for he falling ball!).

Train for speed. In b-ball, you’ll often be running before your dunk attempt; the more speed you can build up, the harder and higher you can explode (thibknof an airplane on a runway, for example). Jumping rope helps train for speed and quickness. You
can do sprints with a speed parachute strapped to your waist (one of my favorites for speed training). Same for a weighted vest. Sprint up inclines like hills, bridges and treadmills in high inclines and stair master machines.

Make your body aerodynamic. In other words, be in shape. Don’t be on the court with a beer gut, wondering why you can’t jump high. Reduce body fat and build lean muscle. Simplest ways: Eat right (use your best judgement at the dinner table), reduce/
eliminate processed food intake (google these if you need help) as much as possible, drink lots of water (not juice and not sports drinks — just water). Make your body look like what you’d call an “explosive athlete”.

Take care of your body otherwise. No alcohol or illicit drugs. Get ample rest (8+ hours sleep daily).

All that should be a good start. For specific programs, see:

- Vert Shock by Adam Folker: vertshockbb.nabillionaire.com

- The Jump Manual by Jacob Hiller: jumpmanualbb.nabillionaire.com

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