I’ve been answering questions in the PRIVATE VIP group we have set up for ALL Freak Athletics Product Owners and I must say I LOVE IT!
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This group is the most unbelievable tool for athletic improvement, AND it’s 100% Free for our customers!
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This VIP group gives you access to the top vertical jump, speed, strength, nutrition, and basketball trainers online today! ALL proven coaches, who log in every single day to make you better!
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I have however, noticed an alarming trend in there…So many basketball and vertical jump athletes are afraid to get stronger or lift real weights!
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I can’t tell you how many guys are telling me “Oh, I just want to be explosive” or “I don’t need to be strong, as long as I’m quick and explosive.”
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Now I agree, basketball players and vertical jumpers don’t need the muscularity of an NFL linebacker or a bodybuilder, but where the hell do you think that quickness and explosiveness comes from??
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Your bones? Tendons? Ligaments?
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NO. NO. And NO!
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It comes from being strong and having the ability to express that strength RAPIDLY! Only MUSCLES can do that!
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40″ is a popular goal for athletes looking to obtain a jaw-dropping vertical. Let’s look at the power that must be expressed by a 170 pound athlete to hit 40″. For easy math, I will use 36″ since that gives us a nice round 3ft for the equation below.
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Power (ft-lb/sec) = 4 x weight (lb) x jump height (ft)
Power (ft-lb/sec) = 4 x (170lbs) x 3ft
Power = 2040 ft-lb/sec
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So if you weigh 170 pounds and want to jump 36″ off the ground, you must produce 2040 foot-pounds per second of force at takeoff.
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If you look closely at the equation above, Power (P) is a function of Force/time. That means there are 2 ways to increase Power output:
- Increase Force Production
- Decrease the time it takes to produce that force
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If you haven’t figured this out by now, GETTING STRONGER is how you increase force production! Plyos and other speed training help the second aspect – they can help you limit ground contact time and produce force more rapidly, leading to better athletic performance.
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Still think all you need are thousands of plyos?
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Like I said above, basketball players and vertical jumpers don’t need tons of muscle mass. But they can’t be weak either. If you’re an athlete who cares about your vertical, you need to develop a certain foundation strength level in order to see the performance you want. You don’t have to fall in love with the iron game the way bodybuilders have, but you damn sure better respect it and understand it’s importance to your sport.
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My favorite “vertical jump strength movements”
- Deadlifts (includes all variations)
- Olympics lifts and variations (cleans, snatches, high pulls, etc)
- Squats
- Barbell Hip Thrusts/Glute Bridges
- Step -Ups
- Glute-Ham Raises
- Reverse Hypers
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So there you have it jumpers –Shut Up. Lift. Get Strong. Dominate!
