A SECRET TO JUMPING YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT

Take More In to Put More Out
Why the Key to Flying High Resides in Force Absorption

World renowned sports scientist and Soviet jumps coach Yuri Verkhoshansky was one of the first to utilize the concept and that was back in the 60’s in the training of his elite-level athletes. Verkhoshansky examined the jumping mechanics of his highest performing athletes and realized that they all held one thing in common: they spent significantly less time on the ground than athletes of lower levels of jump mastery. Knowing that jumping athletes are required to tolerate extremely high amounts of force when planting for/landing from a jump (anywhere from about 3-8 times their bodyweight) and that if the body doesn’t possess these capabilities, it would never be able to fully optimize the effects from the stretch-shortening cycle, he realized he must devise training exercises which go beyond the traditional concentric-oriented exercises like are often used. Thus, he developed a number of exercise variations (many that are used in the BoingVERT Jump System) that fit under the category of ‘Shock Method’, or commonly known to some as Plyometrics.

SUMMARY IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE READING!

The ability to jump higher often comes down to how much FORCE you can absorb upon landing! Your body won't let you jump higher than your body is able to absorb. If you can absorb more force, then you can eventually jump higher. BoingVERT increases your ability to absorb force upon landing! This will increase your vertical!

4 Quick Steps to Increasing Force Absorption

1. Find your optimal landing position (at BoingVERT we call it ‘Jump Ready’ position).

Your position should include being on the balls of your feet (and majority of your weight balanced on the front two-thirds of your feet) with your ankle dorsiflexed (you should not be on your toes) and with slight flexion at all major joints (hips, knees, ankles, and trunk) involved upon landing. The shoulders, knees, and toes should be in alignment and form straight lines of force down into the ground.

2. Start to focus on landing in that position after jumps in training.

By being in this ‘Jump Ready’ position BEFORE you land and briefly holding it after you land, you will increase the likelihood of being in the proper position for an subsequent and efficient takeoff while also making the movement more optimal (in regards to biomechanical/neuromuscular efficiency) and less likely for injury. The landing should be silent but you are attempting to ‘stick’ the landing and avoid any dampening/buckling at any of the joints at-hand. We advise holding that landing position for 2-5 seconds after you have landed just to get your body accustomed to being there.

3. Take a targeted approach towards increasing force absorption capabilities.

The best way to do this is through the use of Altitude Drops (sometimes called Box Drops). With this exercise you will simply drop off a box and attempt to stick the landing in your ‘Jump Ready’ position. You should start with a height that represents submaximal loads (i.e. heights lower than which you jump to) to really allow yourself to focus on position and eccentric ability (and not dampening!). From there, you can work up to higher heights such as a height that represents your vertical jump as well as up to 10-20% higher than that (i.e. supramaximal loads). The purpose of this exercise is to teach the
body to be able to take in greater degrees of force during eccentric phases of jumping (i.e. force absorption phases) and this will have great carryover to one’s performance. However, it is very taxing on the nervous system so it should be used with caution only after you have completed steps 1 and 2 over a number of weeks. In addition, be careful to not overdo the sets and reps. A lot goes a long way with this type of exercise (NEVER exceed 32-40 repetitions total, 2-3 times/week).

4. Start jumping differently.

Yes, after this, most athletes will begin to notice a drastic difference in the way that they are jumping and moving out on the court, track, and field. Inherently, your body will adapt/compensate to its newfound eccentric force absorption capabilities with reduced ground contact times, greater jumping acceleration, and ultimately the thing that everyone wants…higher jump heights!

Of course, for a more comprehensive plan with ZERO guesswork, the obvious choice would be to pick up the BoingVERT Jump System. One of the main things that truly makes the BoingVERT philosophy different from many other programs out on the market is its emphasis on force absorption in jumping and it’s one of the many reasons why it is THE best program on the market!