How to Get a 40" Vertical (Full Blueprint)

John Evans

8 chapters7 takeaways12 key terms5 questions

Overview

This video outlines a comprehensive six-month training blueprint designed to significantly increase an athlete's vertical leap, aiming for a 40-inch jump. The program emphasizes progressive overload, periodization through macrocycles and mesocycles, and individualized training. It details specific training phases, including general preparation, strength building, power development, and speed-focused work, with guidance on set/rep ranges, intensity, and exercise selection. The importance of balancing training with rest and recovery, managing fatigue, and gradually increasing jumping specificity is highlighted to maximize potential while minimizing injury risk.

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Chapters

The speaker is an expert in vertical jump training, having coached athletes to elite vertical leaps.
The core principle is a progressively overloaded, individualized program with variety and adequate rest.
The program is structured into six-month macrocycles, each containing six mesocycles.
Performance is a function of the fatigue and fitness model, requiring careful management of training stress and recovery.

Understanding the foundational principles and the coach's expertise builds confidence in the program's effectiveness and the importance of a structured, long-term approach.

Coaching athletes like Austin Burke, Travis Slade, and Dominic Gonzalez to achieve significant vertical jump improvements.

Focus on building a high volume of work with lower intensity (65-70%) and higher reps (8-12).
Incorporate a deload week in the fourth week to allow for recovery and adaptation.
Prioritize general preparatory exercises that mimic jumping less, such as sumo deadlifts or deep squats, to build a broad base of strength.
Training frequency is typically 3 days per week, including power, squat, and accessory exercises.

This phase lays the essential foundation by increasing work capacity and building general strength, which is crucial for handling the more intense and specific training that follows.

For a two-foot jumper, this might involve sumo deadlifts and unilateral work, while a one-foot jumper might focus on deep squats and full range of motion exercises.

Transition to more specific exercises that begin to mimic jumping movements, with slightly lower reps and higher intensity.
Introduce power exercises like clean pulls and power cleans (around 90% intensity).
Continue with strength work in the 6-8 rep range and specific accessory work to prime the next cycle.
General days include bodybuilding circuits and tempo running to improve body composition and cardiovascular health without excessive fatigue.

This phase bridges the gap between general strength and explosive power by introducing exercises that are more sport-specific, preparing the body for higher intensities.

Using clean pulls and power cleans, with clean pulls at approximately 90% of the athlete's power clean max.

Focus shifts to building absolute strength with very high intensity and lower reps (e.g., 10 sets of 2-3 reps).
Utilize exercises like heavy back squats and clean pulls at percentages exceeding 100% of power cleans to build maximal force production.
Accessory work focuses on eccentric strength (e.g., Nordic hamstring curls, two-up one-down calf raises) to prime the next cycle.
General days incorporate jump circuits (e.g., in sand) and harder tempo runs to add variety and volume.

Developing maximal strength is critical for generating force, and priming eccentric strength prepares the muscles for the explosive movements required in jumping.

Performing clean pulls at 105-110% of an individual's power clean max to enhance first pull strength and force application.

Emphasis on moving the bar quickly, particularly with power cleans, aiming for maximal effort.
Incorporate accentuated eccentric exercises (e.g., safety bar split squats with assistance on the way up) to build eccentric strength.
Begin working with partial ranges of motion and more specific triple extension (hip, knee, ankle) movements.
General days become less intense, focusing on rest, regeneration, and lighter bodyweight circuits to allow recovery.

This phase focuses on converting maximal strength into explosive power and further developing eccentric strength, a key component of jumping ability.

Using a belt squat with added weight on the up-phase for squats, allowing the athlete to lower more than they can lift, targeting accentuated eccentrics.

Focus on 'speed strength' by moving lighter loads very quickly (e.g., 60-70% for power cleans).
Incorporate elastic/plyometric qualities through exercises like high-velocity calf raises and drop RDLs.
Accessory work primes the next cycle by focusing on the stretch-shortening cycle and elastic components.
General days become even more general, serving as active recovery and regeneration to prevent overtraining.

This phase trains the body to apply force rapidly and efficiently, enhancing the elastic properties of muscles and tendons crucial for explosive jumping.

Performing high-velocity calf raises or drop RDLs, focusing on explosive movements after a rapid eccentric phase.

Specificity is at its absolute highest, involving maximal effort jumping and plyometric volume.
Include sprints and high-intensity plyometric drills (PIO) with varied intensity and volume.
Accessory work becomes more general again (e.g., slow RDLs, calf raises) to aid recovery and maintain nervous system sharpness.
The final phase involves tapering, reducing volume by 50% while increasing intensity (max effort jumps, daily maxing on power cleans) to peak performance.

This final phase ensures the athlete is primed for maximal performance by peaking specificity and then reducing training load to allow the body to recover and express its full potential.

A taper might involve decreasing overall training volume by 50% while increasing the frequency and intensity of max effort jumps and power clean max attempts.

Jump sessions should be time-bound (e.g., 40 minutes total).
Gradually shift the balance from low-effort warm-up jumps to high-effort maximal jumps over the mesocycles.
Avoid excessive increases in maximal effort jumping time to prevent overtraining and performance degradation.
The goal is to increase the quality and intensity of jumps without causing excessive fatigue.

Properly managing jump volume and intensity throughout the training year is crucial for maximizing adaptation and preventing burnout or injury.

Starting with 35 minutes of low-effort jumping and 5 minutes of max effort, gradually increasing max effort time while decreasing warm-up time over subsequent mesocycles.

Key takeaways

1A structured, progressive six-month macrocycle is essential for maximizing vertical jump potential.
2Balancing general preparation, strength, power, and speed phases is key to developing a well-rounded athlete.
3Managing fatigue and recovery through deload weeks and appropriate training intensity is as important as the training itself.
4Eccentric strength and the stretch-shortening cycle are critical components for explosive jumping ability.
5Specificity of training should increase gradually, peaking in the final mesocycle before tapering.
6Individualization of the program is necessary to optimize results and prevent injury.
7Consistent effort and trust in the structured process are vital for achieving significant gains.

Key terms

Vertical LeapMacrocycleMesocycleProgressive OverloadFatigue and Fitness ModelGeneral Preparation PhaseSpecific Preparation PhaseAbsolute StrengthEccentric StrengthSpeed StrengthStretch-Shortening CycleTapering

Test your understanding

1What is the purpose of the general preparation phase in a vertical jump macrocycle?
2How does the fatigue and fitness model influence training programming?
3Why is eccentric strength training important for improving vertical jump height?
4What is the difference between strength-speed and speed-strength training, and when are they applied?
5How should jump session volume and intensity be managed across the six mesocycles?