In order to reach my goal, I had to find a good training program. So, one boring day at work I browsed the Internet searching for the perfect workout program. That's when I stumbled on Vert Shock.
The program promises an increase of 9-15 inches on your vertical jump in only 8 weeks. And to be honest, that sounded a lot like "Lose 20 pounds in 5 days" or “Make millions with no risk,” You see that stuff every day on the internet...
But, the web page looked very professional and made a 60-day, money back guarantee. So, I thought, “What do I have to lose?”
The Vert Shock Review program was created by Adam Folker, a former college basketball player and now a professional basketball player, in cooperation with Justin “Just Fly” Darlington, perhaps the best dunker in the world. If you haven't watched have his mixtapes, make sure to find him. He's incredible! Adam explains everything in high-resolution videos. Warm-up, cool-down, every exercise - everything you need to know.
The exercises do not require any heavy weight lifting, which is great for people without access to a weight room. Strength exercises are all performed with bodyweight or a basketball. The training program itself is available as a PDF and can be downloaded and printed or saved on any PC, mobile phone or tablet. (Side note - full disclosure here, folks. I would have liked some more text explaining the background for the workout. I am a bit of a bookworm and I like to understand the theoretical foundation of workouts. I know this point won't be relevant to most readers, but if you are interested in a deeper knowledge about the mechanics and the training of the vertical jump, I recommend the book Vertical Foundation by Joel Smith.)
During the 8-week training program you will be doing 41!!! workouts in 56 days. These workouts are tailored towards different goals:
Advanced plyometrics: Intense jumping specific exercises with an emphasis on short ground contact-times
Core strength: Planks and different static core strengthening exercises are important to prepare the body for high-impact jumping exercises
Power: Exercises like deep squat jumps increase the strength and power in your lower body which is very important if you want to increase your vertical jump.
The different focal points of the exercises allow different parts of your body enough time to rest between workouts. For example, you will never do two heavy plyometrics workouts on subsequent days.
Before I started the workout I was really worried my knees would not respond well to the training program. I have had knee problems before, and at one time had to stop playing basketball for a while because I could barely climb stairs due to a strange stinging pain in my left knee.
Ironically, after the Vert Shock program, my knees feel better than before! For the first time in my life, I stuck to a stretching routine as part of the cooldown. I noticed I have a crazy shortened left quad. I put some extra work into loosening my quads and that has really made a big difference! I just wish I had known of the positive impact of stretching before - I always thought stretching would decrease my vertical, so I skipped it. (Stupid me!)
Overall, I recommend this program to every basketball player who is determined to increase his/her vertical jump. Not only will you jump higher, but you will also gain a lot of quickness and overall athleticism. Other parts of your game will also improve - rebounding, defense and penetration.
Vert Shock focuses heavily on plyometrics and is, therefore, especially suited for players who have no access to a gym or very little experience with weightlifting. All the equipment you need is either a basketball or a medicine ball. Download Vert Shock here, and you can start working towards your first dunk today!