Vertical Jump Bible (July 2019)

[Fraser_9to5]

I’ve been waiting ages to do this one but due to holidays I haven’t been able to set aside 8 uninterrupted weeks this summer until now. Let’s go!!

Body-weight: 72.5kg
Waist: 82cm / 32″

Flat Foot CMJ ~= 12″ Depth Jump.

This determines the program I’m on, but I know already that strength isn’t my problem. I’ll be doing the Intermediate Full “Balanced” Program. I also squatted 112.5kg earlier in the week, which is 1.5x my body-weight. If I couldn’t do that then any jumps program would have to wait. My BW is 72.5kg but I only had a protein shake for breakfast so I normally sit around 73.5-4kg.

28 July

CMJ – 55cm / 21.6″
Running Vert (5 step) – 60cm / 23.6″

High Object Jumps – 3 x 10
Lunge Jumps – 3 x 10 (per leg)
18″ Depth Jumps – 3 x 5
Squat Jumps – 3 x 12 x 13.5kg
RDL – 3 x 6 x 80kg
A1 Squat – 3 x 6 x 95kg
A2 Modified Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8 (for knee health)

I really enjoyed that. The warm up is thorough as well. Repeat jumps tire me out so my general work capacity needs to rise. Squat jumps were awkward because under 20kg I either need dumbbells or my EZ bar. I chose the latter and it was weird on my back given it’s zigzag bar. There are only two lower body sessions each week and the second one reverses the exercise order, so squats first and high object jumps last, same sets & reps.

When I did Vert Shock in May 2018 my CMJ was also 55cm but my running jump was 57cm so I have a 3cm headstart here. Good to see I haven’t gone a whole year making no progress at all.

My best running jump was 66cm which left me at 292cm, with the rim at 305cm. Note also my waist measurement, in the Vert Bible it gives a table for height, weight and waist measurement for 10% body fat. An additional goal will be to get your waist measurement to this level if it isn’t already, as excess body fat hinders vert. At 5’9 and ~162lbs my waist is meant to be 32.5″, so I’m all good. According to my body fat scales I’m 16-17% body fat, and looking at pictures of people with that BF% I’d agree.

[Fraser_9to5]

29 July

Bench Press – 3 x 6 x 80kg
BB Row – 3 x 6 x 70kg
DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 20kg
Chin Ups – 3 x 8

Very basic upper body program based on what Kelly suggests in VJB. It’s horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull.

31 July

A1 Back Squat – 3 x 6 x 102.5kg
A2 Modified Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8
RDL – 3 x 6 x 87.5kg
Jump Squat – 3 x 12 x 13.5kg
Depth Jump – 3 x 5
Lunge Jumps – 3 x 10
Rim Jumps – 3 x 10

Same exercises, reverse order. Rim jumps made me feel fat and old, I was too tired to even swipe the net of my 286cm rim. Depth jumps were better, lunge jumps too.

1 Aug

Bench Press – 3 x 6 x 87.5kg
Chin Ups – 3 x 8
Toe Touchers – 3 x 20

I did 4-5 hours dismantling a conservatory on 31 July and this morning my lower back was a mess. There was no single moment where I felt like I’d tweaked my back so it should be fine by the weekend, but it meant I couldn’t do rows or OHP.

[Fraser_9to5]

3 Aug

Cycling – 2 x 4 miles

4 Aug

CMJ – 56cm / 22″

High Object Jumps – 4 x 10
Lunge Jumps – 4 x 10 (per leg)
18″ Depth Jumps – 4 x 5
Squat Jumps – 4 x 10 x 20kg
RDL – 4 x 5 x 87.5kg
A1 Squat – 4 x 5 x 102.5kg (2 sets with a belt)
A2 Modified Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8 x 3.5kg

Feel more springy already. My back was still a bit tender from the previous week so I used my weight belt for some of the squats.

5 Aug

Bench Press – 4 x 5 x 87.5kg
BB Row – 4 x 5 x 75kg
DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 20kg
Chin Ups – 3 x 8
Crunchy Frog – 3 x 20

7 Aug

Back Squat – 4 x 5 x 107.5kg
RDL – 4 x 5 x 92.5kg
Jump Squat – 4 x 10 x 20kg
Depth Jump – 4 x 5
Lunge Jumps – 4 x 10
Rim Jumps – 4 x 10

Pleased with squats, weight is going up ~7.5kg each week.

8 Aug

Narrow Pushups – 30
Wall Handstand – 60 secs
Bench Press – 5,4,4,4 x 92.5kg
BB Row – 4 x 5 x 80kg
DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 20kg
Chin Ups – 3 x 9
Crunchy Frog – 3 x 20

I’ve wanted to do a full planche for ages and did some research earlier in the week. One article had three qualifying criteria which were 30 narrow pushups, a 60 second wall handstand and 20 dips, so I did two of these before the session. I missed some reps on bench as it was an early morning workout and my strength wasn’t there.

[Fraser_9to5]

11 Aug

CMJ – 57cm / 22.4″

High Object Jumps – 5 x 10
Lunge Jumps – 5 x 10 (per leg)
18″ Depth Jumps – 5 x 5
Squat Jumps – 5 x 8 x 27.5kg
RDL – 5 x 4 x 92.5kg
A1 Squat – 5 x 4 x 107.5kg
A2 Modified Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8 x 5kg

12 Aug

Bench Press – 5 x 4 x 92.5kg
BB Row – 5 x 4 x 80kg
DB OHP – 4 x 5 x 22.5kg
Chin Ups – 3 x 10
Sprinter Sit Ups – 3 x 30

14 Aug

Back Squat – 5 x 4 x 115kg (sets 1 & 4 with a belt)
RDL – 5 x 4 x 95kg
Jump Squat – 5 x 8 x 27.5kg
Depth Jump – 5 x 5
Lunge Jumps – 5 x 10
Rim Jumps – 5 x 10

Early morning squats are hard to get psyched up for, started off with a belt but got in the groove eventually.

16 Aug

Narrow Pushups – 20,20,20,20,12,8
Pull Ups – 10,10,10,7,7,6

I had laser tattoo removal on the evening of the 14th across my stomach which severely limits the exercises I can do for 3-4 days. I timed it so I have the longest gap before the next jumps session but knew I had to stumble through this upper body. I settled on 100 push ups and 50 pull ups having enjoyed the results from my 3 week program earlier in the year.

[Fraser_9to5]

18 Aug

CMJ – 56cm / 22″

High Object Jumps – 2 x 10
Lunge Jumps – 2 x 10 (per leg)
18″ Depth Jumps – 2 x 5
Squat Jumps – 2 x 6 x 32.5kg
RDL – 3 x 3 x 95kg
A1 Squat – 3 x 3 x 115kg
A2 Modified Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8 x 10kg

20 Aug

Narrow Push ups – 30,20,12,12,6
Pull Ups – 12,11,6,7,4

Short on time so 80 push ups and 40 pull ups.

21 Aug

A1 Back Squat – 3 x 3 x 122.5kg
A2 Poliquin Step Up – 3 x 8 x 16kg
RDL – 3 x 3 x 100kg
Jump Squat – 2 x 6 x 32.5kg
Depth Jump – 2 x 5
Lunge Jumps – 2 x 10
Rim Jumps – 2 x 10

Good session, felt strong in the squat and RDL. I skipped the second upper body session this week as I had really poor sleep due to tattoo itching and decided it’s not worth putting myself through a crummy workout.

That’s the end of Phase I, in Phase II I ditch the lunge jumps (hooray!) and high object jumps and replace them with single leg box jumps and box squat jumps.

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