I am a 27 year old basketball player who is looking to improve his vertical jump and running one foot jump.
I have looked through the forums and archives and I am starting to grasp some of the training principles discussed. However, I am wondering if it makes a difference for me that most of the coaches and athletes who post either are themselves (or train athletes who probably are) predominantly ‘fast-twitch’.
I dont technically know the details of my muscle composition, however I can guess i am pretty slow-twitch based upon: 1. Cross-country and track came fairly easily to me in high-school (1500m to 10k). Also did very well in swimming, mountain-biking with very little training, and 2. I am 5’10 and can barely touch the rim. My standing vertical was 22inches last time I checked, but might be slightly higher now. Regaurdless, my jumping ability has been pretty constant since high-school and I want it to change.
I vaugly remember reading an article stating that slow-twitch athletes not only lack explosiveness but ALSO have a diminished ability to improve their explosiveness.
Im not lazy, but if a summer of power cleans and jump squats are not likely to get me results then I would rather just play more ball.
As I am assuming you all will not let me off so easily, I guess my question is if a weak-slow-twitch guy should implement a jump training program differently then an already strong fast-twitcher
The best thing you can do is train and find out. Jumping ability is highly trainable. Also, if you have done lots of ‘slow-twitch’ work in the past, you may have influenced you fibers to adapt to this type of work. There was a study done of some distance runners that showed their vertical jump height markedly decreased after training for a marathon.
If you now start doing fast twitch work, perhaps your body will adapt to more explosive work. You didn’t give stats on your lifts, but I would make sure that your strength levels are good. Heavy squats are a great foundation for any power athlete.
Actually GP, I have been thinking about adding some sprinting and med ball stuff. Provided I survive Law School exams this year, my summer training starts in earnest next week.
I will be sure to let everyone know when I start dunking like crazy!!
Thanks for the response so far. Quite encouraging.
Pete-- I have also noticed in the weight room that I can lift a lot of reps at around 90% of 1RM. For example, my college football friend had a chart that purported to translate amount lifted over a number of reps to a probable 1RM. Thing is, the projected 1RM for me was always way over what I could actually lift.
As for xlr8’s question about my lifts-- my first squat wrkout in years was last week and I went for 3x10 at 185, but not quite to parallel (probably past 1/3 of full). My upper body is probably even weaker by comparison-- Ive been meaning to try a 1RM in bench lately but I think it will be at or <150. Is this simply to weak to safely start power cleans/snatch/jump squats?
Again, thanks in advance for any input. Im sorry for perhaps wasting the time of this forum with my petty dreams of leaping glory, but this site is by far the best thing I have seen on the net as a resource training information (why not ask the experts??).
Anyone can improve with a proper program, regardless of fibre type. Perhaps your assumptions are based on poor training rather than any inate physical limitation.
Also, I don’t think you can be at all sure that you are more slow-twitch. I have an exceptionally good vertical jump (partially due to years of basketball), but I can pump out a few sets of a a fair amount reps pretty near my 1RM in the weightroom, and I really am not naturally super speedy and could probably run a six minute mile if I trained for it for a week. So I don’t know what I am and I doubt it really matters all that much.
i agree 100% with CF and X. as a former triathlete, spending 8 years going really far, really slow, it was a challenge to come back to the sunny side of the street.
with oly lifts(esp the power snatch), plyos and sprints im faster and more explosive now than i was before i ever got pulled into the world of triathlon. it takes time, planning and patience, but if you are committed to the cause, it will happen.
Sounds like we’re in the same boat. I’m 28 trying to get some vertical back. From about 22-27 I ran 3X’s a week for 3-5 miles killing most of my vertical. I actually started last year doing all the basic stuff like Power Cleans, Squats, RDL’s, calf raises, and just plain jumping at the rim. I can dunk it one handed now, but still not as good as I could back in college (2 handed off 2 feet).
I’m definitely slow twitch, as my best squat was 205x6 @ 185lb, and my standing vertical is in the mid 25 :(. Back in college I could actually jump higher, but it took me longer to jump! I’ve read slow twitched individuals often do better with a bigger dip…
“…Subjects with a high percent- age of slow-twitch fibers produce their best jumping performance when the eccentric phase is longer, movement range is greater and the coupling time is longer.”
I believe taking a bigger dip allowed me to recruit more of my muscle.
I believe running helped a lot. Back then I did no squats (believed the bad for the knees myth), and just did leg curls and calf raises, then ran a gradually accelerating mile on the track to where I was sprinting near the end. I believe the running did a great job loosening up and strengthening my hips for jumping.
This could just be an individual thing with tight hips, but I believe adding some running to the lifting and jumping would help. I’m going to start with 400’s @ 75%, then work down to shorter distances and faster speeds once I have disciplined sprinting form.
Originally posted by GP
I’m going to start with 400’s @ 75%, then work down to shorter distances and faster speeds once I have disciplined sprinting form.
Ouch! Your going to try to develop disciplined sprinting form by running 400’s?!? That seems like the distance least condusive to holding good form.
Also, running at 75% is significantly different (sprint form-wise) from running at near 100%. I would probably try to do very short distances at near-max speed to develop your sprint form. Do a nice easy accleration for 30 - 40m, then try to hold your speed with good form for 10m. Work out from there. The 75% work would nearly be tempo work although 400m is rather long.
Well you can increase your strength and stretch reflex capablities easy enough. Improved power , but CNS firing speeds are largely genetic, so there will be a ceiling.
My standing vertical was 34 inches at its best and my hand timed sprint times were to embarrasing to mention. My jump training was very basic. If i was to try to develope my jump again i would do a differant program and I believe i could get it to the 36in" range. There must be a variety of factors as to why it was/is so much easier for me to develope vertical leap compared to sprinting speed.
[quote]Originally posted by GP
I’m going to start with 400’s @ 75%, then work down to shorter distances and faster speeds once I have disciplined sprinting form.
Ouch! Your going to try to develop disciplined sprinting form by running 400’s?!? That seems like the distance least condusive to holding good form.
Also, running at 75% is significantly different (sprint form-wise) from running at near 100%. I would probably try to do very short distances at near-max speed to develop your sprint form. Do a nice easy accleration for 30 - 40m, then try to hold your speed with good form for 10m. Work out from there. The 75% work would nearly be tempo work although 400m is rather long.
xlr8 [/quote]
Thanks xlr8. Yeah you’re right, I could never maintain form for a 400! It’s probably actually less than that as I just jog around a soccer field at the park (don’t even think it’s regulation).
Also, I guess it’s not real sprint form, just “striding” (Is this what “tempo” work is?) trying to gradually decrease my ground contact time as I speed up and make sure my legs don’t go out behind me. I’m doing this to get back used to running after only lifting and jumping for months. I’ll start going 100% for short distances (like you mentioned) working on actual sprint form in a couple weeks. Thanks for your help!
Greg
ps - Great thread with your football workouts, sounds like it’s working.
It’s probably actually less than that as I just jog around a soccer field at the park (don’t even think it’s regulation).