2

3

Legal Disclaimer

The information in this book is for educational purposes only. The reader should be cautioned that there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any form of exercise program or physical activity. Those participating in physical training programs should check with their physician prior to initiating such activities.

Anyone participating in these training methods should understand that such activity may be dangerous or harmful if performed incorrectly. The author assumes no liability for injury from the adverse effects or consequences from the misuse of the information presented in this text.

4

FREEPREVIEWOFGAMECHANGERS:THE

MOSTPOWERFULJUMPTRAINING

METHODSKNOWNTOMAN

WhatyouarereadingisafreepreviewoftheverticaljumptrainingbookGameChangers.Thefullversionofthisbookcontainsdetaileddescriptionsofthemosteffectivetrainingmethodsforincreasinganathletesverticaljump.

Eachofthemethodsinthebookaddressesoneormorecommonweaknessthatathleteslookingtojumphigherhave.Thetrainingmethodshavebeendevelopedandvalidatedbothscientificallythroughresearch,andpracticallythroughmanyhoursoftesting,monitoring,andfinetuningonathletessuchasyourself.

Eachofthemethodsalsocomeswithfullworkoutssoyoucanseehowtoimplementitintoyourowntraininginordertogetthebestresults.

Thisfreepreviewisdesignedtogiveyouaninsightintothelevelofresearchandcriticalthoughtthathasgoneintowritingthisbook,andalsohowIhavetranslatedthatintouserfriendlyinformationthatyoucantryforyourself.

IhopeyouenjoythispreviewandIamsureyouwillLOVEthefullversion.

SUBSCRIBERDISCOUNT-THANKYOU

IfyouareinterestedingettingafullcopyofthebookanddiscoveringsomemoreofthemostinsanelyeffectivejumptrainingmethodsknowntomanIhavesetupaspecialdiscountpagejustformysubscribers.Thebooknormallysellstothepublicfor$47,butyoucangetacopyforjust$25(Thisisafull47%offtheregularprice)atthelinkbelow.

http://www.verticaljumping.com/GC_discount_page.html

TheinformationinGameChangersisverypowerful.Thetrainingmethodsproducetrulyincredibleresults.Ifyouwantresultsunlikeanythingyouhaveeverseenbeforeyoureallyshouldcheckitout.

JackWoodrup–Verticaljumping.com

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CHAPTER11:STRETCHINGANDSINGLELEGTRAININGFORATHLETESWHOHATESTRETCHINGANDSINGLELEGTRAINING

IfIhadtosaywhattwoofthemostcommonthingsrelatedtoathletictrainingthatpeoplereallyhatedoingtheywouldhandsdownbestretchingandsinglelegtraining.Suretherearesomepeoplewholoveoneorevenbothofthem,butthevastmajorityofathletesIhaveknownseemtogenuinelyloathedoingeitherofthese.

Whyisthisso?IfIcanspeculatehereforaminuteIthinkthatpeopledon’tlikestretchingforanumberofreasons.Forastart,ifyouareverytight(ironicallyoftenfromlackofregularstretching)itstartstohurtevenusingsmallrangesofmotiononthestretch.Thisisnoticeablyobviousinthehipflexors/psoasregion(fromhereonreferredtoasthehipflexorsforsimplicity’ssake),whichalmosteveryoneseemstohaveissueswith.

Alsomanyathletes,particularlyrecreationalones,onlyhavesomuchtimeintheirdaytodevotetotheirathleticpursuitsandtherealityisthatmanysuchathletesviewstretchingasnotanefficientuseoftheirtime.Afterallhowcandoingabitofstretchingbemorebeneficialthananextracoupleofsetsofsquats,sprints,orjumps?

Asaresultthefirstthingtogoinmostpeoplestrainingregimeisspendingtimeaftertheirworkoutsorbeforebedtoproperlystretchthemuscles.

Stretching:Sorry,tooboringformostpeople!

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Whataboutsinglelegtraining?Whydosomanypeoplehatesinglelegtraining?Well,muchlikestretching,forthetightathlete,singlelegtrainingcanreallyexposehowlittlerangeofmotionyouhaveandwhenyoustarttodothesingleleglifts,itcanandoftendoeshurt.

Anotherissueisthatlungevariations(especiallywalkinglunges),andsplitsquatsplacequitealotofeccentricstressontheworkingmuscles,particularlytheglutesandhamstrings.Thisgenerallyresultsinsomeepiclevelsofsorenesswhenyoufirstincludeeitheroftheseinyourprogram.

IknowIamnottheonlyonewhohasexperiencedgreatdifficultysittingdownforafewdaysafterdoingsomeheavywalkinglungesandevennowthethoughtofdoingthemsucks.

Anotherreasonpeopledon’tlikeperformingsinglelegtrainingisbecauseitcanbequiteahittotheego,especiallyifyouareusedtosquattinganddeadliftingsomeprettylargeloads.Ihaveseenguyswith200kg+(440lb’s)deadliftsstruggletobalanceproperlywhileperformingrearfootelevatedsplitsquatswhileholdingontoapairof20kg(44lb’s)dumbbells.

Nowquiteobviouslygettinganathletetodedicatetimetobothstretchingandsinglelegtrainingforafewweekswillhelpthemquicklyimproverangeofmotion,andovercometheirbalanceissues,buttherealityismostdon’tlikeallocatingthetimetodothestretching,nordotheylikehavingtoenduretoomuchofalearningcurvetomasterthesinglelegmovementsbeforetheycanaddsignificantloads.

Thisleavesacoachwithtwooptions.Firstyoucaninsisttheydoitanywayandhopethatintheirsparetimeyourathletestickstothestretchingtheyaresupposedtobedoing.

Orsecond,youcantakeadifferentapproachentirelyandincorporatethestretchingWITHthesinglelegtrainingduringtheworkoutitself.Thisapproach,whendoneright,isagreatwaytofreeupthehipsandleadstosomeprettycoolimprovementsinyourathleticism.

BeforeIgettotheactualtrainingtechniquethough,Ijustwanttotouchonwhyfreeingupthehipsissoimportantforathletes.

Itismyhonestopinionthatoneofthemostcommoncausesofnon-acuteinjuryandreducedperformanceamongstmodernathletesisthecombinationofhiptightnessandgluteinhibition.Thesetwothingsarerelatedandtheydoagreatjobscrewingthingsupfortheotherjointsandmuscles.Whyisthisso?Wellmostlyitistodowithallthesittingwedothesedays.

WespendHOURSinasittingposition.Wesitonthecouch,wesitinthecar,wesitatworkandathomeinfrontofacomputer.Ifyouareastudentyousitatschool,yousitplayingvideogames,andyousitatamovies.Moderndayhumansbasicallysitallthedamntime.

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InfactastudydonebyVanderbilt(frommybelovedcityofNashville,TNnoless.ShoutouttotheCommodores)determinedthattheaverageAmericanadultspendsabout7.7hoursperdaysitting1!

Sowhataretheimplicationsofallofthisfromaperformancepointofview?Wellbeingseatedalldaylongbasicallyhasyourhipflexorsconstantlyflexed(shortened),andyourglutesconstantlyextended(stretched).Overtimethiscananddoesleadtochronicallytighthipsandlazyormisfiringglutes.

Havingtighthipsandlazyglutesmakeitmuchharderforanathletetoachieveapowerfulhipextensionwhichissovitalforjumpinghigh.Fromtheanterior(front)sideofthings,everytimeyougotojumpyourtighthipflexorsactlikethebodieshandbrakeandinhibityourabilitytoachievefullextension.

Meanwhileintheposterior,yourgluteswhichhavebeeninastretchpositionforhours,arenowsorelaxedthattheyaren’tfiringonallcylinderseither.Thismeansthatevenwithoutthehipflexorsbeingtight,youstillwouldn’tbegeneratingmaximalpower.

Abigjumprequiresapowerfulhipextension

Asidefromareductioninmuscularpowerwhenyoujump,thereisapotentiallymoreseriousissuefromtheglutesnotbeingengagedeffectively.Theotherissueitcreatesiswithwhatoccursinyourjointswhenyouland.Itouchedonthisbrieflyinthepreviouschapterbutitisworthmentioninghereagain.Inthelandingsofjumpstherearehighlevelsofeccentricforcetobeabsorbed.Withouttheglutesdoingtheirjobproperlyyouwillfindalotmoreofthoseeccentricforcesaredistributedthroughthekneeandanklejoints,andlesssothroughthehips.

1AmountofTimeSpentinSedentaryBehaviorsintheUnitedStates,2003–2004,Matthews,Charlesetal,AmericanJournalofEpidemiology,Feb2008

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Allthisextrapressuregoingthroughthosetwojointscanquicklyleadtooveruseinjuriesthatcouldotherwisehavebeenavoided.

Itisalsoworthnotingthattheissuescausedbylongperiodsofsittingdownaren’tjustlimitedtoreductionsinathleticperformance.Sittingcancauseposturalissuessuchasexcessiveanteriorpelvictilt,lowerbackpain,roundedshouldersleadingtotightpecsandshoulderimpingementproblems,andalsoaforwardheadposturewhichcanthenleadtoneckpainandheadaches.

Posturalissuesaside,longperiodsofsittinghasalsobeenshowntoincreasetheriskofhighbloodpressure,highbloodsugar,excessbodyfat,andevenanincreasedriskofdeathfromcardiovasculardiseaseandcancer!Soyoureallyshouldgetoffyoubacksidemoreoften.

Sowhatcanyoudoaboutit?Welltheobvioussolutionistospendtimeonstretchingandlooseningthosetighthipflexorsandperformingexercisesthatactivelyengagetheglutes.Howeverthisdoesn’treallyaddresstheunderlyingproblemthattoofewpeoplehavethenecessarydisciplinetotrainthesinglelegliftsandspendextratimestretching.

ForthoseathletesthatarelessinclinedtotakethenecessarystepstohelpfixtheirhiptightnessissuesImayhavefoundasolution.

Thatsolutionistoincorporatethestretchingintotheliftingitself.Butthereisafurthertwistthatcanbeimplementedinordertotrulymaximizeyourtrainingtimeandthatistheuseofocclusiontechniques(orKaatsu/occlusiontraining,orbloodflowrestrictiontrainingasitisalsoknown).

Occlusionallowsanathletetogetstrengthgainsthataresimilar(orevenbetter)totraditionalheavyliftingwhileusingmuchlighterloads.Seriously!

Whatisocclusiontrainingyouask?Occlusiontrainingiswhereyouuseatourniquettorestrictbloodflow(henceitsAKAasbloodflowrestrictiontraining)totheworkingmusclesduringtheset.

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Restrictingblowflowtotheworkingmusclecanhelpbuildstrengthusinglighterloads.

Theideabehindocclusiontrainingisthatbyrestrictingthebloodflowtothemusclesyouarealsorestrictingtheoxygensupply.ThisforcesthemusclestorecruittheType2musclefibres(i.e.thefasttwitchfibres.YEStheyaretheimportantonesforjumpinghigh!)earlierinthesetusingmuchlighterloads.NormallytheType2fibresarerecruitedonlywhenyougotofailureoruseveryheavyweights(greaterthan80%ofyour1RM).

Atypicalocclusionsessioninvolvespickingthemusclegroupyouwanttotrain,wrappingthetourniquetaroundthetopofthatmuscletorestrictthebloodflow,andthenperforming3-4setsofbetween20-30repsusingalightweight.Restperiodsbetweensetsareusuallyquiteshortataround30-45seconds.

Thenextquestionishowcanyouapplythisideaintoincreasingyourverticaljump?TheanswerIhavecomeupwithisthroughthecombinationoflowload-highrepocclusiontrainingandtheuseoftheexerciseknownastheBulgariansplitsquat(orrearfootelevatedsplitsquat–RFESS,orforsensiblepeoplewhodon’tlikeusinglotsandlotsofwords,justthesplitsquat).

Whythesplitsquat?Thesplitsquatisnotonlyanawesomesinglelegstrengtheningexerciseinitsownright,butitisalsoaveryeffectivewaytostretchthehipflexors.Thepicturesbelowshowagoodsplitsquatwiththebottompositionprovidingaterrifichipflexorstretch.

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SplitSquat:Awesomehipflexor/psoasstretchandsinglelegstrengthbuilder

ANOTHERBENEFITOFOCCLUSIONFORJUMPINGATHLETES

Asidefromthegreatstretchofthesplitsquatsfreeingupthehips,andthedecentstrengthgainsitcanhelpproduce,thereisanotherbenefitthatisdefinitelyworthmentioningasitisparticularlyrelevantforjumpingathletes.

YouseeusingocclusionmethodsmeansusingMUCHlighterweights.Lighterweightmeanslessstressonthejoints.Thisisespeciallyhelpfulforjumpingathleteswhothroughheavystrengthtrainingandhighintensityjumpingdrillsareregularlyplacingagreatdealofstressthroughankles,kneesandthehips.Asaresulttheyhaveamuchhigherriskofjointrelatedinjury(theydon’tcallitJumpersKneefornothing).

Ifanathletehassomeformofjointpain,bloodflowrestrictedsplitsquatsusinglightloadsareagreatwayforthemtoincreasestrengthandmobilitywhilegivingtheirachingjointsarest.

HOWIUSEOCCLUDEDSPLITSQUATS

ThewayIusethistechniqueforpeoplewantingtojumphigheristoincludeitasthesecondexerciseintheirstrengthbasedtrainingsession.Thefirstexerciseisusuallyaregularcompoundlift(asquatordeadlift)usingloadsinthetraditional70-85+%range,andthenAFTERtheyhavecompletedthat,Ifollowthisupwiththeocclusionbasedsplitsquat.

Iwillusuallyonlyhavethemdoatmost3setsofbetween15and25reps,whichislowerthantheusuallyrecommended30+.ThereasonforthisisthatIliketheathletetotakemore

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timeoneachrepandplacinggreateremphasisoncontractingtheglutesandholdinginthestretchpositionatthebottomfora3countasameansofopeningupthehipsandteachingtheglutestofire.

Doinganisometricholdatthebottomoftherepprovidesyetanotherbenefitforjumpingathletesaswell.

Theisometricholdhelpsdevelopstrengtharoundthekneejointatananglewhichissimilartoanathletestakeoffangle.Asmentionedseveraltimesthroughoutthisbookthatistheweakestpartofanathletesjump,andparticularlyforsinglelegjumpers,itistheareatheymostneedtoimprove.

Soeachreplookslikethis.Controlthedescentintothebottom/stretchedposition.Holditthereforacountof3.Whileholdingtryandstretchthehipflexorandcontracttheglutemuscleofthebackleg.

Afterthe3countascendbacktothetopposition.Repeatforthedesirednumberofreps.

Duetotheslowertempoandtheisometricholdatthebottom(stretched)position,theactualtimeundertensionislongerthanhighervolumesetsusingstandardrepspeeds.

Oncetheyhavecompletedthe3setsontheleftlegIwouldunwrapthetourniquet,swaplegsandrepeattheprocessfortherightleg,thistimewithitwrapped.

AsimpleBFRworkoutmightlooklikethis:EXERCISE SETS REPS WEIGHT REST

SquatorDeadlift 5 3 70-85%of1RM

2-3minutes

BlowFlowRestrictedSplitSquats

3 15-25 20-30%of1RM

30-45seconds

SeatedJumps* 4 5 BW 90seconds

*Note.Iliketofinishallweightroomsessionswithsomesortoflowimpactjumpingexercise.

ThereareafewfinerpointsaboutperformingoccludedsplitsquatsthatIwanttodiscussbeforeIgoon.

Firstly,howtightshouldyouhavethetourniquet?Theideaisn’ttoentirelycutoffthecirculationbyhavingthemusclesstrappedridiculouslytight.A7/10degreeoftightnessis

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recommendedbywell-knowntrainerLayneNortonwhousesocclusionwithhisbodybuildingclientsandthisisaruleIhavefoundtoworkwellaswell.

WhileyoucangetspecialstrapsandclothingtosetupthebloodflowrestrictionIhavefoundthatjustaboutanythingyoucantiearoundyourlegworksreasonablywell.Ihaveusedrope(outsideclothestoavoidropeburnofcourse),thestrapsfromportablegymnasticrings(seepicturebelow),oldrags,kneewraps,andevenanoldbiketube.

Youdefinitelydon’tneedtooverthinkitwithwhatyouareusingforthebloodflowrestriction.

PortableGymnasticRingStraps:Easilyadjustable,perfectforthisexercise.

Whileyoudon’thavetousemuchimaginationheretocomeupwithasolution,ifyouarereallystrapped(punintended,sorry)foridea’syoucouldtryoneoftheseadjustablesidebucklestrapsfromacompanycalledstrapworks.com.Theycostabout$2.60each.

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MYPREFERREDEMPHASISWHENUSINGBFR/OCCLUDEDSPLITSQUATS

IwouldliketoemphasizeherethatIchoosetousethistrainingmethodforathleteswhoneedhelpwithopeningupthehipflexorsmorethanforthoseafterthestrengthgains.Ifeelthatwithsomanyathleteswalkingaroundwithtighthipsandlazyglutes,thebenefitsthattheywillgetontheirverticaljump(andrunningspeed)fromworkingtorectifyingthisfaroutweighanyimprovementsinstrength.Thestrengthgainssureareaniceaddedbonusthough.

IneffectIamusingoccludedsplitsquatsasaglorifiedversionofloadedstretching.IamokwiththisthoughbecauseitworksREALLYwell.Thinkaboutwhatyouareactuallydoing.Foreach20repsetyouaredoing60seconds(20x3seconds)ofloadedstretchingplus60secondsofisometricglutecontractions.Acrossthethreesetsthatworksouttobealotofhighlyspecifichipandglutework.

Theoccludedsplitsquatsfitintoanathlete’sprogramwellonanumberoflevels.

Firstly,withthesetupofaregularheavysquat/deadliftfirst,theathletedoesn’tloseoutonanyofthepsychologicalorphysicalbenefitsoftrainingwiththebiglifts.Iwouldinnowayrecommendusingtheocclusionmethodasareplacementforregularstrengthtraining.Itisdefinitelyanassistancetrainingmethodonly.

Secondly,byplacingtheemphasisonincreasingthestretchandtherangeofmotiononthesplitsquatratherthantheloadbeingused,youtakeawaytheissueofanathlete’segogettinginthewayofusingalighterweight.Youwouldbesurprisedhowmuchthishelpswithsomepeople.

Thirdly,throughtheuseofthelighterweight,itisusuallyeasierforathletestolearnhowtoperformtheliftwithoutthebalanceandcontrolissuesthatmanyhavewhentheyfirststart

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out.Thislastpointisactuallyquiteimportantasmanycangetdiscouragediftheyarealreadystrongonasquatordeadliftbutstrugglewithasinglelegliftduetolackofbalance.

Idon’tliketouseoccludedsplitsquatsforverylongperiodsoftime.Fourweekblocksworkquitewellastheyarelongenoughtomakeanoticeabledifference,butnotsolongastomentallydraintheathletetoomuch.

Ihavefoundthatitisbestusedasathreeorfourtimesperyearinterventiontypesolution.Iftheathleteisreallytightandislookingforapracticalwaytoaddresstheissue,ortheyarelookingtogetsomequickboostsinstrengthdevelopmentwithouttakingawaytoomuchoftheirtimeandenergyfromactualjumpingdrills,thenthisisanexcellenttrainingoption.

Itisalsoasuitableleadintoregularloadedsinglelegtrainingifanathletehasn’tperformedthemmuchbefore.The4weeksofhighrepsperformedinacontrolledanddeliberatemannerwillteachjustaboutanyonehowtoperformtheliftcorrectly,andthesuperiorstrengthgainswillhelpbuildconfidencewhenregularloadsareused.

Oneotherthingworthmentioningisthatsomeathletesfinditdifficulttoholdthedumbbells,evenlightdumbbells,forthedurationoftheset.Performing15-25repswithanisometricholdof2-3secondsatthebottom,multipliedbytwobecauseyouhavetodoitforbothlegs,tendstomeanthattheloadsarebeingheldforanextendedperiodoftimeandcangivetheforearmsquiteaworkoutthemselves.

Ifthisisthecasetheobviousansweristouseaverylightlyloadedbarbellinsteadofdumbbells.Iactuallylikeusingthesafetysquatbarforthisexercisebecausethepaddingonthebarandthepositionofthehandlesmakesitthemostcomfortablewaytoperformtheextendedsetsthatocclusiontrainingrequires.

LongTimeUnderTensionMeansEvenAHeavyMedicineBallWillBeAChallenge

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HOWOFTENSHOULDYOUUSETHISMETHOD

Dependingontheindividualathlete’sscheduleandabilitytorecover,Iliketousethis2-3Xperweek.Itisideallyincludedaspartofastrengthtrainingblockwheretheathleteisfocusedongymworkoverjumpingandplyometricdrills.ThereasonforthisisIhavefoundthatonlyusingthisonceperweekdrasticallyreducestheeffectivenessofthestretchingandglutelearningcomponents.

Ontheflipsidetryingtousethismethodmorefrequentlythan2-3timesperweekisalsodifficultbecauseofthemetalenergyandfocusrequiredtoperformtheextendedocclusionsets.Usingthistechnique4timesperweekormoreperweekforexamplemightproducegreaterimprovementsinhipmobility,butitdoesn’treallyallowanathleteenoughtimetorecoverbetweenexposures.

WHATTOEXPECTFROMOCCLUDEDSPLITSQUATS

Itisnotuncommonforpeoplewhousethismethodtostartnoticingclearincreasesinspeedandjumpingabilitywithineventhefirstweek.Duetothetimeittakesforstrengthgainstodevelop,especiallywithtrainedathletes,itismybeliefthattheperformancegainsarecomingmorefromtheopeningupoftighthipflexorsandbetterglutefiringthantheyarefromanyextrastrength.

Thisisnottosaythattheextrastrengthisn’thelping,butforathleteswhodohavetighthipsandgluteactivationissues,thismethodofactiveloadedstretchingcanbeoneofthesimplestandmosteffectivewaysforthemtotapintotheirathleticability.

Alsoworthnotingisthatdespitethelongsetdurationsandhighlevelsofconcentrationrequired,occlusionstyletrainingisn’tthattaxingonanathlete.Infactarecentstudy2foundthatKaatsu/occlusiontrainingyieldedmoderateexertionratingsandlow-pressuresensations,increasedmusclesizeandstrength,andwaswelltolerated,therebylendingsupporttoocclusiontraining'spotentialasatrainingmodalityforuntrainedorclinicalpopulations.

Despitethis,myexperienceisthataperiodofadaptationisrequiredandlikeanynewtrainingmethodthereisusuallysomeDOMSinvolved.

2ModifiedKaatsu/occlusiontraining:adaptationsandsubjectperceptions.WeatherholtA,BeekleyM,GreerS,UrtelM,MikeskyA.MedSciSportsExercise,May2013

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Also,likeanyformofstrengthtraining,Iamnotabigfanofoverdoingitforjumpingathletes.AsIhavequotedbeforeinthisbook,itshouldalwaysbethegoaltomakethegoalthegoal.Iknowthatisquiteamouthfulbutitisalsoverytrue.Ifyouaretoofocusedonstrengthworkandusingallyourmentalandphysicalenergydevelopingit,youlosesightofthefactthatyouareultimatelytryingtojumphigher,notjustgetstronger.

Fromasafetypointofviewyoushouldalsobeawaretomonitorthelevelofpainyouaregettingfromtheocclusion.Ifitishurtingexcessivelythebandisontootight.Thiscanleadtovenousbloodclotsifleftonfortoolong.Alsoathletesmightexperienceabitofcoldnessornumbnessduetocompressionofsomeofthenerves,butthisisonlytemporaryandusuallysubsidesquicklyoncetherestrictivestrapisremoved.

RESEARCHBEHINDKAATSU/OCCLUSIONTRAINING

Ascrazyasusingsomeformofstrappingonyourmusclestoblockthebloodflowandexpectingittomakeyoustrongersounds,thereisactuallyplentyofresearchthatsupportsthestrengthandpowerimprovements.Someofthemorerelevantstudiesare:

TheUseofOcclusionTrainingtoProduceMuscleHypertrophy,Loenneke,JeremyPaulBS;Pujol,ThomasJosephEdD,CSCS,Strength&ConditioningJournal:June2009-Volume31-Issue3-pp77-84

Thisstudynotonlyconcludedthatocclusiontrainingwasgreatforincreasingleanmuscleinaslittleas3weeksbutwasalsosuitableforastronauts!

EffectsofExerciseLoadandBlood-FlowRestrictiononSkeletalMuscleFunction,Cook,SummerB.;Clark,Brian,C.;Ploutz-Snyder,LoriL.Medicine&ScienceinSports&Exercise:October2007-Volume39-Issue10-pp1708-1713

Thisstudyfoundthatwhileavarietyofbloodflowrestrictivepracticesproducedbettermuscletrainingstimulusthantraditionalheavyloads(80%of1RM),thebestresultsfrombloodflowrestrictionoccurredwhen20%of1RMwasusedastheworkingweight.Yesyoureadthatright.USINGJUST20%OF1RM!!!!

OcclusiontrainingincreasesmuscularstrengthindivisionIAfootballplayers.YamanakaT,FarleyRS,CaputoJL.JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch,Sept2012.

ThisstudyperformedinmyformerhomestateofTennesseedemonstratedthatintrainedathletestheKaatsu/occlusionmethodproducedsuperiorincreasesinboththebenchpressandsquatcomparedtotraditionaltrainingmethods.

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ThreeWeeksofOcclusionTrainingCanImproveStrengthandPowerinTrainedAthletes.CookCJ,KilduffLP,BeavenCM.InternatioalJournalofSportsPhysiologyandPerformance,April2013.

Thismorerecentstudyonsemi-prorugbyplayerswasveryinterestingbecauseitusedhigherloadswiththeocclusiontraining(70%of1RMasopposedtothemorefrequentlyused20-30%loads)andlowerreps(5setsof5insteadof3-4setsof20-30reps)theyfoundsuperiorimprovementsinbenchpress,squatstrength,sprinttime,legpower,salivarytestosterone,andcortisolresponse.

Moreinterestinglytheyonlyusedocclusiononthethighandyetstillgotgreaterbenefitsinthebenchpress.Thissuggeststhatocclusiontrainingmayhavesystematicbenefitsoverthemorewidelyheldbeliefthatthebloodflowrestrictionswerelimitedtotheworkingmuscles.

Italsosuggestsweneedmoreresearchintoexactlywhatthebesttypeofocclusionprotocolfortrainingathletesforstrength,speedandpowerimprovementsis.

TheEffectsofaSeven-weekPracticalBloodFlowRestrictionProgramonWell-trainedCollegiateAthletes.LuebbersPE1,FryAC,KrileyLM,ButlerMS.JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearchJan2014

Thisstudywasdoneonwelltrainedathletessoisofmoreinteresttomethanthoseperformedonuntrainedindividuals.Inthisstudytheyfoundthattheathleteswhousedbloodflowrestrictioninconjunctiontoregularstrengthtrainingmadesignificantlyhighergainsintheir1RMsquatthanthenon-bloodflowrestrictedathletes.

Inthisstudyverticaljumpdidn’tchangemuchdifferentlyforeithergroup,butitdoesindicatebloodflowrestrictionhasitsusesforquicklybuildingastrengthbasetobeutilisedforsubsequentpowertrainingblocks.

Alsoworthnotingisthatthebloodflowrestrictiontraininggroupincreasedtheirstrengthwithoutmuchinthewayofincreasesinmusclesize.Itappearsthatthebloodflowrestrictionbluntsthehypertrophyresponsetothestrengthwork.Giventheneedforrelativestrength,andthereforerelativepowerinjumpingathletes,thismightnotbeabadthing.

LastlyIwantedtohighlightoneanotherstudy.

EightdaysKAATSU/OCCLUSION-resistancetrainingimprovedsprintbutnotjumpperformanceincollegiatemaletrackandfieldathletes.T.Abe,K.Kawamoto,T.Yasuda,C.F.Kearns,T.Midorikawa,Y.Sato.InternationalJournalofKAATSU/OCCLUSIONTrainingResearchVol.1(2005)No.1P19-23

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ThisstudyasthetitlewouldsuggestfoundthatKaatsu/occlusiontrainingdoesn’timprovejumpperformance(butdoesimprovesprintperformance).IwantedtohighlightthisbecausehereIamtalkingabouthowtouseKaatsu/occlusiontoimproveyourverticaljump,andhereisastudythatdirectlysaysitdoesn’t.

Firstly,thestudywasonlyover8days.Hardlylongenoughtodrawsubstantiveconclusions.Secondly,andfarmoreimportantly,thepurposeIproposeforusingKaatsu/occlusionisverydifferentthanthatusedinthestudy.Isuggestamuchlowerfrequencyinordertofacilitatebetterrecovery(theseguyswent8straightdays,Italkabout2-3timesperweekover4weeks).

TheyusedsquatsandlegcurlswhereasIrecommendsplitsquats.AlsothereasonIusethesplitsquatismoreaboutgettingbetterhipfunction,whichisacommonrestrictionwithmodernathletes(particularlytheparttimevariety,whichlet’sfaceit,ismostpeople).

ThereareotherdifferencesbutbynowIhopeyouunderstandthatifyoudosomeresearchofyourownintoKaatsu/occlusion(andIrecommendyoudo)thatyouwillprobablycomeacrossthisstudy.Idon’thoweverbelieveitsmethodologyorconclusionsareapplicabletomyKaatsu/occlusiontrainingmethodasIhavejustdescribedit.

CONCLUSION

Iamsuretherewillbesomeofyoureadingthisthinkingtoyourselfcouldn’tIgetthesamehipmobilityandglutefiringbenefitsbyperformingregularBulgariansplitsquatsandusinglighterweights,higherreps,andholdingthestretchpositionwhileactivelytryingtocontracttheglutes?Theanswerisprobably.Wouldyougetthesamestrengthgainsandfasttwitchfibredevelopment?Inthiscase,probablynot.

TherestrictionstobloodflowDOhaveadifferenteffectthanregularweighttrainingandbecauseofthattheoccludedBulgariansplitsquatdoesoffergreaterbenefitsthantheregularversion.

Lastly,asIpointedoutrightatthestartofthischapter,thebiggerissueisn’twhetherornotbloodflowrestrictedsplitsquatsarebetterforjumpingathletesthanregularsplitsquats,itisthatnotenoughathletesperformeitherthestretchingrequiredtofreeupthehips,orthesinglelegworktogetthebalance,proprioception,andothertrainingbenefitsitcanprovide.

WhatIhavedoneisdevelopedamethodthatisbothefficientandeffectivesothatathletescanenjoythosebenefitswithoutagreatdealoftimecommitmenttodoingextrahipstretching,gluteactivation,orsinglelegstrengthtraining.

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Allofthisaddsuptomakingthebloodflowrestrictedsplitsquataterrificbangforyourbuckverticaljumptrainingtechnique.

CHAPTER11SUMMARY

• Moreandmoreresearchisvalidatingtheuseofocclusiontrainingasaviable

methodforproducingstrengthgainswithouttheneedforheavyloads

• Occlusiontrainingisalotlessdangerousthanitlooks

• Occlusiontraininghelpstrainthefasttwitchmusclefibers

• Targetingthehipflexorswithloadedstretchesisagreatwaytogetstrongerinthe

keyjumpingmusclesandfreeupthehipswhichareaproblemareaformany

athletes

• Duetothelongtimeittakesforeachset(highrepscombinedwith3secondpause

atthebottomofthelifttoaccentuatethestretch)thismethodcanbequitementally

draining

• Occlusionsplitsquatsareagoodoptionforathleteswhoneedtoworkontheir

strengthfurtherbutalsoneedtogivetheirjointsarestafterboutsofheavylifting

• Freeingupthehipswilloftenprovideabiggerandmoreimmediatebenefittoan

athletesverticaljumpthanthestrengthgainsthatcomeformtheocclusionwork

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CHAPTER12:INCLOSING

Sothereyouhaveit.ThemethodsIhavedescribedinthisbookarefarandawaysomeofthemosteffectivewaystoincreaseanathlete’sverticaljump.

Anexercisecanbeeffectiveforreasonsbeyondjustproducinggreatresults.Yes,alloftheexercisesandtrainingmethodsdiscussedinthisbookdefinitelyproduceresults.However,manyofthetechniqueshereareeffectiveforotherreasonssuchasbeingeasierontheCNSorthejoints.Thisallowsyoutoperformthemmorefrequently,orwithahighvolumeofreps.

Andthesefactorsarereallyimportant.Why?

Becausejumptrainingisintense!

Ifyoudon’tlearntotrainsmarteryouwillendupshortcircuitingyourgainsbygettinginjuredorovertraining.Effectivetrainingmethodsareabouttrainingsmarter.Byreadingthisbookyouhavebecomesmarterabouthowtotrainandnowhaveanumberofwaystodrasticallyincreaseyourverticaljumpinlesstime,withlesseffort,andwithlessstressonyourbody.

BeforeIfinishIwouldliketomentiononeothergreatbenefitaboutusingsomeofthesetechniquesandthatisthattheycanhelpyouovercomeyourgeneticsandbecomeagreatjumpingathlete.

Youoftenyouhearcoachesuseanalogiescomparingathletestocars.Youwillhearthingslikehowmuchyoucansquatislikehowbiganengineyourcarhas,orhowstrongyourfeetandanklesareislikehowgoodthetyresonacarare.PersonallyIloveagoodcaranalogy,butthepointtheyallseemtomissisthatcarscan’tbetrainedtoimprove.

If you buy a Toyota Camry, a nice car yes, but hardly what you would call a highperformancevehicle,nomatterhowoftenyoudriveitfast, it isnevergoingtoturnintoaFerrari.Ontheotherhandwhenyouaretalkingaboutathletes,youCANstartoffwiththeequivalentofaCamry,andwithhardwork,goodprogramming,andsoon,youCAN turnthatCamryintoaFerrari.

NowIamcertainlynotclaimingthatthemethodsinthisbookwillturnanaverageathleteintoaworldbeaterovernight,butwhattheycandoishelpyousafelyacceleratethatrateoftransformationfromCamrytoFerrari.

Bysensiblyincorporatingtheappropriatetechniquesthataddressyourindividualneedsintoyourworkouts,andbybeingconsistentwithyourtraining,payingattentiontoyourdietandrecovery, and by having the patience and understanding to acknowledge that truly

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outstandingathleticabilityisnotachievedin12weeks,butovermuchlongerperiods,youCANturnyourownbodyintotheathleticequivalentofanexoticsupercar.

Thatlastparagraphprettymuchsumsupthesecrettoathleticsuccessinanyfield.

1) Focusthemajorityofyourtrainingonyourweaknessesformaximumresults2) Beconsistentwithyourtraining.3) Payattentiontothenon-trainingfactorssuchasdiet,sleep,andstresstofacilitate

fasteradaptations4) Bepatient.Athleticgreatnessisn’taresultofjustafewmonthsofeffort,butisthe

resultofdoingsteps1-3foroveraperiodofyears.

The problemmost athletes have is that in the beginning they make great progress, butwhenbeginnergainsstarttoslowdown,theylosefocusandmotivation,andtheygiveupbeforetheygetanywhereneartheirpotential.

Having some unique and highly effective ways to train in your toolbox such as thosedescribedinthisbookareagreatwaytokeepyourgoodresultscomingandtomakeyourtrainingalotmorefunandinteresting!

Enjoyyourtraining.

JackWoodrup

VerticalJumping.com

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CHAPTER13:ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

Jack Woodrup is a strength and conditioning coach who since 2004 has specialised in vertical jump development. In that time he has trained thousands of athletes in person and online to increase their vertical jump. These athletes range from high school, college, the armed forces, weekend warriors, professionals, and even a Harlem Globetrotter.

This book is the culmination of those years of training, research and experimentation.

Jack is also the owner and founder of Verticaljumping.com – the largest source of free vertical jump training information in the world.