One of the more common requests that we get is to increase the vertical in our athletes. There are many elements that go into an effective vertical leap including strength, flexibility, explosiveness and coordination. With so many contributing factors plus the fact that athletes are unique in terms of their make-up, special attention must be paid to the needs of individual athletes.For instance, let’s say Athlete A displays great explosiveness with lifts such as cleans and in plyometric work. In addition they show great reflexes and coordination. However, their inability to squat their weight with proper mechanics causes a lack of strength which restricts the amount of force they can absorb or generate. In contrast, Athlete B may spend a great deal of time in the weight room, resulting in solid flexibility and strength, but lack the quick-twitch fibers that create explosion. While both athletes have room to grow to reach their potential, being on the same program would do very little to garnish results in both athletes. Instead, Athlete A should be provided a strength training routine heavily incorporating the quads, glutes and lower abs. While they may ‘lose a step’ in terms of quickness with added weight, their new found strength will allow the athlete to generate more power prior to take off. Conversely, Athlete B’s program would incorporate plyometrics, explosive lifts or machines like the Vertimax. All three would allow the athlete to use their strength in athletic movements.
Another very important thing to consider is that strength and flexibility are much easier to develop at a young age. The body has incredible ability to build muscle in response to strength training while it is still growing and developing. Given these facts, if you are a beginner athlete, focus should be on getting strong and flexible. This is reflected in the Elite Sports Performance training program. We don’t eliminate plyometric and explosive training in our younger classes, but do place an emphasis on strength development where we really try to take advantage of the body’s ability to build muscle.
So trust the program and find out what you need to take your vertical leap to new heights!
