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How to gain explosiveness for basketball
Basketball gym workouts: Exercises for explosive power
Think basketball, think explosive energy. But the athletes make it look graceful, easy even.
Dhruv Barman, once a top-ranked Indian in FIBA 3x3 format, and Arvind Krishna, who plays for the Hyderabad Ballers in India’s 3BL (3x3 Basketball League) have outlined a workout to get you faster, higher, stronger on the basketball court.
At 5’11, Dhruv has overcome the challenge of being “possibly the shortest guy” on every team he has played in. The 26-year-old from Delhi – who has studied kinesiology – believes his fitness and his ability to needle his opponents have given him the edge.
Arvind, meanwhile, is better known in southern India for his acting prowess. The Telugu actor, who started playing basketball as a student in the United States, rediscovered his love for the game two years ago when he participated in 3BL.
Their advice with basketball fitness: Keep it functional. Keep it explosive.
Plyometrics
Simply put, it is jump training or adding an explosive element to any exercise. It helps in increasing muscle strength, endurance and power.
“Basketball is a fast-twitch sport,” says Dhruv. “Plyometric training is one of the best ways to get the fast-twitch muscles firing.”
Examples of this kind of training could be squat jumps, box jumps, single leg hops, scissor lunges or even plyo push-ups, all of which will help you become more explosive.
While Arvind has done his due on box jumps, he has started training more functionally for basketball by adding hurdle jumps to his training.
“In basketball, once you jump you are usually going to land on the same plane, unlike in box jumps,” says the 35-year-old. “Hurdle jumps are a more effective exercise, because you jump over something.” He uses variations like seated (starting in a sitting position) or lateral hurdle jumps to make it more challenging.
As measured by HomeCourt AI, Arvind’s standing vertical jump is an incredible 36 inches.
Sprint intervals
A basketball court measures 94 feet x 50 feet, which means you need short, intense bursts of speed. Not only do sprint intervals mimic this, but it also pushes your cardio training.
“I do sprint training two-three times a week,” says Dhruv. “I don’t aim for 100 metres, because I’m never going to run that much at one go on the court. Rather I run from one end of the court to the other and time myself. In 3x3, I have lesser recovery time, I just need to sprint, put my muscles on and off, because it’s so fast.”
To amp up interval training, Arvind says he adds jump training to sprint intervals.
“I do one set of lateral jumps, I do three jumps then I’ll do three sprints and repeat the process,” the he says. “On the court you are jumping after running a lot. You are not going to be totally fresh while jumping, so you need to simulate that for your muscles.”
Compound upper body exercises
Train for strength rather than size. Which means rather than bulking up your biceps with isolated curls, do compound upper body exercises that recruit more than one muscle. Best examples of these are push-ups, pull-ups, bench presses and rows.
“A lot of people don’t realise that you use a lot of upper body – your shoulders especially – while jumping,” says Arvind. “It is important to strengthen it for that as well as to get past defenders.”
While Dhruv can bench press 105 kgs, he stayed in shape by doing a lot of bodyweight exercises and trained with TRX bands when he could not visit a gym. These exercises are efficient, can be done anywhere, and engage a lot of the core muscles.
“I do a lot of pike push-ups and pull-ups,” says Dhruv. “I usually do 100 of each during my upper body workouts with skipping in between every set.”
Squats and lunges
Oldie but a goodie. Squats and lunges are a staple of a solid workout regimen for a reason – they are still some of the best exercises to build lower body strength. They target the glutes and hamstrings – two of the biggest muscle groups in the body – that ultimately power the jumps. And they are adaptable for any fitness level.
You can start with basic half-squat and split squat, then dial up the intensity by loading weights or make it more dynamic by powering up.
“In order to increase your vertical, you shouldn't be lifting heavy,” says Dhruv. “When I'm working on my jumps, say I'm squatting, I would take off 60% of my one rep max. I will go down slow and explode up. I do split squats and a lot of jump lunges for agility.
“It is very important to work on both legs individually. Performing single leg squat in your training sessions will help you get explosive strength in each leg so you can take off with either feet, rather than always having to jump off with both feet,” adds Dhruv.
There are a variety of lunges as well – front, back, side just to begin with – that focus on different muscles. The lateral lunge is a very functional move for basketball players, since it mirrors the movement while evading defenders.
90/90 hip openers
As important as muscle strength is, flexibility should not be ignored. Basketball is an intense, high-impact game that can take a toll on the body.
“I am 26 years old now,” says Dhruv. “I have realized that flexibility is very important to protect the joints and prevent muscles from stiffening.”
Even as the Delhi-based player practices yoga regularly and begins his day with Surya Namaskar (sun salutation), one of his go-to exercises is the 90/90 hip opener. It not only improves hip mobility but takes away a lot of stress from the lower back.
“Any workout you do should have muscle strength as well as endurance,” says Arvind. “Make sure there are no imbalances, and the body is proportional. You can avoid a lot of injuries by doing that.”
Explosive Workouts for Basketball - 7 Best Explosive Exercises
Basketball is a sport predicated on explosive power.
Whether you’re a guard looking to blow by your defender or a forward looking to become more reactive on the glass, there’s no facet of the game in which more speed and bounce won’t benefit you.
Basketball athletes are some of the most explosive power athletes on the planet.
Of course, some athletes are just naturally gifted when it comes to explosive ability, and others are… well, let’s just say that they better have their fundamentals down if they want to be competitive.
If you’re closer to the latter category than the former, don’t fret: in this article, we’ll be going over some of the best exercises you can incorporate into your explosive workouts to help you become a more dynamic player on the court.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll become the next Zion Williamson, but with dedicated training (as well as proper rest and nutrition), it is very much possible to develop a quicker first step and a higher vertical leap. And if you’re already athletic, why not stretch out that gap between your and your peers just a little bit more?
But first, let’s define explosive power
The fundamentals of jumping higher and running faster for basketball are actually quite simple.
A basketball player driving towards the rim. An explosive first step is crucial for any guard hoping to beat their defender off the dribble.
Power, as a concept in physics, is defined as force multiplied by velocity. Translated to the realm of sports performance, power comes down to the amount of force you can produce with your leg muscles (i.e. strength) and the speed in which they can produce that force.
The first component of that equation can be improved through strength training (e.g. squats and deadlifts), while the second can be improved through plyometric training (i.e. exercises that combine eccentric loading and quick concentric execution).
The takeaway is simple: improve both components of the power equation and you’ll become a more explosive athlete.
So without further ado, here are 7 of the best explosive workout exercises for a basketball player.
7 Exercises to Build Explosive Power
Trap bar deadlift
The trap bar deadlift is the holy grail of power training — at least according to speed coach Ryan Flaherty, whose resume includes working with top NFL prospects, tennis superstar Serena Williams, and US Olympic track and field athletes.
During his years of training elite power athletes, Flaherty found that a metric derived by dividing an athlete’s one-rep max trap bar deadlift by their bodyweight (which he calls the “Force Number”) almost perfectly predicted explosive ability as measured through vertical leap or 40-yard dash time.
Unlike a conventional deadlift, in which the higher starting position of the hips generally results in more posterior chain activation, the more squat-like starting position of the trap bar deadlift results in maximal recruitment of all your leg muscles. It’s the end-all-be-all for lower body strength — a single movement to quantify the amount of force your legs can produce. This doesn’t mean you should neglect your squats, but if you’re looking to zone in on one lift during your explosive workouts, make it the trap bar deadlift.
To perform it, set your feet roughly shoulder width apart in the middle of the trap bar. Then, reach down and grab the handles while keeping your spine neutral and hinging at both the hips and knees; this should naturally drop you into the optimal starting position. Finally, brace your core and perform the lift, focusing on maintaining a neutral spine and pushing your legs into the ground rather than pulling with your arms.
If you’re new to programming for strength training, check out our article on how to incorporate the trap bar deadlift into your explosive workouts.
Box squat
Assuming that traditional squats are already a part of your workout regimen, the box squat is a variation that can be added to increase carry-over into explosive power on the court.
The box squat is exactly what it sounds like: a box is placed at around the level of depth you would normally squat to, allowing you to come to a dead stop before performing the concentric portion of the lift.
When performing this exercise, make sure to avoid the common mistake of allowing yourself to simply “sit” on the box; despite receiving support at the bottom of the squat, it’s important to still focus on maintaining core tightness and tension throughout the whole lift.
The box squat can be utilized in two different ways to build power. The first is to overload the weight way past your typical squat capacity, thereby allowing you to train your legs for maximal force output.
The second is as a tool to train speed in the concentric portion of the squat. By taking away the work necessary to resist the force pushing you down during the eccentric, you can instead focus your attention on pushing yourself up from the box as explosively as possible. This will effectively work on both aspects of the power equation (force x velocity) we talked about earlier.
If you want even more carry over to the court, you might want to consider setting the box to about quarter squat depth — or about the height to which you’d usually load up your legs before taking off for a two-footed jump. At this height, you can incorporate both heavy weights and a focus on an explosive concentric.
Bulgarian split squat
As a basketball player, you likely have a dominant leg when it comes to one-legged take-offs for layups or dunks. Over time, this can lead to imbalances in leg strength, which is problematic if you’re trying to improve your jumping ability off of two feet.
That’s where the Bulgarian split squat comes in handy. In addition to placing extra emphasis on your glutes compared to a traditional squat (a key source of power generation), the unilateral nature of this squat variation helps iron out muscle imbalances between your legs.
To perform it, set one foot elevated on a bench with your knee touching the floor. Place the other leg forward at a knee joint angle slightly greater than 90 degrees. Grab your dumbbells, brace your core and push up, focusing on driving your hips forward (rather than straight up or backwards) while maintaining an upright, neutral spine.
Power clean
The power clean is a staple of every athlete’s explosive workout program, and for good reason: it’s the ultimate combination of both strength and speed, mimicking the “triple extension” (i.e. extension in the ankles, legs and hips) that’s seen in a power movement like the vertical jump.
The setup is similar to a conventional deadlift, but instead of merely pulling the bar to your hips, the power clean is a dynamic movement in which you’ll have to explosively lift the weight all the way up to a racked position on the front of your shoulders.
The power clean is a very technical lift that should be properly coached and only attempted if you already have a significant strength base in the squat and deadlift.
If you do, refer to our in-depth article on how to perform the power clean.
Kettlebell swing
The kettlebell swing is a fantastic exercise for developing power in the hip extension, a crucial component of any explosive workout.
When done right, a kettlebell swing trains your hips to a) absorb the force of the kettlebell as it comes crashing down on the eccentric portion of the movement and b) powerfully convert that force in the other direction on the concentric portion of the movement.
To perform it, place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart on both sides of the kettlebell. Sink your hips back while keeping your spine neutral and your shoulders in line with the kettlebell. Grab the kettlebell and swing it forward; make sure to focus on driving the movement with your hips rather than your arms.
Depth jump
Developed by Soviet track and field coach Yuri Berkhoshansky in the late 1960’s, the depth jump is a fundamental plyometric exercise that every power athlete should be doing.
It involves simply stepping off an elevated platform and jumping as quickly as you can upon impact.
In doing so, you’re training your muscles to absorb force in the eccentric loading phase of the movement (i.e. when you land on the ground) before powerfully converting that energy into a concentric contraction (i.e. when you jump). The period in between the eccentric and concentric phase of the movement is known as the “amortization phase”, or the stretch-shortening cycle. The depth jump trains you to reduce the length of the amortization phase, thus translating to more explosive power on the court.
Seated box jump
The seated box jump is a variation of the box jump that involves taking off from a seated, rather than standing, position.
This eliminates the eccentric loading phase typical of a normal box jump, thereby training rate of force development during the concentric portion of the jump.
Because the point of emphasis for this exercise is concentric explosion, make sure you don’t commit the common mistake of swaying and slightly lifting the feet off the ground prior to jumping; this incorporates the eccentric portion of the jump, defeating the purpose of the drill.
Programming Explosive Workouts for Basketball
There are many approaches for programming explosive workouts for basketball, with no one-glove-fits-all solution.
Some coaches preach the mantra that an athlete needs to be able to squat at least 1.5x their bodyweight before beginning plyometrics, but others think it’s overkill, especially if you start out small (e.g. a very low box height for depth jumps).
Some coaches like to block out their programs into strength and plyometric phases, while others prefer combining both types of exercises into single workouts.
In recent years, the latter approach has gained quite a bit of traction due to interest in the idea of “post-activation potentiation” (PAP), a fancy way of noting that subjecting our muscles to maximal or near-maximal resistance appears to “prime” them to produce higher rates of force immediately after.
In practice, then, workouts that attempt to capitalize on PAP with the goal of improving power — usually known as “complex training” — involve combining heavy compound lifts with plyometric exercises in supersets (i.e. performing the plyometric right after with minimal rest). While the literature regarding the efficacy of complex training is still fairly small, there have been several studies suggesting that it is effective in producing long-term gains in power.
Using the exercises covered in this article, a sample workout could look as follows:
3 sets of:
Trap-bar deadlift – 4 reps at 80% of 1RM
3 – 7 mins rest (the ideal interval according to this meta-analysis, although highly-trained athletes can get away with less)
5 reps of seated box jumps
3 sets of:
Box squat – 5 reps at 70% of 1RM
3 – 7 mins rest
5 reps of depth jumps
3 sets of:
Power clean – 6 reps at 50% 1RM
3 – 7 mins rest
8 reps of kettlebell swings
Complex training can induce high levels of fatigue, so make sure you limit these training sessions to once or twice a week, especially if you’re pushing the intensity on the conditioning compound lift.
As with all training in the gym, progressive overload is key. Start off light and build your way up to higher intensities as you make your way through the training cycle.
And there you have it: 7 of the best explosive workout exercises and some tips on how to program them!
This list of exercises is, of course, far from exhaustive, as is our recommendation for programming. There are so many more strength and plyometric exercises (as well as training styles) out there that will help you increase your explosive power, but if you’re looking for a foundation, this a great place to start. If you’re looking for even more tips, make sure to check out our comprehensive overview on plyometric training.
Now go out there and get bouncy!
On the Internet, anyone is taught to bet on top. But do jump increase programs really work? - Inside The Ball - Blogs
Professional dunkers, physical education instructor and ordinary fans answer.
When the Internet began to actively develop and it became clear that you can go in for sports through the screen of a smartphone or laptop, various training programs began to appear on the network. Including - to increase the jump.
A high jump is a calling card for a young basketball player. The first dunk is remembered better than the first sex, and the opportunity to surprise your friends and girls around with your jumping ability is worth a lot.
People born in the 90s had a vivid example before their eyes. As schoolchildren, they watched the 175-centimeter Nate Robinson tear at the NBA slamdunk contests. And they wanted to follow him.
A few years after Robinson's performances, the “dunk euphoria” reached the CIS countries: such programs as Air Alert, Boing Vert, Mad Bounce and others became popular on the network, and Moscow Open Dunk Contest was rapidly gaining momentum in Moscow, attended by young Jordan Kilganon.
Popular programs
Air Alert (peak price - about $ 20)
The most popular jump increase program was developed by Timur Tukel from North Carolina back in 1991. During this time, there were several versions of Air Alert, and the creator tried in every possible way to advertise his product through NBA players - Larry Hughes and Baron Davis were among the PR people.
Tukel believes that Air Alert was responsible for Davis' dunk through the future RSE president, but Hughes and Davis later admitted that they agreed to advertise the program purely for money.
Boing Vert (peak price $80)
In 2011, NBA and NFL fitness coach Sean Mouse decided to compete with Air Alert and released his own jump increase program.
The creator assured that Boing Vert would not harm the knees, beginners would be able to see a jump increase of 35-40 centimeters, and the program itself was tested by athletes with whom Mouse worked, modestly calling himself Dr. jump.
Mad Bounce (peak price - ?)
One of the earliest jump increase programs. So old that the official website of Mad Bounce has long been closed, but the product of the creators is still in demand in the CIS countries in recent years - most of the articles about Mad Bounce are in Russian.
All three programs can be downloaded for free today.
Are these programs effective?
Professional dunkers, physical education instructor and regular fans answer.
Dmitry "Smoove" Krivenko, professional dunker
One of the brightest and most technical dunkers in the world with a height of 187 centimeters, Dmitry Krivenko believes that any programs can be effective and they give results. The only question is what end result is needed by the person himself.
“Even as a child, I was doing Air Alert, even then there was a feeling that the program was not quite correctly composed, because there was a huge number of repetitions, which could hardly give a good explosive power at the end. The Mad Bounce program was also in my life. She helped me jump, it was mostly plyometric work.
Plyometric exercises - a unique complex that allows you to simultaneously increase muscle strength, overall endurance and burn the maximum amount of fat.
Smoove considers the Bounce Kit program from famous dunker Jordan Kilganon to be the most effective program.
“Of all the programs that exist today, I can single out Bounce Kit by Jordan Kilganon, because there is an emphasis on strength work in the gym, and this is exactly what is needed to increase the jump. I also used the Jordan program in preparation for one of the seasons, it helped me get in good shape. Its main advantage is simplicity. At a time when programs like Air Alert or Boing Vert tried to add variety to their training plan to make it more interesting for users to train, Bounce Kit focuses on basic things that are most effective.
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Interestingly, Dmitry Krivenko has his own jump increase program called Jet. The Smoove exercise complex was developed jointly with Vadim "Miller" Poddubchenko, the program is presented in three versions - Jet Pack ($35), Jet System ($20) and Jet Home ($10).
“My JET program with Miller was created on the basis of the Kilganon program - simple, but working. We decided to write a training plan 3 years ago to see if our people needed such a product. We shared our experience and received a great response from the audience. Not being professional trainers, we decided that in order for the product to be really of high quality, we need not only our experience, but also the knowledge of a person who is completely immersed in this area. So we pulled our dunker friend into this project, who is now engaged in the physical training of athletes.
I would say that our program may be similar to others, in particular those in the free book "Vertical Jump Bible", but only because there are not so many exercises that are really needed. The only question is how to fit them into the three-month plan.
Unlike Air Alert and Boing Vert, Dmitry Krivenko's program does not promise a guaranteed result, but Smoove himself says that there will definitely be changes in the jump if the exercises are performed correctly.
“We always tell people who buy the program that it is impossible to predict the result, because we cannot remotely control the quality of the exercises and the approach to training. But at the same time, we assure you that the result will be without a doubt if everything is done as written. The home program is less effective, since the work comes only with its own weight, but still, even about it, we have already collected a lot of positive feedback. And after going through the main JET System, we have already received videos with the first dunks in our lives many times.”
Dmitry Krivenko believes that in most cases, the wrong technique is to blame for the “killed knees”.
“Injuries can happen, both because of an incorrectly drawn up program, and through the fault of the athlete. Self-training is much more difficult than working with a trainer who watches you. Many people may have some microtrauma, but nevertheless they start training through pain, make the situation worse, and then blame the program for it. We, fortunately, did not have such stories, because we advise everyone to contact the doctor first if there are any complaints. But in principle, there are many such situations. But if we take the situation modulo, then, of course, most injuries, provided a well-designed program, are due to improper technique. An athlete must take a responsible approach to training if he wants to have a long and happy sports life. My coach monitors my every repetition and approach, because the desire to “freebie” appears unconsciously on the last approaches, which causes the technique to suffer, which can then get out into some kind of unpleasant injury.
Ivan Shumilov, Physical Education Instructor
Even before becoming a Physical Education Instructor, Ivan tried to improve his jump with Air Alert and Boing Vert for several weeks. Years later, he developed his own opinion about these programs.
pic.twitter.com/dWf97wksxW
— Ivan Shumilov (@shumillkyn) December 7, 2020
“The main problem was that these programs were not adapted for us, we took information from the original source without understanding the technique and training features. Now it seems to me that Air Alert is a rather pointless program, it contains a large amount of training, which in fact will not lead to the development of an “explosion”. Perhaps, strength endurance will grow, you will be able to jump more, but, in my opinion, it is necessary to develop speed-explosive qualities. Weightlifting develops these skills very well, but it is important not to forget about the technique. Also very important is the stabilization of the body and the ability to correctly "turn on" in jumps."
Today Ivan Shumilov is quite a basketball height (189 cm), but he doesn't purposefully increase his jump, but actively follows the dunkers, who mostly perform power and high-speed-explosive movements.
“Of the trainers, I would mention Action, he promotes very correct things in my opinion, he also has a working approach to the development of the jump. I even integrate some of the nuances from his video into my training program. Also the work of Vadim “Miller”, he is incredibly cool as a dunker, but he has a lot of strength / speed and explosive movements in training.
Sergey Nagorny, dunker, coach and blogger
Dunker and coach Sergey Nagorny, who uses the nickname "Action", is really very popular in the basketball community.
Four years ago, he released a video on his Youtube channel in which he talked about why he did not like the most popular program to increase the jump, Air Alert.
“I really don't like this program. It has a total of 5-6 exercises that are performed 5 times a week in Air Alert 1 and Air Alert 2, as well as 3 times a week in Air Alert 3. These 5-6 exercises do not change throughout the program, then there are 12-15 weeks. Only the volume, the number of repetitions and approaches is growing, and the intensity is falling.
The most interesting thing about this program is the volume, especially in Air Alert 2. For example, high jumps, which look like jumping out of a quarter squat, are performed in the first week for 50 repetitions in one set. This is already a lot. Technique will break down, and power will drop after the first 10 repetitions. But the most interesting thing is that on the 12th week of this program you need to do 2 sets of 400 repetitions. I have no words. Even if one repetition takes one second, then this is more than 6 minutes of continuous jumping. Recovery after such approaches will be delayed for a long time.
With the exception of burnouts and calf raises, in weeks 12-15 you should do 1000 jumps per workout, that is 5000 jumps per week. In addition, the program also advises to play basketball, they say, it will be better this way.
"Action" also shared his opinion on how many sets and repetitions should be optimal.
“I think it's best to do 150-200 jumps per workout. Not more. At the same time, in one approach it is better to do from 5 to 10 repetitions, personally I do not do more than five jumps. But at the same time, each jump in your workout should be very powerful, maximum, then you will get the result from your workouts. There is no point in a lot of jumps when they are performed at quarter strength .”
Dunker also believes that in most cases jump gain is measured incorrectly, which is why many people over-praise the effectiveness of the program. But at the same time, the program can really help beginners achieve a certain result.
“I am often told that I am wrong, because “I have a friend who gained 15 cm, 20 cm, cosmic 40 cm with Air Alert. The first thing I want to say to this is that you count your jump incorrectly, at 90% of the time it is. Because the fact that you jumped to the ring does not mean that you added 40 cm in the jump.
Yes, after Air Alert you can increase your jump, but this applies more to beginners who cannot jump at all. They start this program without jumping skills, they don't know how to use their own body, their own muscles. What gives Air Alert - a huge number of jumps improves intermuscular and intramuscular coordination, that is, a person simply learns to use his own body. But if you just come to the site and jump for 30-40 minutes a day, then the result will be no worse, and maybe even better, because when you jump on the ring, you invest as much as possible in the jump, use more muscle fibers . And recovery after such training will be much faster than after Air Alert.
But Action's overall impression of Air Alert is still negative.
“This program is positioned as a program for home conditions, they say, you can do it at home without leaving your room. This is complete nonsense! No normal athlete has achieved any results at home. If you are not ready to leave the room and not ready to get your ass off, then forget about some achievements and a high jump. You will never have it."
Savely Zabelkin, basketball fan
Savely has been using the Boing Vert program for several weeks and claims that the program works, but it kills his knees.
“I trained on Boing Vert for almost two months, during which time I added 11 centimeters in my jump. I liked the program because it had fairly simple exercises, but at the same time effective - they really gave results.
The only negative is the dead knees. I don’t know what it was connected with, with the program or execution technique, but after the first week of training, I felt pain in my knees. For the same reason, I did not make Air Alert 3, which has a huge amount of training from the very beginning.
Today Saveliy looks at pumping the jump in a new way.
“Now it seems to me that in order to increase the jump, I need to work in different directions. It is necessary to do jumping exercises, and train with iron in the gym, use running exercises, and also strengthen coordination.”
Viktor Falyaev, basketball fan
Tula basketball fan Viktor Falyaev tried Air Alert and Mad Bounce almost 10 years ago. He still has memories of those programs to this day.
“Programs to increase jump are really effective, but it needs to be done smartly. Air Alert, which is slightly less effective due to a lesser range of exercises, has helped me gain 10cm and jump more confidently. But Mad Bounce in those years was just a cannon - the program not only helped me with the jump, which grew by 10-15 centimeters, but also pumped speed and physical fitness.
Victor also noted that there was no emphasis on technology, and those who sold programs should be blamed for the “killed knees”.
“Techniques were really bad, half of the exercises in Air Alert were in the “come on, jump” format. Plus, in recent weeks, Air Alerta has been a real game, you had to jump almost a thousand times per approach. Then it seemed right and logical, but now you understand that it is not so. Mad Bounce was more adequate in this regard.
I didn't have injuries from these programs, I think that with proper warm-up you can do without damage. However, I would blame those who sold these programs for the injuries, as they were kind of handicraft . For example, what Smoove is currently selling is on a whole other level. To succeed, you need consistency, ideally a comprehensive program that will include both the gym and the barbell, as well as work on endurance and explosive speed.
Georgy Artemiev, physical training coach
Georgy Artemyev, physical training coach of the Russian national team, who also worked with David Blatt, also shared his opinion about programs to increase the jump.
“I am familiar with these programs and use the exercises from these programs. What I like about them is a good presentation and a set of exercises that are presented in them, and the minus is that the programs presented do not provide for different levels of preparedness of athletes. Any set of exercises and workouts must be adapted to a specific person, and not blindly follow the general requirements of . And the lack of a ratio of volume and intensity of these exercises leads to a large number of injuries.
So do you need programs to improve your jump?
Yes, especially if you have never jumped and are just about to learn how to control your body. But do not forget that when passing any program, it is necessary to follow the technique so as not to get injured and achieve the desired result. In addition, the younger the program, the more effective it is - the creators take into account previous mistakes and try to present the optimal training plan.
Most trustworthy are those who have already achieved success in their flights and become professional dunkers. Almost every famous dunker has his own recipe for high flights - programs on the Internet are sold by Jordan Kilganon, "Smoove" and "Miller", Ilya "Krokha" and many other famous dunkers.
Photo: Instagram/smooveukraine
Michael Jordan's 10 Secrets to Train for Success
American Michael Jordan is a basketball legend, one of the best defenders in history. He had explosive power, and for high jumps he was nicknamed Air Jordan . The recently released miniseries The Last Dance on Netflix provides a behind-the-scenes look at the historic 1997-1998 NBA season as Michael Jordan fought the Chicago Bulls for their sixth championship. The series turned out to be dramatic, shocking and frank. He revealed the stories of many players and allowed us to better understand the character of Michael Jordan - a man who was ready to do anything to win.
Find out what Michael Jordan did to achieve his best form.
He got up very early
Morning workouts were a must for Michael Jordan. They started at 5:30, the athlete was usually accompanied by teammates. They wanted to gain an edge over their rival, the Detroit Pistons. And it really worked: soon after the introduction of morning workouts into the training plan, the Bulls were able to beat the competition.
He trained hard for many years
Michael's trainer Tim Grover wanted to add morning workouts for a month to help athletes get in shape and overcome temporary challenges. After those 30 days, Jordan continued to train at the same pace for the next 15 years. Waking up early in the morning is not easy, but it was the morning workouts that gave Michael an advantage over other athletes.
He worked on explosive power
In order to keep the Chicago Bulls from winning, the Detroit players came up with a tactic: they tried not to let Jordan jump, because when he was in the air, it was impossible to beat him. Michael understood this and worked hard on explosive strength in the gym - improving his vertical jump and squat jump, and these movements helped him in the fight. Thanks to explosive strength training, Michael Jordan became faster, it was impossible to stop him.
He ate a lot of protein
Working out in the gym is only half the battle. Just as important is what you eat. Michael Jordan burned a lot of calories while playing and training. He had to increase his daily calorie intake when the volume of training increased. He began to consume more protein, because this is the main building block for muscles.
He paid attention to stretching
It was important for the best basketball player in history to remain agile and flexible, so Jordan did dynamic stretching before each workout and static stretching after it.
He did bodyweight exercises
Not all workouts Michael Jordan lifted dumbbells and barbells. Many of his classes consisted only of bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups. Everything in the complex helped Michael in the jump - he was really invulnerable when he flew into the air, thanks to a combination of explosive strength, muscle strength and agility. Training made him invincible.
He went beyond
Michael trained with dedication and was always willing to do more than he was asked to. For example, if the coach told him to do 8 reps of an exercise, Michael did 12, even when it seemed like he had used up all his strength. He wouldn't let anyone be better than himself, even in the gym.
He played golf
Jordan has played golf throughout his basketball career. He was passionate, did not suffer defeats and continued to play until he won. Drive and competition were in everything he did.
He worked on his weaknesses
During training, Michael Jordan was able to turn his weaknesses into strengths.
Not only do sprint intervals mimic this, but it also pushes your cardio training.
Best examples of these are push-ups, pull-ups, bench presses and rows.
And they are adaptable for any fitness level.
Basketball is an intense, high-impact game that can take a toll on the body.
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Finally, brace your core and perform the lift, focusing on maintaining a neutral spine and pushing your legs into the ground rather than pulling with your arms.
Over time, this can lead to imbalances in leg strength, which is problematic if you’re trying to improve your jumping ability off of two feet.
Sink your hips back while keeping your spine neutral and your shoulders in line with the kettlebell. Grab the kettlebell and swing it forward; make sure to focus on driving the movement with your hips rather than your arms.
The Smoove exercise complex was developed jointly with Vadim "Miller" Poddubchenko, the program is presented in three versions - Jet Pack ($35), Jet System ($20) and Jet Home ($10). 
Self-training is much more difficult than working with a trainer who watches you. Many people may have some microtrauma, but nevertheless they start training through pain, make the situation worse, and then blame the program for it. We, fortunately, did not have such stories, because we advise everyone to contact the doctor first if there are any complaints. But in principle, there are many such situations. But if we take the situation modulo, then, of course, most injuries, provided a well-designed program, are due to improper technique. An athlete must take a responsible approach to training if he wants to have a long and happy sports life. My coach monitors my every repetition and approach, because the desire to “freebie” appears unconsciously on the last approaches, which causes the technique to suffer, which can then get out into some kind of unpleasant injury. 
Years later, he developed his own opinion about these programs. 
These 5-6 exercises do not change throughout the program, then there are 12-15 weeks. Only the volume, the number of repetitions and approaches is growing, and the intensity is falling. 
The first thing I want to say to this is that you count your jump incorrectly, at 90% of the time it is. Because the fact that you jumped to the ring does not mean that you added 40 cm in the jump. 
This is complete nonsense! No normal athlete has achieved any results at home. If you are not ready to leave the room and not ready to get your ass off, then forget about some achievements and a high jump. You will never have it." 
For the same reason, I did not make Air Alert 3, which has a huge amount of training from the very beginning. 
Michael understood this and worked hard on explosive strength in the gym - improving his vertical jump and squat jump, and these movements helped him in the fight. Thanks to explosive strength training, Michael Jordan became faster, it was impossible to stop him. 
Many of his classes consisted only of bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups. Everything in the complex helped Michael in the jump - he was really invulnerable when he flew into the air, thanks to a combination of explosive strength, muscle strength and agility. Training made him invincible. 
