Jump training is one of the best and easiest ways to develop explosive power.
Jumps also hype the nervous system and a great 'Kick Start" prior to engaging in HEAVY lifting, as you're about to see below 🙂
 If you want someone to be explosive, make no mistake about it, being weak and performing jump training won't help much.
Like the athletes in my video above, they started off with the basics to get strong.
This meant a TON of bodyweight training. In fact, even with them squatting 475 and 495 lbs, guess what I give them for homework when they do not train at the gym?
That's right, MORE bodyweight training.
They perform squats, push ups, pull ups, lunges, jumping rope and they also play a lot of Basketball - what's more explosive than Basketball?
They sprint, jump, sprint and jump some more.
The 2 jumps we used prior to squatting heavy were kneeling jumps and the veritcal jump.
Now you can see how we use bodyweight training not only to improve strength and general physical preparation, but also to hype up the nervous system and get these beasts primed and ready to LIFT BIG!
I wanna hear your experiences, thoughts and comments with jump training and bodyweight training in the comments below.
Come on, let's crank 40 + comments this time!
Peace!
--Z--
PS: Bodyweight University is coming along AWESOME. The final package will rock and I'll be hooking you guys up with a special sale for the first few days! Showin' the Love bruddahs!
I have used the same principles with the athletes I’ve worked with with great success before a heavy lifting session.
-Explosive Med Ball Throws
-Vertical Jumps
-Resisted Vertical Jumps
-Broad Jumps
Etc…
Basic but effective! Get the CNS primed and watch your lifts shoot up!
This body weight package is going to rock I have a feeling!! Nice work Coach Z.
-John Cortese
I love it Zach! Loved all of your posts so far since I met you and LOVE the Bodyweight U concept. Good luck with it. I know you’re gonna kill it.
I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon fellow crazy person!
Solid. I do jumps before my dynamic effort lower body days. Never tried them off the knees though.
Same principles here too. I love incorporating explosive jumps with my athletes as a warmup. Some of my favorites are:
Burpee/Broad Jump combo
broad jumps
box jumps
single leg hops are great too!
BTW, my 2yr old son just watched his first underground strength show! When the video was over he just keep saying “jumping, jumping” “watch that dad”
What can I say? I’m starting him young!
I must be the dumbass, I’ve never tried jumps before squatting. thanks!
That weight being moved is impressive! I do have some questions though: Don’t you get the most benefit from the explosive jumps by doing them almost immediately before the lift (not in volume though) instead of during the dynamic warm-up? Also, why do you have your athletes rack the bar up on their traps instead of further down across the back and rear delts, as to take advantage of more hip drive? Are you just trying to utilize the quads more b/c of the high box level?
Awesome workout Zach! Really liked the kneeling jumps… haven’t used them in awhile and I think it’s time to bring em back into the program. Keep pumpin out the great info!
Hey Z,
Chow and Curls killing the weights…
Get them STRONG for the DeFrancos Strongest Athlete Comp!!!
Let’s not forget, Curls is the defending CHAMP!
I really like this approach to activate the central nervous system before lifting heavy. I am going to implement the kneeling jumps on my next leg day.
It’s like Waterbury says so well “the CNS is like the breaks to your muscles.”
This kind of work is like running out of brake fluid so you can’t stop!! haha!
Great stuff Zach.
Great article. I must do more bodyweight training myself. I play tennis and it is up and down all the time on the court.
I love doing explosive exercises. I’m going to try these from knees jumps. Can you do them with little extra weight for more strength?
Thanks Zach.
I love bodyweight training. Too many guys at my gym stare at themselves in the mirror while doing concentration curls the whole time. Little do they know that bodyweight training would give them jacked arms a heck of lot quicker.
No experience with jump exercises but this video has given me some ideas. Kudos to the guys demonstrating them. The guy in red is deceptively quick on his feet…
I’ve never tried jump training prior to heavy lifting, I usually performed it on separate days. I’ll give this a go when working with my local rugby team and see how they get on!
Thanks
Zach,
Love the dynamic warm up for the CNS before the heavy squats!! The kneeling verticals look tough!!
Looking forward to seeing more of the body weight exercises in your kit!!
Many of the students I teach don’t have access to a “gym” over the summer so I am looking forward to sharing your ideas with them.
Cheers,
MG
P.S. I love the Secrets of Strength shirt in your recent post!! I wear mine with a ton of pride!!
Zach,
Never thought of getting the nervous system to fire using pyometrics BEFORE lifting heavy- I always thought it would deplete the reserves and contribute to premature CNS fatigue. My jump training was done on a separate day altogether usually.
I know that a dynamic warm-up helps to prepare the muscles for work and increase blood flow to the working muscles but I am unsure what plyometrics will do prior to lifting heavy- more research for me as my eyes have been opened to a new philosophy on jump training.
On a bit of a tangent- Did you see the video of the NFL draft prospect Jarron Gilbert??? He jumped out of a pool onto the deck to demonstrate his vertical it’s all over youtube! Pretty Sick considering he’s 6’4 288lbs and a defensive lineman.
– Chris
yoooooo bruddahs, shaweeeeeeeeet comments.
RE Bar position on back: The shorter guy, Coop, his traps and back are so dman big that he feels fine with them on his traps, Chow and Curl both go lower but we don’t do olympic style squats w/them way low on the traps
RE kneeling jumps w/weight – YES, it can be done and has been done, I have heard of some guys hitting this w/225 lbs on their back! I believe the Jersey Jackal has done this w/185 lbs
You can also perform the kneeling jump into a box jump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysKTmL7adH8&feature=related
And here, w/a barbell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCsfxpQ8C1M
** But guys, PLEASE NOTE: kneeling jumps w/ a barbell are HIGHLY advanced!
Our main jumps are kneeling, vertical and box jumps w/various positions and movements: seated, walk up and jump, squat and jump
The strong guys rock these, those who are weak need to get STRONG before we do all the power work
–Z–
yo z
sick stuff bro!
i LOVE jump training! nothing better to really make you feel like an athlete!
on the days where you might be feeling sleepy or draggin ass before your workout, bust out some jumps and power skips
just like you said, it gets you beasted out to do heavy weights for sure!
Fan-freakin-tastic stuff, I stumbled upon your site a little while ago and have just started using your methods and my God am I impressed. Thanks so much and keep up the good work!!!
Yea! I used to do this exericse before I would hang clean. As you say it would help me prepare for the violent technique that is required for power lifting.. Awesome!
Raise da Muther F*&$#’N roooof!!! I love it i just even more inspired now Watch out Brotherzzzzz!!! Jack is Comin’
I have been doing kneeling jumps in my circuits for awhile now. I totally see a difference in explosive level change in my judo and submission wrestling. I got revenge at a Judo tournament this past weekend with this mofo that stopped me from getting on the podium a few months ago. I dropped right under him, a guy that is at least four inches shorter than me, with a nice firemen’s carry.
Many people focus on leg explosion going up but not to change levels going down. I think drop snatch is the only excerise that is comparable.
Hey Zach,
Never thought jumping would be used BEFORE leg training! Everytime I play basketball and train legs the next day my training always suffers. But will try this vertical jump thing on my next leg day! Also, when using jump training before legs, does it make a difference if you’re squatting singles like in the vid or sets of say 5-7?
Ben – when you play B-Ball you are sprinting and jumping ENDLESSLY
We do a maximum of 20 jumps before leg work and sometimes as low as 10 jumps prior to leg work
Also, these guys were doing sets of 3 – 5 reps in the squat and their last were singles
but, RARELY do our guys hit singles, only those who have been training here for a few years and are physically ready for singles
even then, I still prefer sets in the 3 – 5 rep range when moving big weights
the other leg work they did that day, AFTER the box squats was:
2A) glute ham raise 3 x max reps
2B) double Kettlebell Cleans 3 x 10 reps
3) sled drags 2 x 200′
4) prowler run 1 x 200′
so you can see we get the reps in through the other movements and the sled work.
hope that helps bruddah!
–z–
I never thought of this.
I can definitely see how the jumping hypes up the body!
Thanks, Zach! You give us the most amazing things!
BRING IT ON!!!!
–Stephan
Great post! 🙂
Eirik
I like the way you’re developing the explosiveness with the jumps from the knees. I’ll tuck that into the bodyweight repetoire.
Breakthrough and conquer!