Below is the training that I got from STACK.com, which is a worldwide source for athletes looking for training or drills specific to their sport. As you can see, it seems to be a very light workout. That's because I consider myself as a beginner in the program. It was also a precautionary measure that I took because I didn't want to rush into some crazy workout program for professional athletes, were I am clearly nowhere close to a professional basketball player. As noted, I took three days to perform these exercises, which is more than a normal beginner should according to STACK. However, I took the training slowly, and performed the jumps in a controlled manner, to avoid putting a ton of pressure on my joints and knees.
My Workout (Week 1)
When working out, I developed a love for the box jumps. The reason why is because I knew that they would the most beneficial to my goal of being able to dunk. It resembles the exact motion that you would do when trying to "throw it down", and it gives you a goal. If you were just jumping up and down, you might not think of getting as high as you can. With the box, it forces you to give it your all. You can watch an example of the box jumps below. I will be posting my videos of my working out as well.
When week one came to a close, I was a bit disappointed. After trying to dunk on Tuesday and Thursday, I felt very little improvement in my vertical. To start the week, my vertical jump was 28 inches. After week one, I went to test my vertical and found very upsetting results. My jump was 28 inches again, so I saw no increase after my first week of training. However I realized that due to the way I preformed the exercises, my jump did not increase an inch, which was my original goal. By not trying my hardest, I'm sure it affected the results. Like I said before, it was a precautionary measure, because I want to ease into the program, and get comfortable with the exercises. Now that I'm going into the second week, you can count on me putting a lot more effort in, and hopefully getting the results I want out.
This is me after the first week of training. Now it was 20 degrees outside, so my legs got cold fast, as you can see in the sad, first attempt to dunk. I have a long way to go, but I'm confident that the hard work will pay off!
At the beginning of the basketball season, I remember watching Ron Brundage and Brandon Pace dunking with ease at the end of practices. Then whenever I would try it, I would come nowhere close to the leaping ability of Pace and Ron. The goal of being a varsity starter next year is going to keep me moving forward, even though I had a rough go around and saw no improvement. What I have to do know is take the workouts seriously, and to use my goal of playing varsity to motivate me to keep going and to get better!
I'll check in next week with hopefully a ton of progress!
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteAs I continue to follow your blog, since I don't know much about basketball, I find it interesting what you think is important to improve on for the skills. I've seen some crazy box jumps before, and I was wondering if this just applies for verticals where you are still, or does it translate into running and dunking as well? I will say though that the higher the box jump is, the way more impressive it looks. Is throwing it down mainly for looks, or are there other reasons for it as well, like being able to get the ball through the defenders?
Looking forward to seeing progress
Hey Logan! Box jumps are definitely applicable to basketball. As you know, it is the same motion as an actual dunk, but throwing it down isn't exactly the only goal I have through this training. Plyometrics increase your power, speed, and explosiveness, which are all very important to the game of basketball. This means that I can get down the court quicker, be able to turn on a dime, and become more of a shot blocker. Not only would my offense see improvement, but my defense would benefit as well. Like I said, I would be able to block more shots, and grab the tough defensive rebounds. All in all, I want to become a better athlete and player, which is why plyometrics is so important. Thanks for the input!
DeleteHey Alex! I like that you are looking up specialized workout plans, but you might not be going about it the right way. Gaining an inch of vertical jump in one week is a very bold prediction, bordering on unrealistic. Try to set more obtainable goals like 45 box jumps in a minute or something like that. Try to make short term goals and not worry about the long term. The dunk will come in time, just try to build strength and explosiveness for now. Also, with quick explosive movements it is very important to keep your muscles loose so as not to injure yourself. You mentioned getting cold very quickly when you went outside, so you probably shouldn't go outside.
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