game changers give away - verticaljumping.com€¦ · excessive anterior pelvic tilt, lower back...
TRANSCRIPT
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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.
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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.