The Thinker: Vertical Jump Training, Training Splits, and Energy System Development By James "The Thinker" Smith

elitefts™ Sunday Edition

James “The Thinker” Smith is a team elitefts™ Q&A Coach and Physical Preparation Consultant. These questions and answers (unedited) have been selected from the elitefts™ Sports Training Q&A. James is anelitefts™ distinguished 5-Star Trainer and has become renowned as one of the best Preparation Coaches in the world. When he speaks, coaches listen.

Vertical Jump Training

QUESTION 1:

James,

I believe while you were at Pitt. you did not have your football players do maximal effort work. Correct me if I’m wrong. Was this because of the risk it can have on the anatomical structure of your athletes? Or did you simply not find it necessary for your football players? I understand that the training process must be completely individualized and correlate with the biodynamic/bioenergetic necessities of the given position and the technical/tactical makeup of that position so in some cases maximal intensity movements may not be necessary.

However, while reading an article by Dietmar Schmidtbleicher he says, “It is of interest for practical training and competitions that a notable increase in explosive strength performances could only be achieved from maximal contractions (lifting of a 100% of a single repetition maximum or isometric MVC’s)”.

Does this entail that it is necessary for a football player to incorporate maximal effort movements into his training plan because, as said by Dietmar, no other intensity load gives such an increase in explosive strength.

Best,
Luke

ANSWER:

Luke,

My players did not perform maximal effort work with any great frequency; however, they did perform maximal efforts occasionally in horizontal press variations for the purpose of general organism strength.

The leg training was nearly entirely reserved for alactic linear and multi-directional work, reactive/elastic work, explosive jumps/throws, and sub-max weights.

Every time I prepared athletes for the pro day or combine my guys performed exceptionally well on the 40yd and jumps- many setting lifetime personal bests on the test days themselves.

Between 2007 through 2010, at PITT, I had many players jump over 36″ and 4 or 5 over 40″.

In 2008 I trained one of the most elastic athletes I’ve every worked with, Jemeel Brady, to a 41″ (lifetime PB) at the pro day. In 2009 I trained a 310lb d-linemen Rashad Duncan for the pro day to a 32in vertical (lifetime PB). In 2010 Dorin Dickerson earned the highest vertical in the entire combine (43.5″-lifetime PB), regardless of position and in 2012 I had some of the top performers in the entire combine in the VJ with Keshawn Martin (39.5″-lifetime PB), Devon Wylie (39″-tied lifetime PB), Sean Richardson (38.5″-lifetime PB), and Miles Burris (37.5″-tied lifetime PB).

I’ve never had an athlete perform maximum strength weight work for the legs during jump preparation and single response jumps are some of the most explosive actions out there.

The Thinker

QUESTION 2:

James,
Regarding the Q&A you recently answered regarding vertical jumping and your players at Pitt, did you find that the athletes who performed well on the vertical jump possessed above average strength on movements such as squats for their body weights?

Thank you
Andrew L

ANSWER:

Andrew L

Generally yes, however, the output in the squat, and its variations, are entirely dependent upon the athletes leverages.

Alternatively, vertical jumping is much more forgiving to a variety of leverage systems.

Remember that ‘strength’ training is force training and force can be generated in a vast amount of positions that allow for overload. Traditional barbell exercises represent only one realm of overload training.

Some of my best jumpers performed little to no squatting in their training; however, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t perform strength training for their hips and legs.

The Thinker

QUESTION 3:

Following up on vertical jumping,
Kind of a silly question, but why do basketball players, some of the best vertical jumpers, have such skinny legs? It just seems to me that more muscular legs would generate more force and more height, even with some added weight. And how dependent is vertical jumping on genetics? How much could someone with a terrible vertical hope to increase it?

ANSWER:

Craig,

It is a fallacy to consider basketball players as some of the best vertical jumpers out there. To the contrary, they are some of the worst vertical jumpers out there with most average NBA combine scores coming in under 30inches.

What you see in basketball the vast majority of the time are single leg take off approach jumps, not vertical jumps from double leg support(other than rebounds and rarely are rebound efforts garnering the wow factor of someone taking off from the free throw line). The two jumping forms are apples and oranges.

The factors which contribute to high level vertical jumping are heavily dependent upon genetic material, as are all actions located towards the left of the force:time curve; however, that is not to suggest that they are untrainable.

That said, if someone has a terrible vertical jump I would first advise them to pursue sports which do not necessitate jumping ability and, ironically, basketball would not be ruled out because you don’t have to be a good jumper to be a great player.

The Thinker

QUESTION 4:

What differences would you make for someone interested in dunking a basketball vs having a huge vertical jump. I just want to dunk but your lost answer where you said the two were apples and oranges has me really interested. Thanks.

ANSWER:

Drew,

It all depends on your current state of jump preparation specific to how you attempt to dunk.

The highest percentage of dunks are either single leg take off with approach or double leg take off with approach, followed by double leg take off without approach (ergo under the net) and the means of preparation are specific respective to each one.

The Thinker

Training Splits

QUESTION1:

Thinker,

I need my 300m time to come down. I’m currently running it in a minute flat and would like to be in the low 50′s. What are some exercises I can implement into my program? I’m currently doing a 3 days a week full body routine. I utilize a lot of kettlebell work as well. I am 200lbs at 16% bodyfat. I sprint twice a week usually 5x 30yds and I do prowler work and bodyweight stuff for conditioning

ANSWER:

Ok, based upon that training routine it is clear why your 300m time is no where near where you’d like it to be.

In addition, as I mentioned, it is also clear that your routine must change drastically if you are to place the 300m result as the dominant task.

You’ll be well served to work short to long, begin with 60m special endurance runs with limited recoveries and slowly, biweekly, lengthen towards, and increase the length of the rest intervals, the 300m mark in increments of 20-40m. Ditch the prowler work, ditch the kettlebell work, and stick with basic weights, jumps, tempo, med ball, and calisthenics.

The Thinker

QUESTION 2:

In your posts about the 6 day split, you mention the kind of activities involved with each day. See below:

“Consider the following split:
- Monday/Thursday upper body push + bike tempo
- Tuesday/Fri Upper body pull + explosive throws + tempo on the pitch
- Wednesday/Sat sprints/agility/Jumps + lower body weights”

Are these activities disbursed throughout the day, or are they all done in one session? I know you are a fan of multiple daily sessions, when possible. However, in considering the additional time of travel, warmup, cool down, etc for each session, most of us don’t have that kind of time. Is there a downside to performing said activities in one session, or was that already the construct behind this regimen?

Thanks!

ANSWER:

Jeff,

That can readily be accomplished in one session as I have had multiple athletes do just that; however, time is still, and always be, the undeniable and universally common determinant of any conceivable operation.

My athletes who perform that, or a similar split, in one session usually require ~3hours give or take for certain sessions depending upon logistics. The sprint days always take the longest due to the increasing length of recoveries between bouts of work to allow for intensification.

The Thinker

QUESTION 3:

In perusing some of your past Q&A’s I know you’ve recommended split training sessions, when possible. However, I also found a recent reply in which you were asked about organization of speed and strength training for lower body. The question is as such:

What is your opinion of doing speed work in the evening with weights followed the next morning, is this too long a gap to get the benefits ?

In purchasing your DVD (of which more I will purchase because they are great!), and in most of your recommended training schedules, I see that most often the speed work comes directly before strength training for the lower body.

Because of the “combined session” comment and because we alter our opinions based on work in the field, I have to ask; have you found that speed work directly prior to strength work for the lower body is more advantageous than splitting the sessions? Of course I’m taking into account optimal placement of speed training with proximity to waking, volumes of each component, etc. But provided all those things are considered, is there a neurological advantage that you’ve found to be more optimal with placement of speed training directly prior to strength? Or does the old addage of splitting the sessions still hold up, and it’s just the logistics of such split workouts which makes them less desirable for most.

ANSWER:

Charlie Francis discussed the means by which such a scheme may be effective wherein recovery is addressed as best as possible (though not as optimal as a combined session in regards to 3x speed and weights per calendar week)

Jeff, the simple fact is that there are benefits to both approaches and logistics do play a role, a significant role, in the decision making for both athlete and coach.

I do not favor one option over the other as long as the total time available for the athlete(s) to train is sufficient relative to the realm in which they compete and in which their objectives exist.

The Thinker

Energy System Development

QUESTION 1:

Thinker,

Hope you are well! I was interested in any thoughts you have regarding large athletes and Marathon training. I plan to complete my first marathon in November for fun (not competitive). I’m 6’7, 240, 37 years old and have completed two half marathons around the 2 hour mark. With these races and sprint triathlons hydration and cramps have been my issues as opposed to any orthopedic problems. Do you have any general thoughts on strength training for all around injury prevention, performance and general strength? Any general thoughts on running training? Nutrition? Thanks for all your time and great to see you posting here again.

Steve

ANSWER:

Steve,

I do have thoughts on your question and they all point towards the fact that ‘Large’ people should not perform distance running.Granted, you are quite tall; however, 240lbs is still a substantial load to carry around while running for hours.

I appreciate the challenge and enjoyment that distance running brings; however, science is working against you from many angles; namely: mobilizing larger mass/muscles for the event durations and ground impact forces.

There’s a reason why form follows function and why all high level distance runners look effectively the same in terms of girth measurements.

My suggestion to you, is to focus your attention on swimming, cycling, nordic skiing as all of them are much more forgiving from an impact stress standpoint.

Surely not what you wanted to hear; however, I’m unwilling to contribute to the criminal negligence that permeates sports coaching.

The Thinker

QUESTION 2:

How would you use position specific bike tempos. Could you give me miles that you used by position during out and pre season and then by in season? Also did you continue plyos and medicine ball throws during in season. What variable did you use to determine how many you did?

ANSWER:

Ewan,

When performing tempo on the bike, while you certainly have the option, it is not necessary to be as precise with the volumes in comparison to the work done on the pitch due to the lack of ground impact forces on the bike.

My guys would vary between 1 and 3 sets of 10 reps at 120RPM and the work interval would vary between 20 and 45seconds; all depending on different factors.

As for reactive/elastic work for the legs and arms, yes we performed those year round and only varied the regime of execution and volumes.

Volumes are determined according to regime of execution, where in the training week and calendar.

The Thinker

QUESTION 3:

First let me thank you for giving out free advice. I can never believe how much information you give away for free.

My question may be stupid, but in reading old posts I come across “oxidative work for the fast twitch fibers” and it sounds very similar to alactic capacity work (work:rest times as well as total volume).

Am I correct in thinking the two are one in the same? Just different vernacular?

Thanks again for your time.

ANSWER:

Drew, what I offer here is minor compared to what I cover in consultations. Perhaps you might consider one.

While the work intervals and rest between repetitions may be the same or similar regarding training for alactic capactity and oxidative work for the fast twitch fibers, the difference lies in the number of reps executed in succession.

Alactic capacity loading parameters demands that a relatively small amount of reps be performed per set which are then followed by longer recoveries between sets while oxidative capacity loading allows for more reps performed in succession. The reason for each is rooted in the targeted adaptations.

The Thinker

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