8 weeks · 3x / week · All Levels
Vertical Jump Block
Eight weeks of force production, plant-leg stability, and honest testing. Built for athletes who need inches, not opinions.
How to run it
- Weeks 1-3 build force. Weeks 4-6 make it fast. Weeks 7-8 cut volume and let the jump show up.
- Test standing and approach vertical in weeks 1, 4 and 8 only. Best of three attempts, same surface, same shoes.
- Count practice jumps as volume. Two hours of court time is a plyometric session you did not schedule.
Springbak® note
Force plate testing at Weber State found athletes wearing Springsoles required more than twice the force to be displaced — stability at the plant is what turns strength into height.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Add 2-4 inches to approach vertical through force production and a stable plant.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-3
Build force. Heavy, low-rep bilateral strength with quiet landings.
Phase 2 · Weeks 4-6
Make it fast. Olympic derivatives, approach jumps, reactive hops.
Phase 3 · Weeks 7-8
Cut volume by half and let the jump express itself. Retest in week 8.
What you test
- Standing vertical
- No step. Best of three, same surface, same shoes.
- Approach vertical
- Your normal approach. Best of three, weeks 1, 4 and 8 only.
- Depth-drop contact quality
- Drop from 12 inches and stick. If landings are loud, hold the phase.
What you need
- Barbell and rack
- Trap bar
- Vertec or wall-mark
- 12-24" box
The week
Day 1
Heavy force
Trap bar deadlift
4 x 3 @ 80%
Front squat
3 x 4 @ 75%
Single-leg RDL
3 x 8 per leg
Depth drop to stick
Quiet landings only
5 x 3
Day 2
Rate of force
Hang clean or jump shrug
5 x 3
Approach jumps to target
6 x 2
Continuous hurdle hops
4 x 5
Calf / foot iso holds
3 x 30s
Day 3
Single-leg control
Step-up to drive
3 x 6 per leg
Lateral bound to stick
4 x 4 per side
Nordic or hamstring slider
3 x 6
Single-leg pogo
3 x 8 per leg
Questions about this block
Can I run this in-season?
Not as written. In-season, run the In-Season Strength block instead and keep jump testing to once a month.
My vertical dropped at the week 4 test. What happened?
That is normal mid-block fatigue from phase 1 loading. Take three easy days, then retest. If it is still down, cut phase 2 volume by a third.
Watch the drills
Jump training in action
A short clip showing the shape of the jump work in this block: a controlled squat into an explosive takeoff at the rim.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 12 weeks · 2x / week
In-Season Strength
Hold off-season strength through a full competitive season with no drop in game-day legs.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and strength work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 8 weeks · 3x / week
Volleyball Jump Durability
Hold approach jump height from set one to set five, with no drop-off in the back half of the season.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and jump work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 7 weeks · 3x / week
Volleyball Serve & Approach Power
Add 2-4 inches to the approach jump and increase jump-serve speed without losing the line.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and power work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season