Did you see Steve Francis in the 2000 Slam Dunk contest? He then finished runner-up to Vince Carter with some incredible dunks. Actually, he had a 44-inch vertical at the time! That’s right, 44 inches! Aside from Vince Carter (45-inch vertical), Stevie Franchise had the tallest vertical in the league at the time! And in case you didn’t know, the guy is only 6′ 3”!
“I never got wet with Shaq or Mutombo. But I got ‘Zo. I never got C-Webb. I got Patrick Ewing, Vin Baker. I remember those dunks because those guys always said, ‘You’re not going to dunk with me,’ and things like that. . But I have them!”
-Steve Francis
So how do you get such a sick vertical? For starters, it’s important to know that being able to jump high is the result of a combination of these things:
– natural ability
– leg strength
– Explosive power
– Athletics in general
That means if it’s not in your genes, you’ll probably never be able to jump like Steve Francis. On the other hand, none of us can. But no matter what his vertical jump is now, he can always improve it. To get motivated, just take a look at Steve Francis’ training in the past – he’s a
4 days a week, one hour of training per day (running and basketball not included, = 3 additional hours per day). Each day consists of different exercises, only certain exercises like jumping rope are done each time.
Day 1 (Monday):
– Jump rope (300 jumps)
– DynaDisc Figure Eight Climb onto a pair of discs (they look like deflated dodge balls) that hold a ten-pound medicine ball. (15 eights in each direction)
– Seated Reverse Crunch Sit on a flat bench with your legs sticking out the end. Supporting yourself with your arms, lean back until your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the bench and slowly bring your knees toward your chest, keeping your upper body stable. Slowly return them to the starting position to complete the movement. (2 sets of 15)
– High sprint with knees up Sprint across a basketball court staying on your toes and lifting your knees as high as possible. (20 races)
– Leg curls (2 sets of 15)
– Seated leg extensions (2 sets of 15)
– Hip abduction (2 sets of 10)
– Hip adduction (2 sets of 10)
Stability Ball Dumbbell Chest Press Like a standard chest press, but while lying with your back on the ball to work your core a little more. (2 sets of 10)
– Dumbbell Front Raises You are now entering the part of the workout designed to enhance the shoulders. Making sure your arms stay just outside shoulder-width apart, lift first one, then the other, for one rep. (2 sets of 15)
– Dumbbell Lateral Raise To work the outer shoulder, stand slightly bent at the waist, holding a weight in each hand, palms facing each other. Raise your arms out to your sides until they’re parallel to the ground, then return. (2 sets of 15)
– Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Raise Lie facedown on a bench at a 45-degree incline with dumbbells in each hand, arms hanging off the bench and slightly bent. Keeping that same elbow bend, raise your arms out to your sides until they’re parallel to the ground, then return. (2 sets of 10)
– One Arm Dumbbell Row Now for the back of your shoulders, hold a weight in your right hand, bend over and place your left hand and knee on a bench for support. Keeping your back slightly arched and your shoulders parallel to the floor, lift your weight-bearing elbow toward the ceiling, then return. (2 sets of 10, then switch sides and repeat)
– Exercise bike (25 minutes)
As for the vertical jump exercises, in addition to the common exercises like jumping rope and calf raises, Steve used some very effective special exercises.
Here is an example:
Stand up straight and jump as high as you can without bending your knees (your knees will bend slightly). As soon as you hit the ground, come back up and repeat this movement several times. This exercise is extremely effective at strengthening the lower leg muscles.
Keep in mind that the vertical jump is part leg strength and part explosiveness. In fact, the explosiveness part is the more important of the two. It’s not about the size of your leg muscles or how much weight you can handle in the gym. It’s about your athletic ability, coordination, and your ability to explode off the ground.
For the rest of the jump drills and the crucial things to know about vertical jumping (why often what you “don’t” do is more important than what you “do”), take a look at this page. I highly recommend: