"Avoid the Olympic lifts"



This dude explaining how squats and snatches don't help your vertical jump. Dunno if he's full of shit tho.

He's pretty much full of it. He's copying a few things that have some validity (like Verkhoshansky), but most of it is probably bits and pieces he read from some article in some fitness magasine somewhere and his own imagination.

In regards to squat strength and vertical jump height, it's debatable. In this study, they found no correlation between a 1RM squat and vertical jumping ability. That said several studies have shown some (even if slight) improvements in vertical jump height after the implementation of a squat program. The optimal squat depth for improving vertical jumping is debatable as well. This one, and this one, saw better results of overall performance with a deep squat, and this new one actually saw bigger improvements with quarter squats.

In regards to olympic lifting, there's pretty good evidence that it improves your vertical to a significant degree. It makes sense when you think about it. The olympic lifts are mostly explosive movements initiated from the ground that work triple extension, meaning extension at the hip, knees and ankles. Triple extension is also used in jumping. It's a bit more complicated, and obviously it's not exactly the same, but as a loaded movement it's very close.

This metaanalysis, posted in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last year, concluded that olympic weightlifting and plyometrics were about equally effective in improving vertical jump height and in this one olympic lifting provided more all around results than jump training. A metaanalysis, if you don't know, is a quality review of several different studies.

I'd like to say that you always have to take studies with a grain of salt. Some hold more value than others, but you always have to be critical. Who were the participants? (were they trained, untrained, sick, healthy, big, small, young, old, many, few), what was the intervention? (did they all do exactly the same, did they eat the same, did they sleep the same, did some train harder than others, did some respond better), is there any bias and how good is the science? Point being, studies is the best we got, but they're not perfect.

As mentioned earlier there's pretty high evidence for olympic lifting, jump training and plyometrics improving vertical. The evidence for squats is probably moderate, but it's a good exercises in that regard nonetheless.
 
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Obviously an extreme example but


Marc-Schuster-Vertical-Jump-Clean-Jerk-1998.jpg


Marc Huster after a successful attempt. Anyways, I think Dimas smashed a wr after this. Maybe not relevant, but I'll never miss a chance to point out Pyrros' greatness.
 
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This guy has an awesome vertical jump and he doesn't look like he is even trying.
 
I don't know how well it carries over. Rippetoe says to squat 405 and then try, but he also says you're pretty much born with your straight up vertical leap.

Just because I could I tried jumping off two feet at the gym last night and I can still grab the rim.
 
He's pretty much full of it. He's copying a few things that have some validity (like Verkhoshansky), but most of it is probably bits and pieces he read from some article in some fitness magasine somewhere and his own imagination.

In regards to squat strength and vertical jump height, it's debatable. In this study, they found no correlation between a 1RM squat and vertical jumping ability. That said several studies have shown some (even if slight) improvements in vertical jump height after the implementation of a squat program. The optimal squat depth for improving vertical jumping is debatable as well. This one, and this one, saw better results of overall performance with a deep squat, and this new one actually saw bigger improvements with quarter squats.

In regards to olympic lifting, there's pretty good evidence that it improves your vertical to a significant degree. It makes sense when you think about it. The olympic lifts are mostly explosive movements initiated from the ground that work triple extension, meaning extension at the hip, knees and ankles. Triple extension is also used in jumping. It's a bit more complicated, and obviously it's not exactly the same, but as a loaded movement it's very close.

This metaanalysis, posted in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last year, concluded that olympic weightlifting and plyometrics were about equally effective in improving vertical jump height and in this one olympic lifting provided more all around results than jump training. A metaanalysis, if you don't know, is a quality review of several different studies.

I'd like to say that you always have to take studies with a grain of salt. Some hold more value than others, but you always have to be critical. Who were the participants? (were they trained, untrained, sick, healthy, big, small, young, old, many, few), what was the intervention? (did they all do exactly the same, did they eat the same, did they sleep the same, did some train harder than others, did some respond better), is there any bias and how good is the science? Point being, studies is the best we got, but they're not perfect.

As mentioned earlier there's pretty high evidence for olympic lifting, jump training and plyometrics improving vertical. The evidence for squats is probably moderate, but it's a good exercises in that regard nonetheless.
When I was younger, back squats never helped my vertical either. And I really thought it would.

For me unilateral dumbbell hang snatch gave me the most vertical improvement from the weight room. It was hands down better than other things. I'm not sure why it was better than even a barbell snatch for me. But it was.

Then plyometric box jumps

short sprints
 
When I was younger, back squats never helped my vertical either. And I really thought it would.

For me unilateral dumbbell hang snatch gave me the most vertical improvement from the weight room. It was hands down better than other things. I'm not sure why it was better than even a barbell snatch for me. But it was.

Then plyometric box jumps

short sprints
I'm definitely going to start doing dumbbell hang snatch. Just curious, how often would you perform unilateral dumbbell hang snatch?
 
I'm definitely going to start doing dumbbell hang snatch. Just curious, how often would you perform unilateral dumbbell hang snatch?
A couple times a week. Maybe 3 sometimes if I wasn't playing pickup games or softball games. But at least twice. And probably 2-3 sets of about 10 reps.

Lighter was better for me. Probably because I was getting more speed with that lift.
 
"Avoid trying to mimic the training of the elite. Playing basketball fails to make you taller."

What an inane analogy. Well, duh. Height isn't an attainable skill such as speed and strength. It's determined by your genetics. What a garbage of an article.
They're absolutely correct. I enjoy playing basketball and have played for almost 20 years, but I could never dunk in high school or throughout college. Today is the day I stop that nonsense.
 
Deconstructing my snatch. I get a lower back pump when doing them so I know I'm just heavily the weight instead of loading my hamstrings.
 
Working well. I've learned how to load my hamstrings and glutes rather than heaving the weight with my back. Should lead to some bigger numbers moving forward.

"Deconstructing my snatch."
 
Is deconstruction of the snatch the surgery to become a man? Thought that was called a hisdirecttome. Get it. Ehh? Shhh?
 
Wow. I like that website. No matter how hard i train, i will never be elite. So why bother.
 
I think the article is reaching but it isn't absolutely stupid (as far as safety). The amount of daft bastards I see training Olympic lifts by watching a Youtube video is absurd. And the self taught cross-fitters. Kitted out in their Adidas oly shoes and throwing a bar around with no knowledge of what they are doing. Olympic lifting is a specialist game and you need a good coach to get half decent. But of course, if you do have a good coach then fucking A, it will have amazing cross over for some people.
Completely disagree with the coaching part. Ya if you want to compete at a higher national level you're probably gonna need a coach but if someone can't learn to decently power clean and snatch using YouTube and some dedication, then they're probably a lost cause.
 
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