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#1 Exercise of the Month!
Being 5"10 and a little on the heavier end at 190, I wasn't necessarily genetically designed to soar like Jordan! Okay to be really honest, in the bird world I am more like an ostrich than an eagle if that gives you a better idea of my flight ability. But things slowly started to change as I incorporated this exercise into my regimen. Not only could I jump higher, I also started burning fat, running faster, and becoming more of an explosive athlete.
So, who the heck wants to burn fat, jump higher, run faster, and become more explosive? Yeah that was a trick question, 100% of you should of answered yes. So I will quit yappin and introduce you to the exercise that can change how you workout!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Athletes and Fitness enthusiast.....I am proud to introduce you to the......................Squat Jump! (Insert roaring crowd here, and maybe some pyrotechnics)
This single movement combines the Body Weight Squat with the Vertical Jump. It utilizes nearly every muscle in your body and practices the triple extension in the lower body that athlete's paychecks depend on.
How To Perform The Squat Jump:
The squat jump is so effective because it is a basic movement that single handedly trains power production. I will break it into steps below. 1.) Standing with feet about shoulder width apart, lower your body into a squat. Make sure to drive the hips back maintaining a straight back and keeping the knees directly over the ankles. Your weight should be balanced on your heels.
- A nice little trick to see if your balance is on your heels, try wiggling your toes. If you can't, readjust.2.) From the squat position explode directly up jumping off the ground. Explode by striaghtening the hips, straightening the legs, and pointing the ankles down.
3.) On the way down cushion your fall with slightly bent legs and abs braced. The abs should in fact be braced throughout the movement. As soon as you land, go directly into another squat and repeat the movements.
This movement will benefit athletes tremendously even without load. Initially it will help with hip mobility and range of motion. An area in athletes that are consistently neglected in stretches. Most athletes need some sort of explosive power whether it be jumping, sprinting, running, or even exploding into a punch. That is exactly what this movement is enhancing. The explosive jump helps develop that power production from your glutes and hams that propel you in athletic movements. Without weight you will want to drill speed and form which should be the standard progression protocol.
Once body weight becomes fairly easy, you can load this exercise with dumbells or even on the back with a barbell. This will help with increasing power production, awesome for vertical testing and explosive sprint movements (40 yard dash). Combat sports find benefit in this movement through explosive power. Power production will increase in explosive shooting movements and punch power production.
How does this movement help you lose weight? Haha try it and you will quickly find out. Jumping is probably one of the most cardio intensive movements out there. The heavier you are the harder the exercise will be but none the less this is a movement, you naturally should be capable of. This movement simlutaneously works your lower body from Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves to an intense core stabilization moment when you land.
Try incorporating this into your workout when you would do lower body training. So instead of leg presses or squats try squat jumps, I probably wouldn't be doing leg presses anyway unless you are bodybuilding. You may have to start slow by doing one rep, slightly resting while you reset your feet then performing another rep. Focus on form before you leap into intensity. But once body weight becomes easy you can also, like the athletes, start loading this. I would recommend loading it with dumbells first.
How many should I do and at What weight?
Again I urge everyone to start with bodyweight. But once you start loading, follow the progression below and you should be great.
Bodyweight 3 sets X 10 reps for weeks 1-3
Bodyweight 3 sets X 12 reps for weeks 4-6
Add DB 3 sets X 8
Increase weight 3-4 sets X 8Athletes
Bodyweight 3 sets X 10 reps for weeks 1-3
Bodyweight 3 sets X 12 reps for weeks 4-6
Add DB 3 sets X 8 reps
Increase weight DB 3-4 sets X 5-6 reps
Barbell Load 3-4 sets X 4-5 reps
Play with rep variation for desired results. Heavier weight with less reps and increased sets for more explosive power. Lower weight with increased reps for explosive endurance.
Incorporate into a Barbell Complex for increased difficulty
Example....
Cleans X 8 reps
Bent Over Rows X 8 reps Dead lift X 8 reps
Push Press X 8 reps
Jump Squats X 8 Reps
Complete all exercises without dropping the barbell. Repeat 2-3 sets with 1-2 min rest in between each set. Try a progressive set for even more of a challenge. So 8 reps for all exercises, next set do 7 reps for all exercises, and 6 reps for the next set, etc. etc. etc.....all the way down to one. Remember the weight on the barbell will probably be fairly light, 95lbs - 185lbs is usually the weight range I work in. Good luck!
Final words
Always look for exercises to contirbute to your aresenal in training. Small variations like loading weight are awesome ways to keep exercises effective too. So don't be afraid to load bodyweight exercises like this. Another great way to keep spicing things up is adding this exercise into a circuit. The theme of bodyweight exercises continues to stay strong in 2010, so don't give up on me just yet. OH yeah I can now officially dunk a tennis ball with 2 hands on a good day. Not bad for an Ostrich!
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