Strength Through Science

THE SCIENCE OF JUMPING

Exactly how many inches on my vertical will I gain with the Science of Jumping program?

Many people ask this and, based on numerous case studies we’ve conducted over the last decade, roughly speaking, a good athlete should look to gain around 10 inches in a year of intelligent and consistent training.

Why do you guys say “roughly speaking”? I want an exact answer.

The rough estimate is a guideline that depends on many factors including age, gender, genetics, and so forth. There are factors out of your control, and there are factors that are totally under your control, the most significant of which is how effectively you train. If you apply the most effective training possible towards jumping, you will achieve the absolute highest vertical you genetically can. Most athletes are surprised at how big there genetic potential is when they discover the best training methods.

If I keep training hard using your program, will I keep gaining after 1 year and surpass the 10 inches?

One thing to always keep in mind is that none of our programs are a “One Year” program. You should continue to train intelligently throughout your entire competitive athletic career. There is no set number of weeks that any of our programs last. Throughout your continuous training year after year, you will continue to hone your technique and skill to become a better jumper, but obviously you can’t keep gaining inches on your vertical forever. A realistic expectation is 10 inches in the first year and then a few inches after that throughout your entire career. Again these are rough guidelines, and truthfully speaking, that’s all that can be given. Biology is not mathematics. That’s why doctors rarely use terms like “Always” and “100%”, but rather they use terms like “Vast Majority” and “Highly Unlikely”. In sports science, and in the field of medicine as a whole, there are way too many independent variables to predict exact timetables and precise outcomes.

What equipment is required to be used with each of the Strength Through Science programs?

The Science of Jumping program uses two platforms (boxes) to jump off from: one around 24 inches high and another around 16 inches high. These don’t have to be exact measurements, just a low box and a high box. You can use an exercise bench or even of folding chair if you can’t come up with boxes. The best solution is to have someone make the boxes at a high school woodshop or home garage. The shipping cost would be too high to make it cost effective to manufacture and sell.
The Strength Training for Jumpers program is a weight training program that requires weight lifting equipment. Although you can do many of the exercises with a basic home gym (bench, barbell), there are exercises in the program that are done on equipment that is generally found only at health clubs and gyms (Smith Machine, Leg Press, Leg Extensions/Leg Curls, etc.).
The Science of Speed requires no equipment, however there is an optional “Over Speed” training device that is recommended. You can obtain such a device from various track and field supply companies that can be found on the internet.
The Science of Stretching requires no special equipment.
The Science of Fat Loss requires no special equipment.

How can your program work when you only have to do it 30 minutes a week?

To maximize jumping ability you want to maximize whole body EXPLOSIVE POWER. To do this you must blast your Type IIA fast twitch muscle fibers hard, with lots of tension, and then allow lots of rest to fully recover for the next explosive power workout. The rest period is critical because during the recovery phase is when your body adapts to the stress you placed upon it during the workout. This is explained in full detail in Chapter 2 of The Science of Jumping book.

If I do more than one program at a time, will I get even greater results?

NO! Many athletes make the critical mistake of thinking "more exercise, more results, if I combine two or more programs together, I'll get double the benefits". This is a common misconception by a lot of inexperienced athletes. The fact is, this only creates overtraining and cuts into the valuable rest and recovery phase which results in NO GAINS and possible tendinitis. This is explained thoroughly in Chapter 2 of The Science of Jumping book.

What makes your program different from all the others?

The Science of Jumping program is easy to understand, entertaining, and educates the athlete with facts on what works best to increase jumping ability.

Most exercise programs in general are "monkey see/monkey do". They have the athlete blindly follow along with the movements without really explaining what is occurring to the athlete's body, what works the best for your specific goal, and more importantly WHY. Other jumping programs think that you learn how to increase jumping ability by just simply jumping around a lot. You're not buying a jumping program to watch someone else on TV do calisthenics, you're buying it for the information. The Science of Jumping is not just the movements, it's the theory behind the exercises, it's a full-on education on the optimal training and optimal technique for jumping.

Real athletes know that optimal progress comes from the application of science, not from using some "miracle piece of training equipment" or "magic jumping pills".

The Science of Jumping is the only program that provides a detailed breakdown of the actual TECHNIQUE of jumping and explains what is required to generate maximum upward speed. Many of our athletes increase their verticals the very first day just buy using the optimal jumping techniques described in Chapters 2 and 3 of The Science of Jumping book.

What does The Science of Jumping Video have the the Book doesn't have?

7 advanced exercises with detailed breakdown of each one using slow motion and freeze frame
A detailed breakdown of the optimal two legged jump technique using slow motion, freeze frame, and 3D computer animations
A detailed breakdown of the optimal one legged jump technique using slow motion and freeze frame
A visual explanation of the 3 phases of muscular tensions used in a jump using slow motion and freeze frame
How to keep your balance during jump spins
Advise for real young athletes - 10 yrs of age or younger
An illustrated breakdown of how vertical progress is made over time
How to make your own high quality medicine ball for only $10.00
And MORE!!!

Why does it take 2 months before you see results, and 6-12 months for really big gains?

The gains don't happen overnight, biological processes simply don't work that way. Real athletes and smart coaches understand the body's progress rate. Real athletes and coaches know that the only real shortcut is intelligent training. The Science of Jumping is in no way a "get unrealistic inches in your vertical jump in one week" scam. The Science of Jumping only deals with truthful facts. We apply the leading edge of kinesiology knowledge to specific athletic techniques. These techniques are explained thoroughly in The Science of Jumping book and visually demonstrated in The Science of Jumping video.

10.

Why does the program take so long?

"Why does it take so long?" Because we're telling the truth! Do you really think that you can become the best jumper you can be in just a couple of months? Do you think you can master a complex skill and physically develop yourself to your maximum performance potential in just 12 short weeks? Our answer to the "12 inches in 12 weeks in a row" is go ahead and try it and you'll see for yourself it isn't true. 12 weeks later you'll be trying our program.

People want quick, even immediate results. The marketers know this and they're just telling you what you want to hear. If you try it, you'll see that countless amounts of reps 5 days a week will just lead to soreness, overtraining, and no results.

At STS, we tell the truth - REAL progress will take some time. Also on that note, we recommend not rushing into too much too soon - you'll just end up with tendonitis. It's like cooking a huge thanksgiving turkey - it will take a little time. If you turn the oven up full blast, you'll just end up with burnt food on the bottom and cold food on top. Your body takes a certain amount of time to adapt to stimulus placed upon it. We suggest that you train intelligently and then you will progress at the maximum (which will still, realistically, take a certain amount of time).

None of our programs are "12 week courses". That's a marketing scheme - people like to be sold that sort of "X amount of progress in X amount of weeks". 12 inches in 12 weeks just sounds nice. It's an easy, linear ratio that really has nothing to do with reality. Also on that note, you should be training throughout your entire competitive athletic career and therefore, none of our programs lasts a certain number of weeks

11.

Does your program require any weights?

No. You can use weight lifting as a supplement to The Science of Jumping program, in fact we encourage it, but it is not part of the core program. Leg strength is only one small component in jumping. Think about it: the big huge weight lifters, how high can they really jump with those big strong legs? Leg strength is not the primary factor in jumping ability. What's more important than strength is HOW your different body parts coordinate with each other to add enormous speed throughout your whole body. This is explained in Chapter 3 of The Science of Jumping book and is a real "Eye Opener" for most athletes who discover facts that make perfect sense that they never would have thought of before.

12.

Is there any age requirements to do The Science of Jumping Program?

No. The Science of Jumping can be performed by athletes as young as 7 or 8 years of age. Theoretically, there is no maximum age, however, you should be able to run and jump well in order to execute the exercises in the program. Athletes over the age of 35 may not be good candidates (unless you can run and jump very well) for The Science of Jumping program. Most athletes are between the ages of 15-23. The Science of Jumping program will be safe and effective throughout your basketball or volleyball career.

13.

It states that Strength Training for Jumpers is specifically designed for the tall athlete. Can it hurt short athletes? Can short athletes gain benefits too?

YES, Strength Training for Jumpers can be used by shorter athletes safely and effectively. When we say that it's designed for tall athletes, we mean that we've structured it without the exercises that tall athletes have difficulty with: free bar squats, power cleans, clean & jerk, etc. Short, "squatty" athletes with thick joints, short arms, short legs, and a low center of gravity are much better at these kind of power lifter and Olympic style lifter exercises. Tall basketball players with long arms and legs are not designed to be heavy squatters and power cleaners. So we've made this program more of a body builders program to build lean muscle mass throughout the body. We've also added in a few things to specifically work the body for jumping. So you could say that Strength Training for Jumpers is the ideal supplement to the explosive power plyometric workout of The Science of Jumping for maximizing jumping ability. It will benefit athletes of all heights.

14.

When will I see gains in my vertical?

You will start seeing gains within 2 months (about 1-3 inches) and you will see radical gains within 6-12 (about 8-12 inches).

15.

Why do you have a 90 day money back guarantee when the program takes 6-12 months?

Because you will start to see gains within 90 days. We are convinced you will be satisfied and will want to continue to see radical gains in your jumping ability within the 6 - 12 month period.

16.

Is your book sold in any bookstores?

NO. Our program is sold exclusively through Strength Through Science.

THE SCIENCE OF FAT LOSS

You guarantee I will lose all the fat I want on The Science of Fat Loss program. Can I get down to 0% body fat?

No. You still need some body fat to insulate your internal organs (and several other essential functions), you just don’t want to have too much body fat. Ideal levels of body fat are around 10-15% for men and 20-25% for women, although many physique oriented athletes like to have a little lower percentage of body fat for that just right look. When you start getting below 6 or 7 percent body fat, it starts to get unhealthy, so contest bodybuilders try to just “sneak in” to that minimum body fat state for just a little bit of time, and then after the contest get back to a healthy state. However, many Americans are well over 25% body fat and the percentage of Americans getting obese is rising at an alarming rate. Childhood obesity, and therefore, adolescent diabetes is skyrocketing, and the reason is too much body fat. What people need is the most effective method to lose pure body fat, not body weight, but rather PURE BODY FAT! The Science of Fat Loss is absolutely 100% GUARANTEED to make you lose pure body fat at the fastest rate possible and maximize your overall health.

GENERAL

What are some of Strength Through Science's credentials in athletic development?

Strength Through Science has many world class sports science experts on staff including:

Tom Butler	Kinesiologist and Strength Coach
Mike Dulaney	Kinesiologist
Joe Marino	Power Lifting World Champion
Dr. Duane Linville	Sports Chiropractor
Dr. Ralph R. Wilson	Sports Chiropractor
Dr. Gary Smith	Medical Doctor and Acupuncture Specialist
Robert Massell	College Basketball Coach

If you have any further questions, please write them in below and e-mail them to us. If it becomes a FAQ, we will add it to our list.