Q. What is the most common mistake you see when it comes to training for vertical leap?

Three simple answers:

1) No “real” measurement.

You’ve heard this before - Why 5 reps? Why 6 sets? Why not 4 reps? I’ve spoken to a lot of people and I can tell you, I doubt there is actually another trainer (except the ones I deal with) who can answer you the numbers game in strict terms. Until someone can tell you why 5 reps are better than 6 reps for you specifically, what the hell are you doing?

And don’t even start about measuring your vertical leap if you’re jot going to measure your training with equal expectation and rigidity. Don’t kid yourself, if you’re not using the UPN™ system, then by definition, you cannot be operating under a 100% effective atmosphere. Maybe 70% at best.

2) Too much heavy weight-lifting.

There are two types of athletic power; versatile and specific. Heavy weight lifting will give you a lot of specific power… and will also lead to on-court and on-field injuries. Unfortunately, because the power-lifter types that purport this type of training have never actually played an agility-based sport at a high level before, they wouldn’t know.

3) The myth of “2x your body weight”

Man, if I’ve heard some jack-rabbit in my life, it’s that you have to be able to squat 2x your body-weight before you can do plyometrics or make in real gains in your vertical leap training. There is nothing that is a greater lie. Unfortunately, it's a misappropriation of data, made by people too stupid to know what they are reading or saying.

Let me explain: basically, if you can jump, you can train to increase it. On a more scientific level: there is a lack of reverse correlation between the squat and the vertical jump. In other words, gains in vertical leap will equate to strength gains in the squat, whereas gains in the squat won’t equate to gains in the vertical leap. I don’t know another trainer who practices this, either! I explain this in more detail towards the bottom of page 7 of my free Single Leg report, so download and read it.

Oh… and a fourth: most people lack balls and brains.

Oh… and fifth: don’t be a goose and measure running verticals! There is only one vertical leap measurement and that’s the standing vertical leap, with no run up! That’s all I care about. Gains in the standing vertical will correlate to gains in a “running” vertical, but gains in the “running vertical won’t correlate to the standing vertical leap. The running vertical is just a poor-man’s way of inflating their ego and justifying their pitiful existence!

Q. With your interesting & extensive emails we all receive on a regular basis I actually feel I can answer most of these questions myself. Time for some hardball now. Once an athlete is finished TVP, where does he go from here?

The crux of increasing athletic performance factors, like vertical jump or sprint speed, will always stay the same. Increasing power means doing evermore in everless.

Same principle, doesn’t change. Keep it simple.

After completing one cycle on my system (week 1-15, split into three phases), then there is always the 8-week schedule that is in my “50-Inch Report”. That takes you up to 24 weeks. If you rest, re-adjust your UPN’s and repeat again, you’ll hit 52 weeks – one full year. What more do you want? You gains will keep coming because they actually cannot mathematically stop.

I’m not really sure where a real athlete will find 52 weeks to dedicate solely to vertical leap training, but if you want to – you can!

For my athletes that have verticals over 50 inches, I work them in some extra stuff, too.

Q. Some people have felt The Vertical Project may be aimed at only advanced athletes. Some may presume this because of the programs advanced training techniques & unique concepts. Is this the case?

I’ll agree that you need to be slightly mentally advanced to use my system, but not a physically advanced athlete – no way.

It’s only advanced because my mental state is advanced beyond that of the other programs available to you! One day, when what I teach in Double Your Vertical Leap is the standard by which athletes train to improve, then I won’t look “advanced”, I’ll look “basic”.

I don’t advise that 12 years olds use it, but heck, even a 12 year-old could just pull-out the UPN “Power Output” component and the Window Plan recovery component and use it safely. The thing with the UPN (Uncompromised Performance Number) is that you never, ever go beyond the point-of-compromise, so injury-risk is dramatically reduced.

And let me add something about recovery here, too: Recovery isn’t just a protein shake, a multi-vitamin and some creatine. Far out, anyone telling you to use a multi-vitamin should be shot on site! For anyone to say recovery doesn’t count in a massive way just highlights that they want to cover the fact they don’t know anything about how to execute it properly.

Ha, it reminds me of the real estate agent selling the house to the young, inexperienced couple: “The cracks add character, don’t you think?” Come on, now.

Otherwise, I can only offer that people might think my system is too advanced because that might be a scapegoat for those trying to get away with not going in the weight-room. Anyone would be lying to tell you that you could maximize your athletic potential without using a gym – just not in a traditional way.

But I’ll agree with you – on the first time reading it, it would probably hurt your brain, or twist it at the very least.

Q. The price of the Vertical Project seems a major concern for many young teens looking for a program. How is this price justified?

Firstly, I’m not competing on price. In fact, I’m not competing with anyone, I do what I do because I’m the best at it and because I got roped into it by the pro’s. It was their call, not mine.

Because of this, the Double Your Vertical Leap system is created only for serious athletes – and athletes who are concerned with one thing only: results. Tire-kickers aren’t welcome.

Also, I don’t want to deal with failures. To me, I know that when using my system – as it’s designed – then Failure is Impossible. And that was one of my major goals, to find a way I could stand up and say, “Hey, look – I’m not only going to guarantee you results, I’m going to go one better and make failure a thing of the past, too”.

I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t tell how much one athlete from another is going to gain using Double Your Vertical Leap – I don’t know their background, motivation, dedication, body-type…

But… I am so overwhelmingly confident that if any athlete from any background uses my system, they will gain a very, very bare minimum of 6 inches of vertical leap in 60 days. It could be 7, 9, or even 11 inches in that time. But at very minimum, it WILL be 6 inches.

And I know this because anything else they’ve been using is sub-par. Easy. I’m so confident in it, that I will not only refund, but pay $100 cash, if they don’t do it!

Who can beat that?

Here’s the thing…

You need to also understand that the reason why my system has caused such a stir with the upper echelon (like pro’s, Olympians and high-level coaches and trainers) is because it’s a phenomenon to actually be able to plot-and-predict your results within a given timeframe. They can’t get over it, and the piles and piles of regular athletes who have used my system can’t get over it, either. Most people start out thinking that it won’t work form them because the workouts focus on the neurological system – it gives a whole different type of stimulation to your body. When combined with The Window Plan recovery formula, it’s why it’s the very best performance enhancement system ever created.

Bar none.

Regardless of all that, it’s a valuable edition to anyone’s physical training library and will be a point of reference for years to come.

Q. Finally, you've obviously been the cause of some major advances in athletic training over the past years.
Where do you see vertical leap training 5, 10 years from now?
And can VP users expect to stay ahead of the pack when it comes to knowledge as time progresses?

Thank you. I appreciate the recognition.

5-10 years from now will be interesting. Unfortunately, I think you will definitely see a larger gap in the “have’s” and “have-not’s”, in that the pro organizations are starting to see just how crucial it is and want to start building entire off-season facilities, camps and lifestyle retreats around it. Regular kids obviously won’t necessarily get those types of benefits.

More importantly, it’s the little things that will define the athlete with potential from the one who doesn’t have it. And those little things will be the ability to maintain a growing vertical leap, a robust mental attitude and a steel grit on the field or court. As you’re seeing, in the past few years you’re seeing athletes in all sports stepping up and contributing at younger and younger ages.

In terms of training, I’m pushing for more and more pool work and making it measurable – the same goes for plyometrics – especially as an in-season vehicle for continuous year-round gains…  and some weird combinations we’re testing with are producing unexpected results, too. Naturally, I’m not letting anything out of the bag until it’s a proven winner, tested and re-tested for measurable results.

As for The Vertical Project, as far as I can see, we’ll stay in the game as long as people want to be better athletes. We’re going to aim for an evolution very soon, and that’s something that will again change the way things are done. It’s all exciting and I’m just looking forward to getting real, serious and honest athletes the incredible results they need to stay afloat… and fulfill their dreams, too.