The Jump Manual: Quality Over Quantity
1. a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
2. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.
3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
Source: www.dictionary.com
Jacob Hiller’s exercise regimen in the Jump Manual, used to increase athletes’ vertical jump, lists several core variables. One of them is balance. Without incorporating balance into a vertical leap, the jump is not successful, and it is easy to understand why Hiller made this one of his core values.
Hiller developed his training regimen for increasing his clients’ vertical leap after perfecting it for himself and attaining a forty-four inch clearance on his jumps. Balance was an important part of his technique. With clients from NBA athletes to Olympians, his methods were unquestionably effective and gained him notoriety and numerous testimonials, leading him to take his manual to the web in 2008. He now offers it as an e-book for sale in tandem with personal one-on-one email support and access to forums.
As Hiller himself admits, no matter how exhaustive the book might be with respect to balance and technique, readers always have questions relating to their own specific situation and they welcome the opportunity to ask those questions. The additional support offered on the web provides answers to those questions.
In addition to focusing on the jumping technique when no one else seems to, it is not surprising that Hiller has constantly referred to his method of training as counterintuitive. The instincts of most athletes, coaches, and trainers when designing a training regimen for increasing vertical lift is to train to exhaustion, or what is referred to as endurance training. Pushing oneself harder, farther, longer seems appropriate when trying to achieve hard to reach targets. Yet this is not the best method. Instead, a training regimen that emphasizes speed and strength instead of quantity and repetition is important. Training your mind to achieve the best you can achieve rather than the most. Again, what is also commonly neglected is an approach to training that incorporates jumping skills like balance.
Without the proper techniques to coordinate your jumps, you run the risk of wasting effort in landing an uncoordinated jump. This is why Hiller incorporated a more comprehensive approach to jump training into his manual. Rather than just considering strength and conditioning in isolation as an element of increasing the vertical height of jumps, he has considered all aspects of successfully landing a jump with efficient transference of power. Proper technique and balance is important for that.
Without balance, many of the other variables highlighted by Hiller would prove ineffective. What good is proper form when executing a vertical leap on the basketball court, for example, if one doesn’t have the balance? Balance is best served by a solid core group of muscles, muscles in the hips, lower back, and abdomen. Without a solid core, without the balance, no matter how quick and explosive a person launches off the ground, they won’t be able to turn that power into the vertical lift they crave.








