Coach Jacob Hiller, a Professional and Olympic level athletic trainer, has been quietly helping athletes develop a 40” vertical leap for years. Surprisingly, many of them were very average athletes before seeking his help.
Hiller, who took his own vertical leap from 19 inches in High School to 44 inches a few years later, says his success is thanks to research from two rare medical grade devices.
“Growing up I tried all the programs…I did get results, but nothing I could get really excited about.”
“Growing up I tried all the programs… I did get small results from them, but nothing I could really get excited about.” Hiller says.
“It wasn’t until I started reading a lot of research that was done and had my personal training formation that I really started to formulate the type of training needed to become explosive.”
Device #1
During the time Hiller was doing research into performance enhancement, he heard about a group in Canada showcasing Electromyography (EMG) machines, which are normally used by medical professionals to diagnose nerve and muscle dysfunction.
Hiller flew up to meet with them and ended up purchasing one of the devices.
Hooking himself and other athletes to the EMG machine, Hiller says he was able to learn the exact muscle activation patterns necessary for improving vertical leap.
This showed him which exercises work for increasing vertical leap and which don’t.
“the most popular exercises out there have (Muscle activation) patterns very different than the pattern used when jumping.”
Hiller explains that when you jump there’s a specific pattern of muscles that fire. The exercises matching that same pattern work best to increase vertical leap.
“For example, most trainers will tell you squats are good for increasing vertical leap. But almost every type of squat has a very different muscle activation pattern than when the athlete jumps.” Hiller explains.
“That means the work they’re doing with the squat isn’t carrying over when they jump.”
Using this research Hiller says he created new variations of exercises which effectively doubled the results his athletes were getting.
Device #2
The second device Hiller uses is often referred to as an “accelerometer”.
This shows him indicators like ground contact time and acceleration, which he says allows him to attain the proper intensity levels during his workouts.
“Jumping high happens in short spurts of high intensity, so to improve it you have to train at a high enough intensity.”
“If you’re a sprinter, you wouldn’t train by running a marathon. Running is the right exercise, but the intensity is all wrong.” Hiller says.
According to Hiller, even if you do everything else right, if you don’t reach the proper intensity levels in each workout, you won’t see improvement.
Hiller’s 3 Keys To Developing A 40″ Vertical Leap
Hiller’s training regimen is based on three factors:
1. Exercises designed after neuromuscular jumping patterns. Hiller discovered these exercises and even custom developed new variations from his research with the electromyography machine.
2. Exercise sequences that develop explosiveness, not only strength. Through his research Hiller found that certain exercises done just before or after another exercise will add quickness alongside strength. Strength and quickness combined, he explains, is key to becoming more explosive and jumping higher.
3. Hitting the right intensity indicators in every workout. Hiller uses the second device he showed us to measure the intensity of each repetition and ensure the athlete is hitting pre-determined indicators. He refers to this as training in the “Improvement Zone”.
Attracting Attention From ESPN, SI & Others
When Hiller first discovered these new techniques he got requests from local athletes to train them. As they started to see results similar to his, Hiller’s local fame grew.
Eventually he decided to post a few instructional videos online.
Several of the videos went viral, even garnering attention of major media outlets such as ESPN, Sports illustrated, Men’s Health and Fadeaway magazine.
“NBA athletic trainers were emailing me… I even had the senior writer at Sports Illustrated fly out to train with me.”
“I started getting emails from reporters wanting to interview me about my training process and even had the senior writer at Sports Illustrated fly out to train with me.” says Hiller.
“The Sprite slam dunk winner before he won called me on the phone. Pro teams and Olympic squads overseas had me come train their athletes. It was incredible.”
Eventually Hiller decided to publish his findings into a program called The Jump Manual, which has since been translated into 3 languages and used by over 100,000 athletes all over the world.
Hiller says he gets emails and messages every day from athletes having success with his program.
(You can see pictures and videos from athletes who have added as much as 20 inches to their vertical leap on the reviews page of his website)
Hiller’s program is even helping weekend warriors in their 40’s and older to jump higher.
“I’ve even had a 50 year old go from touching the rim to dunking.”
“It’s funny, I’ll get 23 year olds who email me and ask if they’re too old to increase their vertical, but I’ve had guys even 50 start dunking from this.” explains Hiller.
“It’s more about your biological age than anything. If your tissues and joints are in good condition you can become more explosive with the right training.”
Today Hiller travels the world with his wife Kalli and son Ryder.
So far he has trained athletes in over 65 different countries.
He says his greatest satisfaction is seeing athletes who weren’t born with elite athleticism transform into the top performers of their age group.
The Future Of Vertical Jump Training
Hiller’s latest project has been developing a new technology that allows athletes to track intensity levels of their workout, just like he does when he trains high-level clients, all from their iPhone.
His new iPhone app is set to be released to a few hundred beta testers in early 2018 and members of his Jump Manual coaching program will be the first to get access to it.
“When I train athletes I can track their movements using my equipment… But now you can do it all yourself using your phone.”
“Unfortunately the device I use is expensive. In fact the company that made it is out of business so you can’t even get one anymore.”
“But now with our new app, you won’t even need one. You can do it all yourself using your phone.” Hiller says.
Hiller believes this new app will revolutionize the way vertical jump training is done.
That’s a big claim, but coming from the man who has already done it once, we’re listening.
You can learn more about Coach Hiller and The Jump Manual on his website.
Disclaimer: Always consult a physician before starting any new training. Each athlete’s results will vary based on a variety of factors. Train Smart is a subsidiary of Hiller Consulting LLC which owns The Jump Manual and it’s related products.
