How to make sure you can Dunk? Coach Jimmy Lamour with Lamour Training Systems

How to make sure you can Dunk?
(Courtesy of Coach Jimmy Lamour with Lamour Training Systems)

It is basketball season and part of the excitement of the game is to watch players dunk the ball. We are heavy into NFL combine season training as well and jumping ability is also something that excites people. However, some athletes think you are either born with hops or not. Yes, genetics plays a big part, but there are some things that can help you make great progress. I wanted to quickly share some thoughts on what can have you jumping out of the gym.

1. Build Strength as your foundation. Strength is similar to what a foundation is to house. It is what is used as a base to help you produce more force quickly. How much strength is enough is highly individual? I would recommend trying to squat 2x your bodyweight.
2. Jump Training Program Design. You must ensure your jumps are done as quickly and powerfully as possible. It is a mistake to wait until you are tired to start adding jumps into your routine. Think more quality than quantity. We usually start with 4 sets of jumps in the 3-4 rep range depending on the athlete and add to the amount of the sets weekly. The types of jumps that you do train different qualities as well. For example, single jumps from a dead start help your maximal jump as it requires more strength. However, multiple jumps help more with your reactive abilities.
3. Lowering your body fat. The less body fat you carry the easier it will be to jump upward. A good indicator that has helped us over the year is the pull up. The athletes that can lift their body weight effortlessly were usually the ones that jumped the best. If you have a meal plan to help you stay accountable you will make great strides.
4. Recovery. Your body has to be well recovered in order to produce quality jumps. Some athletes go overboard and jump every workout. That is a mistake that will fry your central nervous system. We jump twice a week before our Lower Body days and we have several athletes that are 33” plus vertical jumpers.
5. Consistency- This is not something that happens overnight, but if you are dedicated you will start seeing results. The best way to stay accountable is to check off every time you train and at the end of the month look at the amount of workouts you made. If you made more than you missed your results will begin to be seen.
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Jimmy Lamour is a former Guilford College in Greensboro, NC All South Defensive Back. He set the record for interception return yards at the school. Upon Graduation, he tested numerous philosophies on strength and speed through seminars, self-study, conversation with renowned strength coaches, and training of hundreds of athletes. This led him to develop the 4.30 40 Speed System a system that helped him improve his 40 yard dash from a 4.66 to a 4.30, which gave way to many professional football workouts. He later developed Lamour Training Systems with the help of his lovely wife Charlene to help athletes improve their performance and receive knowledge he missed out on as a child. He continues to consult with several division 1, prep schools, and high school coaches. LTS has helped many football athletes play at the D1, D2, and D3 levels. He believes that his passion to see young men become all God intended them to be and provide knowledge of the defensive back position which will allow young athletes under the tutelage of Pick 6 Academy to flourish. He is currently certified as a Youth Fitness specialist, 7on7 Performance Director, and High School Strength & Conditioning Specialist.He is also a PowerPlus Mouthguard Ambassador. Also, Coach Lamour is a devout Christian. He has two children Camdon (19) and Micah (12).Sign up for his newsletter to receive his free speed report at http://fastyouthathlete.blogspot.com/ on For more information, call 336-257-9151