Many athletes are never able to jump higher despite training for hours every week.
This is because their training is usually focused on the wrong muscle fiber type.
The 3 main muscle fiber types:
- Type I: Slow Twitch Fibers
- Type IIA: Fast Twitch Fibers
- Type IIB: Fast Twitch Fibers
Type I: Slow Twitch Fibers
Type I muscle fibers are known as slow twitch oxidative muscle fibers.
This is because they contract slowly and sustain these contractions for long periods of time.
Slow twitch fibers are ideal for endurance activities like long distance running.
They contain several mitochondria cells which facilitate oxidative metabolism (the use of oxygen by our bodies).
Slow twitch muscle fibers are therefore resistant to fatigue but produce relatively low force.
They are therefore NOT the muscle fiber that you want to train to jump higher, because slow twitch muscle fibers will not be able to generate a great vertical jump no matter how hard you train them.
What this basically means is that you will not jump higher by running for miles or doing 1000 jump squats, because this only builds your slow twitch fibers.
You will improve your endurance, but your vertical jump will not increase.
Type IIA: Fast Twitch Fibers
These are known as fast twitch oxidative muscle fibers.
They are in the middle of the range of muscle fibers and they fatigue faster, contract faster, and produce more muscular force than slow twitch fibers.
However, they don’t produce as much force as TypeIIB muscle fibers.
They are therefore not as important in vertical jump training.
Type IIB: Fast Twitch Fibers
These are known as fast twitch glycolytic muscle fibers.
Out of the 3 muscle fiber types, they fatigue the fastest and contract the fastest.
They also generate the most force.
They are most used by the body during explosive movements like jumping and sprinting.
They are the fibers that are primarily responsible for vertical jump performance and should therefore be the main focus of your training.
Does Genetics Play A Role?
In general, the more fast twitch fibers you have in your body compared to slow twitch fibers, the more explosive you are and the higher you can jump.
The ratio of your muscle fiber types is a result of what you were born with (genetic).
Genetics therefore plays a role… BUT you can always train your body to make your slow twitch muscle fibers faster.
For example, marathon runners are 75% slow twitch while sprinters are 75% fast twitch (Type IIA &B combined). Both groups of athletes achieve this through training (although genetics does play a part).
Therefore, if you train correctly, you don’t have to have good genetics to be able to jump higher.
How To Train For Fast Twitch Explosiveness
The basic rule for training your fast twitch fibers is to perform exercises explosively.
In the weight room, lift relatively heavy weights, and lift them explosively.
Some great examples of exercises that target your fast twitch fibers are: plyometrics, depth jumps, jump squats, and olympic lifts.
This vertical jump program will show you the all the best exercises to jump higher and become a fast twitch freak.
Finally, you should never overtrain, as this will be training your endurance (slow twitch fibers) and not your explosiveness (fast twitch fibers).
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65 Responses to “How To Become A Fast Twitch Machine and Jump Higher”
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June 2nd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I thought it was not possible to convert slow twich muscle fibers to fast twitch. When training explosively on say a leg press, should you push outward as hard and fast as you can or should is still be controlled and at a moderate speed?
October 27th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I have read in multiple places that it is impossible to covert slow twitch to fast twitch. It said that you can make them faster but not fast twitch.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:15 am
You are absolutely right. I did my research again, and contacted some credible experts in the field. There are many conflicting theories, but as of today, it is impossible to convert slow twitch to fast twitch (although you can train your slow twitch to become faster). I have modified the article accordingly.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I just received my manual and right now I have a 21 inch vertical. What should I expect? I am pretty athletic but I have never done a jumping program just training at the gym by a trainer but by no stretch were we even working on a vertical, more conditioning and stuff.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Hey Olivia. Considering you haven’t really trained before, I believe you will gain about 10-15+ inches using the Jump Manual. Keep me updated on your progress!
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 am
When do I receive my manual?
June 4th, 2009 at 3:09 am
Hey Caleb. Are you referring to the Jump Manual? You should be able to download it from the email you received after you bought it.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:06 am
I was reading the first part & I already knew what to expect (train explosively) they say the same thing alot, nontheless this is by far my favorite website to read that I have found, I will no dout invest in the manuels that they sell.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hi, interest post. I’ll write you later about few questions!
June 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
The article is usefull for me. I’ll be coming back to your blog.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
thanks so much my team is going to kick butt this year you helped!!!!!! thanks so much
July 6th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
It’s a pity that people don’t realize the importance of this information. Thanks for posing it.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:04 am
hi is max thanks for the info you have been sending me my vertical was twenty eight but it has increase to thirty seven I’m looking forward to get 50 inch vertical thank you and God bless you.
July 10th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Congrats Max! That’s great man. Keep us updated quest to 50.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Can I get the Jump Manual for free?
July 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
What are some good exersises to do at home?
Thanks
- Derran
P.S. I also need some exersises for running long jump ASAP.
July 19th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Oh I Forgot to ask. How long will it take to convert a slow twitch fiber to a fast twitch fiber?
-Thanks
- Derran
July 26th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
What I notice is that you have to do deadlifts and squats for strength and plyos for fast twitch fibers
July 28th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Come on Dan hook me up.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:57 am
I’m 11 years old with a 26 inch vertical. I can dunk on an eight foot hoop at 5’0″. But I want to keep getting better. If you could please get me the Jump Manual it would help me out a lot. Thanks.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Great thank u
September 8th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Hey, Dan
If you train your fast twitchin muscles too much without training your slow twitch muscles make your stamina terrible and also how long will training your slow twitch muscles to fast twitch muscles
September 9th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Hey Jamaal. You’re right, you need to have endurance if you are active in your sport. I guess the best way to do it is this: Train your fast twitch muscle fibers during the off season, and limit your slow twitch training. Then during the season, do the opposite i.e. train your slow twitch fibers/endurance. This will happen naturally during practice & games.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Hi Dan,
Yea I’ve read about all the stuff that you wrote, pretty intresting.
Just wanna ask: does all these suggestion usefull for a skateboader? (coz i’m)
Thanks.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hey John. Yep, this should be useful for skateboarding as well.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I am looking to implement this with my team and i am curious as to what type of results i should look for in a matter of two months from the team?
thanks
jon
October 11th, 2009 at 3:55 am
Hey guys,
im 14 and ive done some training alone at home after this article, and i can now grab onto a 10′ hoop. But i want to increase my verticle jump. I got a question does skipping on a skipping rope for about 5-10 min non stop do any good?
- paul
October 11th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Hey. Jumping rope is great for warming up, but it shouldn’t be the focus of your main training session. I would recommend training with weights using these vertical jump exercises .
February 13th, 2010 at 3:00 am
how much could jump rope, jump squats,and deadlifts increase ur vertical in about six months. Because i made a bet with my dad that i would be able to dunk in six months and im 5’8 and i could touch rim before i sprain my ankle but now im like two inches from it.
October 12th, 2009 at 1:00 am
Hello Mr.Dan
My name is Jordan, 19 year old, an Asian, I plan to Jump high for a long time… but nothing is make me good… I am about 5″7 /5″8 , I can only jump to touch the backboard or just the net, so slam dunk might be long way for me…now I am thinking to build muscle because I seen the dunker always with the great muscle… will slow twitch muscle decrease vertical jump? can I train slow twitch muscle first then I train fast twitch muscle… and what is the effective way to make me increase my vertical jump, I am my team captain , I hope my team more confident if I can slam dunk, can you help me or tell me which is the proper exercise or suitable I can use…
October 12th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Hey Jordan. I would advice you to train your fast twitch fibers by doing these vertical jump exercises. Keep me updated on your progress, and I hope you dunk soon!
November 4th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
After reading slow twitch fast twitch I am just reserved just pacing
myself paying attention.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
hi dan im 20 and playing college ball i cant dunk at the moment if i buy the jump manuel how many inches u think i can gain
November 13th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hey Jesse. I think you should expect to gain 10 inches or more.
November 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am
dan,
i have got ur manuel and i am using for higher jumps in football (soccer) to help me head the ball do you think its worth me following it for another sport?
bless
bo
November 15th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Yep, it will work for any sport.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Jamaal, in response to your question about training fast twitch muscle and developing stamina, here’s what one of my strength and conditioning professors taught me. Basically, if you play basketball, you should never do regular cardio (running 20 – 30 minutes at a steady pace.) You want to improve your ability to move explosively repeatedly, not your ability to run at a steady pace for 20 minutes. You never do that in basketball anyway; you jog a lot of the time, with short bursts of exlosive movement to make plays. What you need to do is energy system training. This improves your ability to recover quickly from anaerobic (explosive) activity. The simplest way to do this is to do short sprint training. Sprint 20 – 40 yards repeatedly, giving yourself enough of a break between sprints that you don’t feel really short of breath when you start the next sprint. I’d start with 1 minute breaks at the very least, probably closer to 2 minutes. Gradually decrease your rest periods over several weeks or months. Your body will adapt by increasing the enzymes etc. necessary to clear lactic acid and you will be able to recover more quickly. Stop each training session when you can tell you’re not running as fast anymore or after 20 minutes, whichever comes first. The good thing about this type of training is that it can help you maintain your speed an possibly get faster. Just doing regular cardio will make you slower and less explosive and also makes it very difficult to build muscle or get stronger, because it inhibits the muscle building pathways. Sprint training does not have that effect (at least if you allow sufficient rest between sets.)
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi Dan,
Im 5″6 with a 24inch vertical. My sister is 5″11 with a 16inch vertical. Our coach has it set in his mind that because of my height, my vertical will NOT go any higher. But my sisters will?
Im touching the net & she’s not.
Im also of Pacific Island Descent (Rarotonga/Tahitian)
I’ve been sitting on the thought of getting the jump manual, but the above keeps giving me doubts.
Is it a actually possible for me to jump higher? & can a short bum like me ever touch the rim?
THANKS!
November 24th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hey Maria. Your coach is totally wrong in telling you that you will never jump higher because of your height. Height has NOTHING to do with how high you jump. Do not let anybody, including your coach, hold you back from your goals. You CAN jump higher, and I believe that the Jump Manual is the best solution for that. I wish you all the best, and keep me updated on your progress.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Hi Dan
Do you think the jump manual will help me become faster?
bless
Bo
November 29th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Yep, it will help you get faster as well.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
hey i just started basketball season and was wondering if i got the jump manual now do you think i could get some pretty good gains before the season ends?
November 30th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Hey Cody. To be honest with you, I would wait for the season to end before doing the Jump Manual. You would be over-training if you did the program during the season.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
so what would be the effects of over training?
December 1st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Wsup Cody. The 2 most common effects are fatigue and susceptibility to injury. Over-training can fatigue the body and make you more prone to injuries.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
hey its my senior year and i really want to be able to dunk and our basketball season is about to start and i really want to be able to dunk i have about a 28 inch verticle and can grab the rim so if i got the jump manual would it be too late to start cause i am getting put at post at 6 foot so i would really like to be able to out jump my the other guys cause they are all giants so i need a boost to get over them? thanks
December 1st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Hey Daniel. I would advice you to wait until your season ends to do the Jump Manual. It will lead to over-training if you do it during the season, since you will have practices and games. Just work on your game during the season, and your vert in the off-season.
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 am
Dan,
Ive been doing the manual for just under 2 weeks and already have gained 1-2 inches! how long before i get about 10 inches do you think?
Bless
Bo
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Congrats! Great job. At the rate you are progressing, it looks like will gain 0.5-1 inch per week. Keep me updated on your success!
December 7th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I am 12 yr old girl and i really want to be able to dunk. I am 5 ft 5 inches is there any chance i will ever be able to though?
December 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Hi Liv. There is always a chance. You just have to believe in yourself and train hard
Nothing is impossible, including dunking for you
December 8th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
well i did cross country to get myself in shape for basketball so is that bad cause its long distance running and that said that it makes your slow twich muscles grow but at the same time we did things like wind sprints and lunges up and down the foot ball feild to get faster so was cross country a bad idea for this year?
– Cody
December 9th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Wsup Cody. Cross country is a great way to get “in-shape” for basketball, but like you said, it only works on your slow twitch muscles. It therefore won’t make you jump higher. It wasn’t a bad idea, because conditioning is really important for basketball.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
wew man our team got it rough last night specially me i am 6’0 tall and the tallest man on our team and i had to try and stop this 6’6 giant who was dunking all over the place and i can barely get above the rim and he was throwin down whith both over the rim can you give me some ideas or things that will help me get above the rim? cause that was brutal haha thanks…
– Cody
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
hey Dan, whats the ebook user name and password for jump manual
January 4th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Hey Andrew. Did you buy the program? If you did, email Jacob and he will send you the info
January 4th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Hi Dan. I’m 13 and I just started doing calf raises, pushups, and sit ups since I’m trying out for HS football next year (I’m in 8th grade). I don’t know any personal stats but I want to increase my vert, my 40, and my squat. My mom doesn’t want me using weights though. What can I do?
-Raymond
January 4th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
thank you for posting XD
January 10th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Hey Dan, Im really considering buying this program but I don’t have access to a gym. Will I still get really good results by just having some weights at home?
January 14th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
i have been researching for the past few MONTHS and will ensure you that if you docthese excercises to a correc routine you will gain inches. squats with weights, deadlift, jump squat with weights, jump lunges with weights
February 20th, 2010 at 9:28 am
I am 5ft 6inches tall. I want to be able to dunk. Do u have any idea how high my vertical jump will need to be for this to happen? Also have you ever heard of a good vertical jump program that doesn’t use weight lifting?
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Hey Liv. I can’t give you a specific number, because it will depend on what your standing reach is. The only program I know that doesn’t use weights is Air Alert, but it will only work for you if you are a beginner. Do you have much experience with vertical jump training?
March 8th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
how much time is recomended to spend training
March 20th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
hi dan im 5’10 12years old and im getting hanged on the rim i can touch the backboard i have a 34 inch vertical can u help me dunk before the season start