The effectiveness of resisted jump training on the VertiMax in high school athletes

Resisted jumping devices and resisted plyometric training have become more common in recent years. The effectiveness of such training has yet to be determined among high school athletes. Sixty-four high school athletes (50 boys and 14 girls) from a variety of sports were divided into 2 groups and participated in a training intervention that differed only by the use of the VertiMax jump trainer in 1 group. Lower-body power was tested before and after the intervention and compared statistically for differences between the groups. Athletes from both groups followed a periodized training program with resistance exercises performed 2 or 3 days per week, and sprint and plyometric training (i.e., training control group) or sprint, plyometric, and VertiMax training (i.e., VertiMax group) 1 or 2 days per week, for 12 total weeks. In addition to the traditional compound lower-body lifts and equated sprint work, the VertiMax group performed supplementary exercises on the VertiMax training apparatus. The average improvement in power observed in the training control group was 49.50 +/- 97.83 W, and the increase in power in the VertiMax group was 217.14 +/- 99.21 W. The differences in power after the test and improvements in power with training were found to differ between the groups (P < 0.05) and favored the VertiMax training group. Combined with previous research with college athletes, these data show the added effectiveness of resisted jump training on the VertiMax among athletes for the development of lower-body power.