subject: Vertical Workouts - How To Do The Last Two Sets Of Squats When Jump Training [print this page] The last two sets when you do squats are going to be different for a couple reasons. One of the reasons is, when you do explode, that initial hit is going to make that weight coast for a bit, so it's not going to be straining your muscle, which is not a good thing. So your last two sets, we're going to be doing a complete muscle strain. On these last two sets, keep your weight below ten still, or your reps below ten, so keep your weight heavy; but do the weight very slowly. You might have to do a little less weight. If you're doing squats, go to the peak point, lower very slowly so that you can feel the strain on the muscle the entire time. If you feel the strain the entire time, you're getting every area of the muscle trained.
Your last set is a little bit different. This is going to be what we call the "burn-out set." When you train your muscle to go a little bit past total failure or fatigue, you're able to train the muscle to its maximum potential. So, here's what you're going to do on your last set: you're still going to keep your reps below ten. It's best to have a partner. If you're doing squats, no matter what you're doing it's the same thing: go until failure, until you can't do any more. And then the moment you can't do anymore, rack the weights. Take off twenty to forty pounds or ten pounds or however much, so that you can go back and do just as many again.
Now once you've pulled off those weights, immediately get under there and do under ten, but go until failure, until you can no longer lift anymore. Once you've gotten to that point, repeat that process one more time. Take the weights off quickly, and then go to failure again until you just can't go anymore. If you have a partner, have them help you do two to three more so that your muscles are just completely exhausted.
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Jacob Hiller is the creator of an ESPN-featured jump program and is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on vertical jump training.
