Novice Weights Vertical Jump Program

NOVICE WEIGHTS PROGRAM

This is a strength-training program designed for someone who is either a beginner or has less than 1 year of consistent weight training experience.  The routine is designed to not only prepare and condition your body but also dramatically increase your strength in the

lower body.  It does this by focusing on the largest “bang for the buck” exercises, those being the barbell squat and deadlift.  The routine is not overly fancy or dramatic as most effective strength training programs tend to share one thing in common and that is lots of basic hard, heavy exercises.  The program calls for 2 training days per week with at least

2 days rest between workouts.  The program works really nice when the novice plyometrics program is added in during the last 2 phases, which would call for 2 plyometric workouts per week and 2 strength training workouts per week.  Ideally you would perform the plyometrics program on the same days that you weight train but this is not absolutely necessary.  You could set it up any number of ways as long as you have 2 whole days rest in between weight training workout.  For example you might set it up

like this:

Option #1

Monday- Lower body workout #1 + plyometrics

Tuesday- Off

Wednesday- Plyometrics

Thursday- Off

Friday- Lower body workout #2

Saturday and Sunday- Off

Option #2 (this would be ideal but not absolutely necessary)

Monday-Off

Tuesday-Lower Body workout #1 + plyometrics

Wednesday Off

Thursday- Off

Friday Lower Body workout #2 + plyometrics

Saturday and Sunday- Off

Option #3

Monday- Lower body workout #1

Tuesday- plyometrics

Wednesday-off

Thursday- Lower body workout #2

Friday-off

Saturday- plyometrics

Sunday- Off

Option #4 (this option calls for only 1 plyometrics training day per week – this will still allow you to benefit and I actually suggest this option if you really need to work on your strength because you will be a lot fresher throughout the week)

Monday- Lower body workout #1

Tuesday- off

Wednesday- Plyometrics

Thursday- off

Friday- Lower body workout #2

Just make sure you only add the plyos in on the last 2 phases.

Program guidelines:

Goals: Dramatically increase lower body strength

Intensity: moderately heavy loading

Length: 4 phases with each phase 3 weeks in duration

Frequency: 2 times per week

Rest Intervals: 3 minutes between sets of most exercises – no specific need to monitor rest intervals – simply go whenever you’re ready and make sure you are fresh so that you can hoist the heavy iron!

PHASE I (Week 1-3)

Exercise	Sets/reps	Remarks
Workout A:
Squat	3x10	Do 2-3 prior warm-up sets of 8-10 reps adding weight to the bar with each set.  Once you build up to your working

		weight try to stay with the same weight for all 3 sets
Leg curl or glute ham raise	4x8
Calf raise	3x20
Workout B:
Deadlift	3x8	Do 2-3 prior warm-up sets of 6-8 reps adding weight to the bar with each set.  Once you build up to your working weight try to stay with the same weight for all sets
Barbell lunge	3x8 (per leg)	Perform all the reps with 1 leg before advancing to the other leg.  Follow the weak-side rule and work the weaker leg first
1-legged calf raise	3x20	Hold dumbell

Phase II (Week 4-6)

Exercise	Sets/Reps	Remarks
Workout A:
Squat	4x8
Explosive squat	2x5	Using 50% of the weight you used in your heaviest squat attempt perform 2 sets of 5 reps trying to explode up as fast as possible
Leg curl	4x8
Calf raise	4x20
Workout B:
Barbell Split Squat	4x8	Elevate back leg on a bench approximately 12-18 inches high
Romanian Deadlift	4x8	Focus on keeping back arched and pushing hips back
Glute-Ham raise	3x15	Lower yourself slowly and use your arms to push yourself back up
1-legged calf raise	3x20/leg

Phase III (Week 7-9)

Exercise	Sets/reps	Remarks
Workout A
Squat	4x6
1 and 1/3 squat	2x8	Squat all the way down come up 1/3 of the way then go back down and then come all the way up = 1 rep
Leg curl	4x6

Calf raise	3x20
Workout B:
Platform Deadlift	4x5	Stand on a very low box or plate for a greater range of motion.
Barbell lunge	4x8/leg
1-leg calf raise	3x20/leg

Phase IV (Week 10-12)

Exercise	Sets/reps	Remarks
Workout A:
Squat	4x4
¼ squat	2x4	After your regular squats add additional weight to the bar and do 2 sets of 4 reps using a much shorter range of motion
Leg curl	4x5
Calf raise	4x15
Workout B:
Deadlift from blocks	4x4	Put blocks, boxes, or plates under the plates to elevate the bar about 8 inches higher than normal.  After elevation the bar should be just below your knees.
Regular Deadlift	2x4	Strip some weight off the bar and perform 2 sets of regular deadlifts
Dumbell lunge	3x8
1-leg calf raise	3x20/leg