Athletes all over the world train constantly to achieve a higher vertical, especially in the game of basketball…
One method that athletes gravitate towards to increase their vertical are jump programs…
This Vertical jump development bible review takes a deep dive into one of the oldest programs on the market.
This program allowed players to increase their verticals back in the day but in today’s world, with improved technology and methods…
Is the Vertical jump bible still effective and safe?
What Is The Vertical Jump Bible?
The Vertical Jump Bible is an eBook, completely downable in a PDF format….
To be honest, this is its first strike, yes there is no shipping cost, but that is no different than most other vertical training programs…
What really get’s me upset is that there are no videos within this program…
Even the worst vertical jump program that I reviewed, not to mention any names (Umm AirAlert), Had videos explaining the exercises for beginners and experts alike.
I will say that the book does describe how the athlete should train, and eat for maximum results, and the importance of recovery.
Diet and recovery are something that many people miss because it is not the exciting part of training…
But it is like the unsung hero for increasing your vertical to new heights; Diet and Recovery are essential!
The creator of Vertical Jump Bible, Kelly Bagget, does a great job including the right ingredients to this jump program…
At the time of release, it was at the top of the vertical jump world because the program was backed by scientific research…
But today it is outdated.
There are better vertical training programs on the market today to increase your vertical, like the Vert Shock jump program and The Jump Manual.
Who Is Kelly Bagget?
Kelly Bagget is a renowned performance trainer that helps countless athletes improve their strength and athleticism to achieve higher levels in their sport.
What makes Kelly a little different than some vertical training creators is that over the years, Kelly experiments with vertical training methods on himself to develop the Vertical Jump Bible.
It paid off for Kelly because he was able to increase his vertical from 23” inches to 42” inches….
But honestly, after looking at the Vertical Jump Bible; I think these numbers are a little inflated for marketing purposes.
The best vertical programs like Vert Shock and Jump Manual promise to increase your vertical by 9”+ inches, which is more realistic.
You can check out my personal experience with vert Shock, where I achieved an 11” inch increase in my vertical in only 8 weeks.
Kelly Bagget does mention something that is 100% true; Bagget states that the reasons that athletes do not improve are because
- They do not train at all, or
- Did not know how to train correctly.
Ironically the Vertical Jump Bible does not really explain how to train correctly like other jump programs…
Bagget has stressed not to fall for the gimmicks to jump higher such as strength shoes and basketball shoes that allow you to jump higher.
A Peek Inside Vertical Jump Bible
The eBook is 148 pages, and I recommend reading it front to back before diving into it.
The reason is that you want a full overview of what Kelly is trying to bring to you…
He goes over different types of training, what works and what doesn’t work, and common questions asked about jumping ability…
While reading, you will need to keep in mind that this program is a little dated, so the information may be misleading.
With that being said, the eBook focuses on 3 major components in the workout section…
- Reactive Strength Training: Related to plyometric training helps you with your bounce.
- Strength Training: Focuses on strengthening the whole body, which is leg strength, upper body, and core. Upper body strength and core are essential to increase your vertical to the maximum level.
- Rate of Force Development Training: The speed you deliver power from your body to the ground that produces the explosion to the rim. The faster it is the higher you jump.
One aspect that Kelly Bagget drops the ball on is not capitalizing on the importance of technique…
With the proper jumping technique, you can increase your vertical by 2-6 inches.
That is the difference between you dunking on your opponent instead of getting your shot blocked.
The vertical Jump Bible does explain the importance of being flexible, and an increased range of motion allows a player to jump higher…
It just doesn’t explain it in as much detail as other programs.
Various Levels for Athletes at Different Fitness Levels
I was surprised when I saw this….
The program is designed to be used for any level of athlete, no matter if you are just starting out or you have been playing for years.
There are 4 levels; they are as follows…
- Raw Beginner-Absolutely no training at all
- Novice– A little experience
- Intermediate-Been playing for a while and have completed some training
- Advanced– Playing for a long time and been training for awhile
I do like this because it makes a player with experience feel like they are not wasting their time…
While allowing players with no experience to be safe by focusing on jumping effectively to avoid injury and set them on the right track to produce good habits.
For each level, there are different workout charts and schedules, and the exercises are designed to fit the level of the athlete.
Even though this sounds like a revolutionary idea, it is dated when compared to Vert Shock and Jump Manual.
Vert Shock and Jump Manual are structured in a way they are perfect for beginners and experts alike by focusing on good habits and getting results out of the gate.
This is part of the reason that these two programs take less time to see results when compared to the Vertical Jump Bible.
Vertical Jump Bible Workouts
The workouts are extensive; you will be doing 1.5-2 hours of training per session…
This jump program consists of more workouts than other vertical training programs.
This can be problematic because of overtraining and the risk of injury.
Due to all the jumping and training, this is not a program that you will be able to do in-season…
If you try, you are leaving the door wide open for injuries.
Below is a quick rundown of a few exercises…
- Stretching
- Rate of Force Development Training
- 6 different methods of Plyometrics
- Weight lifting and strength training
- Bodyweight training
- Post-work drills
Pros VS. Cons of The Vertical Jump Bible
Be aware there are a lot more cons than pros…
Let’s dive into each one…
Pros
- Very Detailed: The most detailed book that you can get on vertical jumping, contains research, history, and different variables involved in jumping; you will not find this much detail in any other book about vertical jumping. Very well put together and informative even if a lot of the data and methods have become a little outdated.
- Customized Fitness Levels: Various levels of fitness is excellent for players who do not know where to start with their training.
- Easy to follow: Even though it is an eBook, it’s pretty simple to follow and find what exercises are right for you. Walking you step-by-step through the entire program.
Cons
- Outdated: Released in 2005 and hasn’t changed much since then, it shows its age when compared to programs like Vert Shock and Jump Manual which take a more up-to-date approach to increasing your vertical jump. There are no videos, barely any images, just big blocks of text in the Vertical Jump Development Bible.
- Not Beginner Friendly: Even though this program breaks down the workout for beginners, there is a good chance that you can become injured. Vertical Jump Bible requires you to create your own vertical jump program, which is unrealistic, especially for a beginner without training experience. It can be even challenging for players with experience.
- High Cost for Low Value: You can find the jump program on amazon for around $45. This is steep for what you get, especially considering you can get Vert Shock for $67, and tons of bonuses come with Vert Shock; with the Vertical Jump Bible, you just get an eBook.
- Poor Explanation: Kelly goes into detail about Strength training, Plyometrics, Rate of Force Development (RFD), and the Central Nervous System (CNS), to name a few. But does not do a great job explaining them, which leaves you confused after reading.
- Gym Required: This is an obstacle for most athletes because they do not have access to a gym; just like one of the leading vertical programs, Jump Manual, Vertical Jump Bible requires a weight room. Needing a gym membership is one reason many athletes today chose Vert Shock because you can do everything from home without weights.
- Extensive Workout Sessions: Spending 1.5-2 hours training is not an effective way to train your vertical jump compared to newer programs that optimize their vertical training program where you are training for less time in a session. The longer sessions make it harder to complete the program, leading players to quit and see no results.
- Can Not Train In Season: This actually is not a surprise; for most vertical jump programs, you can not perform in the season because of the amount of effort you put in and the number of jumps you have to complete.
It would be better to do this training during the off-season from high school, local rec league, or whatever it may be because you will be too tired and may put yourself at an increased risk of injury if you push too hard.
Final Thought On Vertical Jump Development Bible Review
Kelly Bagget stating that he was able to achieve a 42” inch vertical form in his Vertical Jump Bible is a little far fetch…
You have to take an account that Kelly has more experience than 99% of people who are going to try this program.
Having a total beginner and most intermediate players create their own workout routine from an eBook is a lot to ask and will most likely lead to failure.
There is some useful information for trainers and professional athletes…
But someone without years of experience in the training field can become lost and think the book is confusing.
The question still stands, Will the Vertical Jump Bible actually make you achieve a higher vertical?
It may be slightly, but you are putting yourself at risk for injury…
This may have been the best program in its day, but now there are vertical training programs that are a million times better…
Also, I have an issue with this training not having any videos at all…
It is hard to demonstrate an exercise or a concept through just text and a few pictures.
I suggest checking out jump training like Vert Shock and Jump Manual…
These programs have a ton of bonuses; they are shorter, have videos, and are safer.
These two vertical training programs are focused more on basketball players…
But will work well for anyone trying to increase their vertical…
Vert Shock, you do not need weights or equipment; this is my #1 pick for the best vertical jump program…
While Jump Manual is my #2 pick, you will need access to a weight room, but this program is not as weight-lifting intensive as the vertical Jump Development Bible.
FAQ’s
Q: DOES THE VERTICAL JUMP DEVELOPMENT BIBLE WORK?
The vertical jump bible is one of the oldest programs that claim to increase your vertical. The training comes in a 148-page eBook, without any videos and barely any pictures. You may see a sight increase in your vertical but are more at risk for injury due to a lack of guidance from the program.
Q: IS THE VERTICAL JUMP DEVELOPMENT BIBLE OUTDATED?
Yes, it is when compared to other vertical training programs like Vert Shock and Jump Manual.
Q: HOW MUCH DOES THE VERTICAL JUMP DEVELOPMENT BIBLE COST?
You will spend around $45 USD, for the Vertical Jump Development Bible. Which is too expensive for what you get when compared to leading jump programs Vert Shock.
