Training for the Forty-Inch Vertical
The forty-inch vertical. Awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping, the measurement captures the imagination like nothing else, standing as a measure of unparalleled lower body explosiveness, and standing the test of time like few measurements-the 4:00 mile, 4.4 second 40-yard dash. The forty-inch vert, and teenagers’ fascination with it, created a plethora of training devices and gimmicks aimed at improving an athlete’s vertical jump. There is no magic formula or device to provide immediate gratification to those seeking rare air.
One popular product sold to millions is the platform, a shoe with a raised forefoot designed to promote calf development and strength and used together with a plyometric routine.
The vertical jump is a measurement of lower body explosive power. A ten year old buying platform shoes to increase his vertical jump is skipping steps necessary for his long term athletic development and compromising his ankle and knee musculature in the process. In training, balance and stability must precede strength. Strength precedes power and explosiveness. Training explosiveness (plyometrics) before balance is like doing long division without basic addition skills; it doesn’t work.
For an athlete with balance, stability and strength-a mature athlete in his late teens-will the platform shoe increase his vertical jump? Maybe. Is it worth buying? Probably not.
The basic premise of the platform shoe is to intensify plyometric training by adding an extra stretch to the gastroc-soleus (calf muscles) complex. The companies who sell the shoes claim it provides the best speed and vertical jump workout available.
JumpUSA, one manufacturer, boasts: “No other method develops as quickly the specific muscle groups and neural connections essential for running speed and jumping heightâÂ?¦with frontal shoes the geometry of the lower leg is radically altered and actually made more efficient for sprinting and leaping,” (JumpUSA).
Even in its own promotional piece, JumpUSA gives one reason to be cautious: why is it necessary to “radically alter the lower leg”? The human body is an amazingly efficient machine; do these shoes really improve on our natural mechanics in a positive manner?
A scan of independent research offers a vaying vantage point. Some researchers do believe the shoes offer the best calf workout possible, while others worry about over-stretching the Achilles tendon or causing instability in the ankle joint which can lead to the knee and hip. Also, the shoes may prevent development in the bigger muscles of the leg (hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes) and therefore impede overall development.
“Frontal platform shoes do give the calf muscles a better plyometric exercise but take away the benefit of the plyometric exercises on the major and more important jumping muscles,” (Anfuso).
“[Platform] shoes emphasize calf strength and explosivenessâÂ?¦The down side is the calf contributes to only about 30% of jumping ability, the shoes degrade the effect of the workout routines on the rest of your leg muscles, (Primus Research). “
“Based on the comments of several outside reviewers, we remain convinced that the eccentric loading conditions imposed on the Achilles-soleus-gastroc complex by Strength Shoes impose a substantial risk of injury, especially if not used correctlyâÂ?¦The claims made by Strength Footwear Inc., that the Strength Shoe can add 5 to 9 inches on your vertical jump and take .2 seconds off your 40 yard time are not substantiated by the published dataâÂ?¦Until further research indicates otherwise, our position remains that the risk of injury may be too great and the magnitude of training effect too small, on average, for us to recommend Strength Shoes to coaches and athletes,” (Hatfield).
Therefore, frontal platform shoes can be used by experienced athletes to improve their calf musculature, but the shoes should not be used in all workouts or throughout an entire workout to prevent unnecessary injury and to develop the other muscles necessary for increasing one’s vertical jump. Platform shoes should be viewed as an accessory and a complement during training, and the beginning and end. For an experienced athlete, using platform shoes occasionally to increase the calf workout and development may be helpful, but by no means should platform shoes be worn during all lower body workouts or by inexperienced athletes.
Athletes must first develop balance, stability and strength before they can experiment with the platform shoes to see if occasional use offers increased development. However, these occasional workouts may not offer much bang for the buck, and concentrating on full body development likely offers a better alternative. Using an experienced trainer to design a weight lifting, running and jumping plan is a better use of the money than buying a pair of platform shoes, as an experienced trainer can customize a workout plan for an individual to improve his weaknesses and build on his strengths.
