Where To Buy:
Find The Best Price
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Pros:
- Layout of the program is easy to follow and understand
- The exercises in the Vert Shock program can be done in the comfort of your own home with minimal gym equipment required
- Plyometric exercises are a mainstay for building functional strength
- Videos are up to date and done in high quality HD so that you can see exactly how to do each exercise
Cons:
- Results will not only depend on the program, but doing the exercises properly, your baseline fitness level, and genetics
- No weight-bearing exercises may mean that convenience does not equate to results
- The purchasing experience should be simplified
Expert Review Videos – Click Text To Play
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You Want a Jumping Program That Delivers!
One of the most common questions I get from readers is tips on how to increase their vertical jump so that they can dunk. I’m going to be posting an article in the near future that offers some tips on vertical jumping, but today I want to talk about a comprehensive vertical jumping program that states can increase your vertical by 9-15 inches: The Vert Shock Program by Adam Folker.
I was introduced to this program because after getting all these questions about increasing your vertical I decided to do some research on my own. After some brief Googling I came across the Vert Shock Program and Adam Folker. To be honest, the home page for the Vert Shock Program turned me off as it comes off as overly hyping the program and basically says you will jump out of the gym with these vertical jumping “secrets”.
On top of that every other review I’ve read of the Vert Shock program comes off as incredibly fake and too promotional.
Despite my reservations, I went ahead and purchased the Vert Shock program because I was curious to learn more about it and also to offer my take on the program for readers of this site.
In Depth Review Of Vert Shock
Who Teaches Vert Shock?
Here I discuss the people behind Vert Shock, the Vert Shock exercises, and the layout of the Vert Shock program.
1. Adam Folker
Adam Folker: Creator of Vert Shock
Adam Folker is the main man and developer of the Vert Shock program.
He played division I basketball at UC Irvine and is a native Canadian. Watching game tape of Adam it is pretty clear he knows how to play the game.
Based on Adam Folker’s profile he currently plays professional basketball overseas, the most recent article stated he was playing in the Czech Republic.
2. Justin “Jus Fly” Darlington
Justin “Jus Fly” Darlington
Justin “Jus Fly” Darlington is a professional dunker and has created some paid bonus materials for the Vert Shock program. You can find his dunks everywhere on Youtube and I must say that his gravity defying slams are quite impressive.
Based on my impressions of the Vert Shock program, Justin is primarily involved because he is a great promotional tool to the program, but beyond his promotional status he does offer the “Jump Like Justin” workout that is offered as an additional purchase to the core Vert Shock system.
Program Overview
Here I discuss the people behind Vert Shock, the Vert Shock exercises, and the layout of the Vert Shock program.
Purchasing Experience
While the program is very well laid out and should be easy for most to follow, the actual purchasing experience of the Vert Shock program left a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, many similar digital products give you the run around by making you click no to multiple add-on offers before finally giving you what you paid for. The Vert Shock program is no different.
In fact, I had to click through three different add-on offers from Vert Shock, including Justin Darlington’s extra vertical jumping secrets. Personally, I passed on these offers as I wanted to get to know the core of the Vert Shock program, but you may find them to be worth your while depending on your vertical jumping goals.
My recommendation to Adam would be to make the purchasing experience easier and put the opportunity to purchase the additional resources in the actual program interface.
The Program
I can say without a doubt that the Vert Shock program is user friendly. The main program interface is logically setup with vertical nav bar with each major component of the program.
Vert Shock Main Menu
Within each section of the program there is a video of Adam who explains the purpose of the lesson and a tip or two on how to utilize the information to its full potential. The videos are high quality and even use some text overlays to enhance the viewing experience.
Below the video there is information and downloads that are to be used as instructed.
Vert Shock Exercises
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Vert Shock program can easily be done at home. Unlike similar vertical jumping programs the weight room is not a requirement.
The vast majority of Vert Shock exercises are either plyometric of calisthenic in nature. This means you’ll be using your own body weight and gravity as your primary resistance. Most of the exercises will be familiar to those who have completed a high intensity fitness program like Insanity or Crossfit.
Some of the exercises used in Vert Shock include:
Tuck Jumps
Single Leg Box Jumps
Clap Pushups
Supermans
180 Squat Jumps
Equipment You’ll Need
While you can easily do the Vert Shock program at home, there are a couple pieces of inexpensive gym equipment that I recommend you pickup if you are going to purchase the Vert Shock program, and include the following:
- Medicine Ball
- Box Platform
- Foam Roller
Vert Shock Program Layout
Introduction
The first thing you’ll want to do when you get into the Vert Shock program is to go through the Overview, How to Read Workouts, Quick Start, and Exercise Video sections. Be sure to watch every exercise video to know how to complete each workout properly.
Adam Demostrating an Exercise in Vert Shock
Within the Vert Shock program is also some basic dietary tips that help you to perform at your best no matter what athletic activity you are attempting. It is easy to blow these nutrition tips off as unessential, but I know from my own personal experience how valuable proper nutrition is in terms of improving performance.
These are all incredibly important as it lays the foundation for successfully following the program to see maximum increase in your vertical jumping ability.
Vert Shock Program – 8 Weeks To Flight
When you start to dig into the actual meat of the Vert Shock program you’ll quickly notice that the program is divided into three different sections: Pre-Shock Phase, Shock Phase, and Post-Shock Phase. Each phase has a specific purpose. It is critical to work through each phase in order so that you don’t over do it too soon and cause overtraining injury.
Phase 1: Pre-Shock
The Pre-Shock phase of Vert Shock lasts for one week. This phase of the program really allows you to get acquainted with some of the workouts you’ll be doing over the 8-week period preparing you to jump right into the Shock phase.
This phase has the goal of getting your muscles prepared to do more intensive workouts later on. What’s nice about the Pre-Shock phase is that many students who have gone through the program see vertical gains of up to three inches during the Pre-Shock phase alone.
Phase 2: Shock
This is the bulk of the Vert Shock program. The Shock Phase is 6-weeks long. This is where the Vert Shock program really gets going as you’ll be doing a ton of plyometric and calisthenic exercises with some sprinting mixed in as well.
Most weeks of the Shock Phase you will be working out four to five days a week. The other days are strictly set aside for rest and recovery.
The purpose of all these movements and exercises is to activate and strengthen your fast twitch muscle fibers, which are the muscle fibers you use during explosive movements like a vertical jump.
For you to get the most out of the Vert Shock program you’ll need to do every exercise with 100% effort and follow the specific resting guidelines. Every time you do a rep think “explosive”. If you half ass your reps, you will not see maximum vertical gains.
Vert Shock is a program that gives you the tools, but you have to be the one to use those tools effectively to take your vertical jump to new levels.
Phase 3: Post-Shock
The final week of the Vert Shock program is made up of the Post-Shock phase. The Post-Shock phase is designed to fortify your gains, while allowing your muscles to begin the recovery process from the Shock phase.
Due to the fact that you have been working hard for 6 weeks in the Shock Phase, you may find you do not make additional gains during this section of Vert Shock. However, if you’ve done the program as Adam describes then I am confident you’ll be happy with your results.
Maintenance
After you’ve completed all eight weeks of the Vert Shock program you’ll move into the maintenance phase. This program is to be done once per week and includes three different maintenance workouts to alternate.
The purpose of the maintenance phase is to lock in your vertical gains so that you won’t lose what you’ve built up from hard work and dedication.
My Take On Vert Shock
Price
For the core Vert Shock program, without any extras, the cost is $67. I feel like this is reasonable for what you get. The program is very comprehensive and is applicable in pretty much any environment available to you.
Additional programs and add-ons range from $20 to $100.
Is Vert Shock A Scam?
This was probably a question on many readers’ minds when they found this article. I can say with confidence that Vert Shock is not a scam. It is a real vertical jump program developed by a personal trainer with basketball experience at the division I level.
However, the process to purchase the program is a bit frustrating due to up-sells, everything from payment to the program itself is on the up and up.
How Much Will I Increase My Vertical with Vert Shock?
On the Vert Shock website they claim you can add up to 9-15 inches to your vertical by going through the program.
While certainly a 9-15 inch gain in your vertical is possible for some, I would caution those who are expecting it to happen by using Vert Shock. When it comes to your vertical jump there are several factors at play. Two of which are addressed in Vert Shock: diet and training.
The third factor is genetics. An example of how genetics can play a role in performance is distance running. I could run 80 miles a week, and I would never become an elite marathoner. In fact, I’d likely just get injured.
The same thing applies for vertical jumping. Some of us are just not able to jump as high as others. If you find yourself in this camp you may not see a vertical jumping gain in the 9-15 inch range.
That being said, I am very confident that if you go through this program and do it properly you will see a significant gain in your vertical jump. At the same time don’t be totally disheartened if you were hoping to dunk after doing the Vert Shock program and can only grab the rim. The truth is that this increase in vertical will help you on the court during games and that is even more important than dunking in my opinion.
Conclusion
Summary
Now that I’ve had a chance to thoroughly evaluate the materials and exercises included in Vert Shock it is apparent that this program is the real deal. That’s not to say that there are not weaknesses, in particular, the purchasing process simply sucks.
Purchasing process aside, the actual program is comprehensive and can be done in the comfort of your home. This is a huge advantage over the Jump Manual, which requires you to go to a weight room to complete a lot of the exercises.
I’m also a huge proponent of plyometrics and believe that they are one of the main keys to functional strength. Functional strength is strength that is built with the purpose of completing a specific athletic task, in this case improving your vertical jump.
While I’m sure the add-ons have value, I don’t think they are a necessity to see significant improvement in your jumping ability. For most, the core Vert Shock program will give you what you need.
The Final Verdict
Vert Shock is NOT a scam! It also is not a miracle pill. If you want to see vertical jumping gains you have to be the one to do the exercises faithfully and put in the work. If you half ass the program and don’t see the gains you were hoping for then you have no one to blame but yourself.