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“I can always go between the legs, I can always do 360s. But the elite level stuff, I have to hit certain physical criteria (e.g. bodyweight, mobility).”
Training for dunking vs. Training for track and field: “To be honest, nothing has changed.”
Periodization: General Prep to Sport Specific to Competitive Phase
General Prep. “Typically, in general prep, I’m not supposed to dunk… it’s gonna be more low rim, it’s gonna be more play.”
“Get as strong as possible.”
Front Squat, Back Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
“The days in between, I’m doing a lot of auxiliary stuff.”
“Keep it simple. Just get your front squat as big as you possibly can.”
“When I’m finishing fall training, I can barely walk, it’s jell-o.”
Sport Specific. “The focus from lifting switches to dunking.”
Hang Clean. “Try to move a big weight as fast as possible.”
“When I’m finishing sport specific, typically I’m primed.”
Competitive Phase. “Typically I’m dunking all the time and lifting is more maintenance. I’m doing things to make sure I’m healthy to dunk as much as I physically can.”
Quarter squats, kind of heavy.
“When I’m leaving those workouts, I’m fresh, I’m not tired.”
“I can tell when you’re over jumping. That’s gonna lead to it [patellar tendon issues], so stop jumping.”
On the mental toll of counting jumps in a session: “I would be more focused on ‘I only got 5 more jumps left’ not ‘make this jump count because this jump is important‘.
“Pre-ACL tear, I would dunk for 3 hours.”
“Athletics is as much of an art as it is a science.”
“It might be counter-intuitive to what a sound jump might look like but it needs to feel good to me and make sense to me and be comfortable in my body.”
“This person did it this way and they do it wrong and that wrong won them an Olympic gold medal.”
“There are no secrets. There is no magical workout that’s gonna get you to jump higher.”
“If you’re serious about dunking, track and field is probably the best place. It’s probably better than basketball.”
Jonathan Clark’s Links:
Website: http://www.jclarkthejumper.com
Instagram: jclarkthejumper
TikTok: jclarkthejumper
YouTube: jclarkthejumper
