How to Get a 40" Vertical (Full Blueprint)

Overview

John Evans presents his “exact blueprint” for building a 40-inch vertical leap, drawing from his coaching background and citing athletes he’s worked with—along with related coaches/results tied to 44–50 inch verticals.

He emphasizes that vertical-leap progress comes from:

• Progressively overloaded training
• Variety within the programming
• Individualized programming
• Proper rest and recovery
• Macrocycles that manage fatigue while building fitness

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Macrocycle Structure (~6 months)

Evans lays out a training plan as a ~6-month macrocycle divided into six mesocycles.

Month 1 — Volume Building

• Schedule: ~3 training days/week
• Deload: Week 4
• Focus: General preparatory work (less jumping-specific early)
• Most lifts rep ranges: 8–12
• Intensities: ~65–70%
• Power development: begins with about 4 reps x 5 sets

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Month 2 — More Specific Strength / Priming

• Goal: Increase specificity for two-foot jumpers
• Primary pulls: clean pulls / power cleans
  • Sometimes includes snatch pulls
• Power work intensity: ~90%
• Power rep range: ~3 reps
• Max-strength style work: 6–8 reps
• Accessory work: primes the next phase
• Working set intensity: ~85%
• Notes: intended to be less joint/tendon stress than earlier specificity

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Month 3 — Absolute Strength + Eccentric Primer

• Back squat: ~10 sets of 2–3
• Clean pulls: heavy at ~105–110% of power clean to strengthen the first/second pull, making power cleans easier later
• General days include:
  • Jump circuits
  • Tempo running: ~30–45 seconds with ~3 minutes rest
  • Keep legs from feeling overly “lactic”
• Eccentric strength primer examples:
  • Nordic hamstrings
  • 2-up/1-down calf raises

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Month 4 — Bars Fast + Power Focus + Accentuated Eccentrics

• Primary priority: move weights fast
• Power clean frequency: twice/week
• Clean pulls: on the third day
• More triple-extension specificity
• Accentuated eccentric training:
  • Belt squat assistance on the ascent
  • Heavy lowering
  • Around 110–115% of maximal back squat
• Partial-range specificity:
  • Blocks for one-foot jumpers
  • Floor work for two-foot jumpers
• General days: easier and more “bodybuilding/circuit-based”
  • Reduced tempo and jump circuits
• Intent: keep focus on main lifts without overload

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Month 5 — Bar Speed / Shock Loading + Elastic Qualities

• Transition: speed strength using lighter, faster Olympic-lift variations
  • Examples: power snatch, lighter power cleans
• Eccentric/stretch-shortening emphasis: hang power cleans
• Suggested intensities (relative to power clean baseline):
  • Power clean: ~60%
  • Power snatch: ~50%
• Squats: strength primer + high-velocity squatting
  • Example: timed sets around 65–70%
• Shock loading / low plyo volume:
  • Med ball / shot put throws
  • Box step-offs
  • Step-up jumps
• General days: more regeneration/rest while maintaining fitness

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Month 6 — Highest Specificity + Taper

• Specific work volume peaks

• Two approaches are described:

  1. Load management
     • Jump on Mon/Thu
     • Easy lifting on Tue/Fri
  2. Add sprinting/plyo, but keep accessory work more general**
     • Focus on staying healthy and keeping the nervous system fresh
     • Examples: more concentric-focused work like slow RDLs and calf raises

• After completing the macrocycle: a taper

  • Reduce volume by ~50%
  • Increase intensity
  • Use protocols like 5-4-3-2-1 for squats
  • Include daily velocity maxing on power cleans

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Jump Session Programming

Evans also explains how to structure jump sessions:

• Total time (early year): about 40 minutes
• Over the mesocycles, he shifts time from:
  • warm-up and max-effort phases
• Ends with a cap around:
  • 20 minutes warm-up
  • 20 minutes max effort
• Goal: avoid performance “flatness” on subsequent lift days

He directs viewers to THPStrength.com for individualized coaching.

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Presenters / Sources (as stated)

• John Evans (presenter)
• Stephen Selly (mentioned)
• Boo Schexnayder (referenced)
• Athletes mentioned: Austin Burke, Travis Slade, Don Gonzalez, Josh, Nathan George, Dom