Mac McClung Jump Program Review 2024 – PJF Performance

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Mac McClung Jump Program Summary
Mac McClung Jump Program

After having reviewed every vertical jump program on the current market, I believe the Mac McClung Jump Program is quite possibly the highest value vertical jump program for basketballers.

If you’re a serious baller and want to increase your vert, this is the program for you.

Our Rating:
4.5

The Good

This is the only PJF program that includes upper body training built-in!

Hyperspecific to the needs of basketballers and dunkers – lots of approach work off the dribble as well as palming exercises.

Access to the best jump mechanics guide I’ve ever seen.

Best exercise demonstrations of any vertical jump program.

Super affordable in comparison to Vert Code Elite and other options!

The Bad

Lacks information about how to integrate the program when in-season to avoid overtraining.

Could use slightly more really heavy lifting!

Recommended For

This is an ideal vertical jump program specifically for basketballers. The bodyweight version is great for younger hoopers and the Elite version is better for more experienced athletes.

Mac McClung Jump Program Review – How Does It Stack Up?

Having recently reviewed both Vert Code and Vert Code Elite, I was super excited to see how the Mac McClung Jump Program would stack up… I was definitely not disappointed!

Before we get into it, make sure you check out my full list of the top vertical jump programs for 2024.

How Does The Mac McClung Jump Program Work? & What To Expect

The Mac McClung Jump Program runs for 16 weeks and is available as either a bodyweight program or a weight training program.

For younger or less experience athletes, or anyone who doesn’t have access to a weight room, the bodyweight program is ideal.

For more experienced athletes who have access to a gym, the ‘Elite’ version is the superior choice.

For the remainder of this review we’re going to focus primarily on the Elite version.

Mac McClung Jump Program Structure

You’ll be training 5 days a week on the Mac McClung Jump Program, doing lower body on days 1,4, and 6, and upper body/core/mobility workouts on days 2 and 5, while resting on days 3 and 7.

Yes, that’s right, we’re finally getting a taste of some upper body training in a PJF program!

I’m a big fan of the training split in this program and think it would be ideal to see this for the Vert Code programs too.

The Mac McClung Jump Program is broken down into 5 phases,

Mac McClung Jump Program Structure

Phase 1 (2 Weeks)

The first 2 weeks of the program are geared towards ‘building the base’ and aim at getting your body used to lifting and jumping.

Exercises are fairly basic as we’re being careful to ease our body into the program.

Phase 2 (2 Weeks)

The second phase of the MMCJP builds on the first phase and is also designed to prepare our body for the forthcoming explosive movements we’ll be doing throughout the Tiger Mode phase.

You’ll start to see some more extensive plyometrics being added into the mix during phase 2.

Phase 3 (4 Weeks)

Phase 3 (Tiger Mode) is all about developing explosiveness.

You can expect more intense plyometrics as well as heavier weights in the gym.

Paul describes this particular phase as 70% tiger and 30% gazelle – which means the focus is still on developing limit strength and power.

Phase 4 (4 Weeks)

In Phase 4, this ratio inverts and we’re now focusing primarily on speed strength as opposed to strength speed movements.

Here we’re working on converting our newfound strength into speed and elasticity.

You can expect tons of dunk workouts in this phase – we’re talking max jump approaches with a basketball.

Phase 5 (4 Weeks)

In the fifth and final phase, we’re looking to peak our athleticism for maximum results after the final week.

Expect to see more of the same exercises but with higher intensity with less volume in this phase.

Program Is Delivered Via TrainHeroic App

Unlike the other programs from PJF Performance, the Mac McClung Jump Program is hosted on a site/app called TrainHeroic.

The mobile interface is fantastic and it’s super easy to use.

Mac McClung TrainHeroic App

Exercise demonstrations are super accessible on both the mobile app as well as the desktop version and each of the workouts are pretty easy to read.

Basketball Specific Exercises

The Mac McClung Jump Program is designed specifically for basketballers and includes basketball palming drills to develop hand strength.

This is pretty unique and although it won’t help you jump much higher, it’ll be super useful when it comes time to dunk the basketball!

Some Additional Training Resources Included

You also get access to a few other documents as part of the MMCJP which includes Paul Fabritz’ famous jump mechanics guide.

Mac McClung Jump Program Bonuses

The Mac McClung Jump Program doesn’t come with quite as much bonus material compared to the Vert Code programs, which is a bit of a shame.

Do I Need Equipment For The Mac McClung Jump Program?

For the Elite version you absolutely will need access to a weight room.

Having a training partner is also highly advantageous for this particular program, although not mandatory.

Certain exercises like the ‘band resisted non-countermovement jump’ certainly benefit from having a partner to assist you, although Paul does provide alternatives if you are training alone.

What I Liked About The Mac McClung Jump Program

There’s so much to love about this program, so let’s dive straight into it!

Super Basketball Specific Exercises

The MMCJP is really the only jump program designed specifically for basketballers.

A lot of what you’ll be doing in this program involves a basketball and a hoop.

Paul even has you doing palming drills to develop hand strength.

You won’t find drills like these in any other vertical jump program!

Perfect Mixture Of Lower & Upper Body

One complaint I had about the Vert Code programs was that there was no upper body training built-in.

I thought it would be a smart idea to include some upper body training on the core/mobility days and… lo and behold my prayers were answered because this is exactly what we get in the MMCJP!

Obviously there’s a heavy focus on lower body training still, but the fact that even some degree of upper body training is integrated in this program is really nice.

Multi Level Exercise Demonstrations

One thing PJF Performance does exceptionally well is their multi-level exercise demonstrations.

There’s usually multiple ways to perform a movement and the exercise demos in this program often include several options for varying levels of difficulty.

It’s tiny little things like this that make the PJF programs so much nicer than the competition.

Extremely Good Value For Money

At the time of writing, the Mac McClung Bodyweight Jump Program goes for $95 and the Elite version goes for $115…

Compare this to the likes of the Vert Code (Bodyweight) Program which is $85 and Vert Code Elite which is $275 (or $27.50/month), I think the $115 price point is absolutely fantastic value!

Realistically this program is very similar to Vert Code Elite and costs less than half the price.

You definitely don’t get quite as much information as you do in VCE, but it’s still a bargain in my opinion!

As far as value for money goes, the only stand-alone jump program that does a better job is OTA’s Elite Vertical Academy.

What I Disliked About The Mac McClung Jump Program

There’s really not much I could find to complain about with this program…

Smaller Resources Library

Compared to Vert Code Elite, you don’t get quite as much bonus content with the MMJP…

One of the main things its missing is Paul’s 15 minute in-season training guide… The Mac McClung Jump Program is 16 weeks long which will almost certainly interfere with your sports season.

Knowing how to modify the jump program when in-season so as to avoid overtraining is absolutely crucial and there’s no information about this in the MMCJP.

There’s a load management guide, but that’s not particularly practical for most athletes.

Lots of other extra videos that Paul has done for his other programs are omitted with the MMCJP too.

You also don’t get any ‘vertical jump training 101’ type education in this program… That means no education regarding the scientific principles involved in jumping higher like you see from the likes of Jump Manual.

Could Have More Focus On Developing Limit Strength?

One thing I noticed about the Mac McClung Jump Program is there’s not a huge emphasis on lifting really heavy…

While there is some ‘absolute strength squats’ in phase 5, the overall amount of really heavy lifting in the MMCJP is quite low.

Rarely in this program will you find yourself under a barbell about to move some heavy ass weight.

In hindsight, that’s probably a good thing and shows that Paul understands his target audience probably don’t have fantastic lifting mechanics and should stick to movements with less risk of injury.

Still, if you want to build a really elite vertical jump, a larger focus on improving limit strength would be super helpful.

Who Created The Mac McClung Jump Program?

NBA newcomer Mac McClung worked together with legendary NBA trainer Paul Fabritz to develop the Mac McClung Jump Program.

Paul Fabritz & Mac McClung

Mac McClung went viral for his ridiculous vertical jump, speed, and highlight reel dunks in high school and is one of the most exciting new pros to watch in the NBA.

The Mac McClung Jump Program was positioned as “all the exercises Mac McClung did growing up to develop his crazy bounce”…

However after looking under the hood of Vert Code Elite, it’s pretty clear to me that a good chunk of the exercises in the MMCJP came directly from Paul Fabritz… which I’m totally okay with.

Paul is, in my opinion, a legendary figure in the vertical jump training arena, and after reviewing all 3 of his vertical jump programs, I think it’s safe to say Fabritz is perhaps the world’s foremost expert when it comes to jump training.

Mac McClung Jump Program Results

Since the Mac McClung Jump Program is still fairly new, I’ve not yet seen a ton of testimonials or reviews from athletes who have tried it.

If Mac McClung did use these exercises to develop his athleticism, then his performance in the combine would be about as good of a testimonial as we’ll ever get!

Mac McClung Combine Stats

I’ll be keeping an eye out for any other reviews of the program and will update this article when there’s more info out there.

Since PJF’s programs are arguably the best designed on the current market, it stands to reason that you’ll gain more inches from this program than many of the alternatives.

How Does The Mac McClung Jump Program Compare To Other Vertical Jump Programs?

The Mac McClung Jump Program is in a bit of a category of its own as it’s built specifically for basketballers who are looking to dunk a basketball.

Most other jump programs cater to athletes from other sports like volleyball, track and field, football, etc.

I would really only recommend this program to basketballers.

Although not required, this particular program will be much easier to do if you have a training partner – most other programs are a lot easier to do alone.

As far as price goes, at $95-$115 the MMCJP is definitely one of the more expensive vertical jump programs, however that extra cost is a fairly small price to pay when you’re following a program for months on end.

I’d be pretty happy to pay an extra $30-$40 to get the best exercises and programming if I’m going to be doing this thing for 4 months of my life!

I’ve got this program ranked right up there in my top 5 jump programs and it’ll definitely be the best choice for a lot of athletes.

Mac McClung Jump Program Vs Vert Code Elite?

If you’re tossing up between MMCJP and VCE, there’s a few key things to consider…

If you’re relatively new to jump training, I think Vert Code Elite is a more beginner-friendly product because of all the extra information and training you get.

MMCJP is more of a bare bones program and you likely won’t learn as much as you will doing VCE.

The other thing to consider is duration… What’s your time horizon?

Are you looking to peak your jump in 3-4 months or are you happy to play the long game and improve gradually over the next 12 months?

Are you going to be doing this program during the offseason or will you look to integrate it into your basketball season? If the latter is true, VCE will be a better option.

What’s your budget look like? For lifetime access to VCE you’ll pay a bit over twice as much as you will for MMCJP, but if you do the VCE membership for 16 weeks you’ll actually save $5 compared to MMCJP… But you won’t have your athleticism peaked in quite the same way.

I should also mention that Overtime Athletes’ Elite Vertical Academy is another fantastic, perhaps an even better choice for beginners as OTA does a much better job of explaining the theory behind jump training and help you to understand why the program is structured the way it is.

It’s also a similar price to the Mac McClung program.

Who Should Do The Mac McClung Jump Program?

Obviously the target market for the Mac McClung Jump Program is basketballers… But I think it’s probably best suited to more advanced and/or older athletes, or ones that are pretty close to dunking already.

I think there are more beginner friendly options on the market like OTA’s Elite Vertical Academy or even Vert Code Elite.

Also if you’re looking to get really strong and improve your squat/deadlift numbers massively, this likely isn’t the program for you – there’s quite minimal heavy lifting in the MMCJP.

Still, it’s a fantastic option for any ballers who not only want to jump higher, but also become more efficient at driving to the rack.

What’s The Verdict?

The Mac McClung Jump Program is a really well-put-together program that’s one of the best choices for serious hoopers.

It’s relatively affordable compared to the alternatives and is the ideal program to keep you busy during the offseason.

After having reviewed every vertical jump program on the market, the MMCJP definitely gets my rubber stamp of approval, and also my recommendation as one of the best choices for basketballers in 2024!

Mac McClung Jump Program FAQ

As I get more questions regarding the Mac McClung Jump Program, I’ll be updating this FAQ section with more information.

Does PJF Performance Offer Refunds?

PJF Performance has a 30 day no questions asked refund policy.

Harvey Meale

Harvey Meale

I'm the founder of A1Athlete, a publication dedicated to helping athletes optimize their training and dominate their opponents. When I'm not in the gym, I'm probably neck deep in research or writing another article!

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