PPA Project: Vertical Program Review Summary
Project: Vertical
Having reviewed every vertical jump program on the market, I can happily say that PPA's Project: Vertical provides an extremely comprehensive approach to jump training, making this easily the best vertical jump training program under $50!
4.2
The Good
Complex training means short, punchy, and exciting workouts.
Large focus on heavy lifting and getting really strong.
Great balance of lower and upper body training.
Extremely affordable.
The Bad
Exercise demos could use a little work.
No theoretical intro to jump training included.
Recommended For
Project: Vertical is one of the best options for advanced athletes who want a super solid vertical jump program that won’t break the bank!
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Project: Vertical (PPA) Review – Best Budget Jump Program?
If you’re looking for a vertical jump program but aren’t looking to spend a ton of money, Project: Vertical is one of your best options at just $39!
How Does PPA’s Project: Vertical Work? & What To Expect
PPA’s Project: Vertical is a holistic 12 week vertical jump training program requiring access to a weight room to complete.
I use the word ‘holistic’ because this program is extremely well rounded, including a good amount of upper body training, heavy lifting, and plyometrics.
The amount of value you get from this tiny 12 page eBook is actually quite remarkable, as we’ll get to shortly.
Don’t expect much in the way of an introduction to the principles involved in vertical jump training here… this program is designed for more advanced athletes who already know their way around the weight room.
What Does PPA’s Vertical Jump Training Look Like?
Having familiarized myself with each of the PPA vertical jump training programs, I’ve become a huge fan of the way PPA approaches training…
- Lots Of Complex Training – PPA likes to use complex training and will often group 3-4 exercises together to be performed consecutively. This not only creates an effective stimulus, but makes the workouts super quick and efficient.
- Upper Body Training Included – In all of the PPA programs, you can expect a balance between lower and upper body training. This is one of the only products on the market that actually has an adequate amount of upper body work baked into the program!
- Heavy Core Focus – Almost every movement in the PPA programs have a heavy focus on core engagement. You’re really encouraged to focus on maintaining stability throughout the trunk in every exercise.
- Great Focus On Heavy Lifting – PPA really emphasizes the importance of getting really strong, much more so than other programs like Vert Code Elite. Expect to be doing heavy compound lifts that will really move the needle in your overall strength development.
- No BS Exercises – Many jump programs include excessive amounts of faffing around with ineffective movements that aren’t really doing a whole lot… PPA’s programs are jam packed with tough exercises that will challenge you. You will definitely work hard in this program!
Expect to be training 4 days a week for most of Project: Vertical, that’s 2 strength training days and 2 jump focused days.
You’re also encouraged to do the Missing Link jump technique program alongside Project: Vertical, but it’s optional.
Inside Look At Project: Vertical
Project: Vertical is broken down into 3 phases,
- Phase 1 “Get Strong” – This first 5 week phase eases us into training and focuses on developing foundational strength.
- Phase 2 “Get Powerful” – The second phase is 4 weeks long and sees the focus shift from strength to power development (i.e. increasing our rate of force development).
- Phase 3 “Peak” – The final phase of Project: Vertical goes for 3 weeks and is all about maximizing reactiveness by channeling our newfound strength and power gains into maximum verticality. Here we’re only ever lifting at 40% of our max, but focusing on moving as quickly as possible.
Here’s an example of what a typical Project: Vertical workout will look like…
Each blue colored block indicates a group of exercises, meaning you’re cycling through each exercise as a circuit/superset.
I absolutely love this complex training approach as it means you’re not wasting unnecessary time and can power through workouts relatively quickly.
The exercises are also hyperlinked to demonstration videos, so you can easily see how to perform each of the movements.
This program may not seem like much at just 12 pages in length, but really it has everything you need!
Peak Phase Includes Yoga Routine
During the deloading period in phase 3 of Project: Vertical, you’re given a ‘jumpers yoga’ routine to complete twice a week to help loosen everything up.
This is really good stuff and makes a lot of sense to do as part of active recovery.
Paul Fabritz also prescribes the exact same thing as part of Vert Code.
Do I Need Equipment For Project: Vertical?
Gym access is indeed necessary for the Project: Vertical program.
You’ll need access to a trap bar, some dumbbells, a medicine ball, a kettlebell, and a squat rack.
Somewhere to do chin-ups and hanging knee raises will also be helpful, as well as a slant board.
This program doesn’t list any alternative exercises unfortunately, so having access to a fully equipped gym is going to work best.
What I Liked About The Project: Vertical Jump Program
There’s plenty to like about this program, so let’s take a look at some of the highlights for me.
Complex Training Means Short & Punchy Workouts
Since you’re practically supersetting everything in this program, you’re able to power through these workouts relatively quickly.
It also means there’s no boring bits and you’ll definitely feel like you’ve done plenty of hard work after completing each session!
PPA tend not to prescribe a whole lot in the way of mobility work – every exercise is tough and really impactful.
Holistic Approach To Jump Training
PPA do a great job of covering all bases and are extremely comprehensive with their vertical jump training.
Programs like Vert Shock completely forget to include lower body strength development exercises and are entirely plyometrics based…
Programs like Vert Code and Beyond The Rim 2 fail to include any upper body training…
But Project: Vertical checks all of these boxes, so you can expect to be a more physically balanced athlete while following PPA’s program.
Includes Jump Technique Exercises
One of the recurring themes you’ll notice about PPA is their obsession with optimizing your jump mechanics.
I absolutely love this because refining your technique is the fastest way to see massive vertical jump gains.
Project: Vertical includes exercises aimed at developing your biomechanics that you simply won’t find in other programs!
Most Affordable Vertical Jump Program?
The average price of a vertical jump training program is around $70-$90 these days, so Project: Vertical is an absolute steal at just $39!
If you don’t include The Lost Breed’s Flight School, which is honestly a pretty terrible program, Project: Vertical is easily the best budget jump program on the market!
What I Disliked About The Project: Vertical Jump Program
I can think of a few pretty minor things I think could be improved about the PV program…
Exercise Demos Need A Lot Of Work
Unfortunately there’s no sound in the exercise videos for this program: it’s just a muted video of the coach performing the exercise.
It would be much nicer if we could hear the coach explain exactly how to do the exercise as well as some tips to get the most out of the movement.
Many exercises, despite looking simple, will often be performed incorrectly if people aren’t verbally made aware of the cues necessary to keep in mind while performing the movement.
Some exercises such as ‘knee over toe lunge’ and ‘split squat hold’ both link to the same demo video, which is pretty poor form as well.
No Exercise Alternatives Supplied
One other thing I didn’t like about Project: Vertical is that there’s no alternative exercises included, in case you’re unable to do a certain movement or don’t have access to a certain piece of equipment.
This definitely isn’t a deal breaker by any means, but it’s a small detail that would be really helpful for a lot of users.
Doesn’t Include Vertical Jump Physics/Theory Guide
Project: Vertical doesn’t provide any educational material explaining anything about the scientific principles involved in increasing your vertical jump.
Prescribing exercises is all well and good, but helping athletes to really understand how vertical jump training works is something I think is really important.
Even just covering the basics like ‘Power = Strength * RFD‘ or discussing a bit about tendon conditioning would go a long way I think.
A program like Jump Manual does a really excellent job of this and I think that makes it a better overall introduction to vertical jump training than Project: Vertical.
Who Created The Project: Vertical Jump Program?
Project Pure Athlete’s Project: Vertical was originally created by Coach Tyler Ray (Ty) 15 years ago and has since received multiple updates over the years.
Coach Ty, the founder of PPA, is well regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts when it comes to vertical jump training as well as biomechanical analysis and optimization.
He’s coached countless athletes with their jump mechanics and is one of the most knowledgeable people on Earth when it comes to vertical jump training.
Coach Ty is also extremely well known for his biomechanical breakdowns of elite jumpers which I’ve personally learned so much from as an athlete…
Coach Ty is vertical jump training royalty at this point and there’s virtually no one I’d rather learn from!
How Does Project: Vertical Compare To Other Vertical Jump Programs?
PPA’s training methodology is extremely solid and it makes a lot of sense to want to learn from these guys if possible…
Unfortunately their Elite Remote Training Membership is pretty expensive so this might not be a practical option for many athletes.
Project: Vertical, on the other hand, is the most budget friendly jump training program on the market and is therefore a much more accessible way to gain exposure to PPA’s jump training.
Just like Jordan Kilganon’s Bounce Kit, PPA also take a comprehensive, full body approach to jump training which is pretty atypical, with many popular jump programs choosing to omit upper body training entirely.
Project: Vertical is merely a workout program and doesn’t include any extra resources such as theoretical info on vertical jump training principles, in-season training tips, or recovery.
For this reason, I think Project: Vertical isn’t a fantastic choice for beginners and would instead recommend something like Jump Manual which is going to do a better job of introducing jump training concepts to greener athletes.
Who Should Do The Project: Vertical Jump Program?
Project: Vertical is a great option for more advanced athletes who already have a decent understanding of resistance training and don’t care much for an introduction to the science behind jump training.
This program is extremely quick and easy to get started with and is super engaging all throughout.
If you’re someone who gets bored by repetitive workouts or ‘easy’ exercises, Project: Vertical is a great choice.
If you’re an athlete who wants to really focus on developing strength and is excited by the idea of lifting heavy, this is a great choice.
PPA is also the best choice for anyone looking to continue developing their upper body strength throughout their jump program.
This program is also the most affordable vertical jump training program worth even thinking about, so if you’re tight on cash, there’s simply no better option!
PPA’s Other Vertical Jump Training Programs
PPA also offer a couple of other programs you should definitely take a look at…
Elite Remote Jump Training Membership
For those who really like the PPA approach to training, and I personally think it’s one of the best out there, they have one of the best jump training memberships on the market.
After signing up to PPA’s jump training membership, you get access to 5 different programs, each designed to cater to the specific needs of different athletes:
- Base vertical jump development program
- Knee/joint/mobility health program
- Advanced jump program
- In-season training program
- Bodyweight training program
You also get direct access to 1 on 1 form coaching from the Jump Guys which I think makes this one of the best jump training products on the market!
Missing Link Program
Coach Ty is world famous for his ability to fix athletes’ vertical jump technique by breaking down their biomechanical inefficiencies…
Mastering the mechanics of jumping is the quickest way to add instant inches to your vertical jump.
The Missing Link program is a 12 week ‘jump technique’ program designed to be run in conjunction with any other jump program you might be doing.
I highly recommend all jumpers get this program.
There’s some absolute gold in there that you simply won’t get in any other vertical jump program!
What’s The Verdict?
Overall I’m a big fan of Project: Vertical…
I personally believe PPA’s programming, exercise selection, and general approach to training is second to none.
For the most affordable jump program on the market, this thing is jam packed with value!
Be sure to also check out my full list of the best vertical jump programs on the current market.
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