Vert Code (Bodyweight) Review (2024) – PJF Performance

Vert Code (Bodyweight) Review Summary

The Good

Best exercise demonstrations of any jump program on the market.

Super functional movements that translate to athleticism beyond just jumping.

Large focus on easing into the program, fantastic for beginners.

Best jump mechanics guide of any program.

Huge library of training resources that do a great job of explaining why we do certain things.

The Bad

Upper body training isn’t included in this program.

The same jump workout is usually repeated for an entire week (3 sessions) which can get slightly repetitive.

Recommended For

This program is ideal for complete beginners as well as intermediate athletes who don’t have access to a gym. Ideal for basketballers.

Vert Code Bodyweight Review – Best Bodyweight Jump Program Ever?

Legendary NBA trainer Paul Fabritz has put together an absolutely fantastic bodyweight vertical jump program that simply blows the competition out of the water…

I believe this thing is about as close to perfection as you can get, so let’s unpack exactly how this program works and discuss what makes it so great.

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

How Does Vert Code (Bodyweight) Work? & What To Expect

The Vert Code is a 12 week bodyweight vertical jump program which is broken down into 4 phases,

• Phase 1 (2 weeks): Build The Base
• Phase 2 (2 weeks): Absorb & Redirect
• Phase 3 (4 weeks): Explode
• Phase 4 (4 weeks): Spring

The program starts out quite slowly by easing you into things with some fairly easy plyometrics and isometrics.

As your body adapts to the stimulus, exercises become more advanced and volume is increased.

In the Vert Code you’re training 5 days a week doing lower body on days 1, 3, and 5… and on days 2 and 4 you’re doing core and mobility work.

You then get 2 consecutive rest days each week.

An Abundance Of Training Resources

One thing PJF Performance does way better than any other vertical jump program is their huge library of training resources.

There’s a whole list of foot training protocols, detailed information on managing jumper’s knee, nutrition advice, and much more.

Paul also gives you access to a series of videos that help you prepare for the season and manage jump training with various other training sessions.

Part of this includes a 15 minute video on upper body training which helped to address my concerns as to why there’s no upper body workouts in the Vert Code.

There’s even a 20 minute Jumper’s Yoga routine to help with jump-specific mobility!

Full Course On Jump Mechanics

Most vertical jump programs talk briefly about jump mechanics, but none of them come close to Vert Code’s jump mechanics masterclass!

We’re talking almost 40 minutes of video content explaining all of the various cues you need to know about for the standing jump, bilateral running vertical jump, and single leg jump.

For the basketballers out there, Paul also explains how to jump with a ball, which is something we’ve never really seen before in a jump program.

The level of detail you get with these videos is second to none. Paul is an absolute master of his craft!

You’re also encouraged to work on your jump mechanics all throughout the program.

Best Workout Layout I’ve Ever Seen!

Having reviewed every vertical jump program on the market, I’ve witnessed some horrifically difficult to read programs recently…

But the interface and packaging of the actual workouts in Vert Code is absolutely second to none.

It’s super easy to see exactly what exercises you have to get through and the structure of each workout.

Video exercise demonstrations are just one click away and the video demos are far better than anything else I’ve come across.

Do I Need Equipment For The Vert Code?

Vert Code is a bodyweight program which requires almost no equipment.

If you have some hurdles (or anything similar you can jump over), that would be helpful, but otherwise all you’ll really need are some boxes/benches/chairs and you should be good to go.

I like the fact that Paul really means it when he says this is a bodyweight program… Many of the other bodyweight programs I’ve reviewed are extremely quick to break out the medicine balls and dumbbells!

What I Liked About Vert Code (Bodyweight)

The Vert Code is one of the best vertical jump programs I’ve ever reviewed, so I may end up rambling here but I’ll do my best to be as concise as possible!

Abundance Of Training Resources

Most jump programs come with a few ‘resources’ which aim to give you some additional advice that’s slightly outside of the scope of the training program itself.

The PJF Performance programs are the best in the game when it comes to that extra content.

With the Vert Code you get additional information on,

• Foot training protocols
• Jumper’s yoga routine
• Explosive athlete’s mentality guide
• Patellar tendinitis management advice
• Upper body training guide
• Flexibility assessments
• Jump mechanics masterclass
• Nutrition guide
• Ankle mobility assessments
• Pre-season conditioning guide
• Weekly schedule guide (balancing jump training with skills)
• Ball handling workouts
• Information on different training surfaces
• Posture guide

And these aren’t just a few paragraphs in a PDF rushed together like we see in other programs; these are super detailed resources with really valuable information.

This is part of the reason why I think Vert Code is the best option for beginners and younger athletes.

Emphasizes Doing Different Approaches

Paul Fabritz really understands the importance of having a balanced body and so he makes a point of ensuring we’re training both the left/right and right/left jump approaches.

Not only does this help reduce muscle imbalances, but it’s also going to be really beneficial for basketballers who need to be able to jump high off both approaches.

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!

Best Formatting Of Any Jump Program Ever!

I’ve reviewed every single vertical jump program in existence and none… I repeat none come close to the visual brilliance you get with Vert Code.

The layout of the dashboard is extremely user friendly and organized.

Contrast this with the old school jump programs like Jump Manual and Vert Shock and we’ve come a long way!

In the Vert Code you can even toggle Paul’s notes on and off, so you can see the coach’s thoughts about each workout with the click of a button.

Many modern vertical jump programs use a third party app or training platform to deliver workouts (THP Strength and MMC Jump Program), but Vert Code is conveniently accessible through the PJF website and mobile app.

User experience is definitely a 10/10!

Best Jump Mechanics Guide

Most jump programs include some basic information on how to improve your jump technique, but the jump mechanics videos in the PJF Performance programs are head and shoulders above the rest.

There’s about 40 minutes worth of video guides explaining how to jump better from a standstill as well as from a 2 foot approach and a single leg approach.

This is by far the most comprehensive guide on vertical jump technique on the internet!

You’re Encouraged To Listen To Your Body

One thing I really like about Vert Code is that Paul really emphasizes how important it is to avoid overtraining.

Most programs mention this at some point, but don’t give you a framework for whether you can skip workouts or exercises like you get in the Vert Code.

The emphasis on this shows that Paul really understands that jump training is not a sprint, and that slow and steady will always win this race.

Fantastic For Basketballers

As with all of the PJF Performance jump programs, Vert Code is best suited to basketballers.

Many of the plyometric drills contain large amounts of lateral movements as well as basketball-specific agility work.

This doesn’t mean Vert Code isn’t suitable for volleyballers or track and field athletes, that’s not the case at all…

It just means that a lot of the movements in the Vert Code will translate particularly well to other aspects of basketball, such as defense and first step agility.

What I Disliked About Vert Code (Bodyweight)

There was a couple minor things I think could have been done differently in the Vert Code program…

Workouts Are Repeated Often

Since you’re training legs on day 1, 3, and 5 as well as core/mobility on days 2 and 4, you’re effectively only doing 2 unique workouts per week.

The exercises in each workout remain the same for the duration of the week and sometimes you’ll be doing the exact same exercises for 2 weeks consecutively.

The only thing that changes is the set/rep scheme.

This is a double edged sword: on the one hand it allows athletes to really get a feel for each exercise and get better at that technique over time – on the other hand it can be quite repetitive and might get a little stale.

Personally, I like it this way because I’d rather have more opportunities to nail a particular technique than be constantly learning new exercises, and never mastering any of them.

But I can definitely appreciate how some athletes might appreciate more variety.

No Vertical Jump Physics/Theory Guide In Resources?

I talked earlier about how fantastic the resources library is for Vert Code, but no where does Paul discuss the basic fundamentals of vertical jump improvement…

I’m referring to stuff like Power = Strength*RFD – that sort of thing.

If Paul could add a video explaining the physics behind jumping higher, maybe talking a bit about concepts like the explosive strength deficit as well as give an intro to the theory behind vertical jump programming, I think the resources library would be perfect.

Jump Manual as well as Overtime Athletes’ Elite Vertical Academy do a magnificent job of introducing the athlete to the theory of jump training, which is why I think both of those programs are also fantastic for beginners.

How Does Vert Code Compare To Other Vertical Jump Programs?

I’ve personally gone through every vertical jump program on today’s market with a fine-tooth comb to determine which ones are worth doing and which aren’t.

I can safely say that Vert Code is right at the top of my list when it comes to bodyweight jump programs.

At just $85 it’s also right up there as one of the best value for money programs I’ve ever reviewed.

Nathanael Morton’s Beyond The Rim 1 program is also fantastic value and is the only bodyweight program which rivals Vert Code in terms of value for money.

Unfortunately you can no longer buy the BTR1 program without signing up for the monthly membership.

So as far as one-off payment bodyweight vertical jump programs go, nothing comes close to Vert Code!

Vert Code Vs Vert Code Elite

The main difference between Vert Code and Vert Code Elite is that the latter program involves weight training whereas Vert Code is a bodyweight program.

Vert Code is also geared towards younger athletes who don’t have much experience lifting, however it’s also a solid program for anyone who is returning to training after a long time off.

Vert Code Elite is about 3 times the price of Vert Code and is aimed more at athletes who have been training for a while and have experience lifting weights.

It’s also available as a monthly membership and the VCE program gives you 12+ months of workouts, whereas the Vert Code program is only 12 weeks long.

Vert Code Vs Vert Shock

Vert Code and Vert Shock are perhaps the 2 most popular bodyweight vertical jump training programs.

In my opinion, Vert Code is, in all regards, a superior program.

It’s significantly more modern, was written by a more experienced coach, has a far better user experience, and is almost certainly going to produce better results.

At the time of writing, Vert Code is slightly more expensive at $85 as opposed to Vert Shock’s $67, but the extra money you’ll pay for Vert Code will be the best $18 you’ve ever spent!

Who Created Vert Code?

The creator of Vert Code is Paul Fabritz, an NBA trainer and founder of PJF Performance, a site which provides online training programs for athletes looking to edge closer to their genetic potential.

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.

The PJF Performance Podcast has an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to jump training and the PJF YouTube Channel also publishes fantastic content surrounding this subject.

Paul has years of experience training some of the world’s most experienced professional athletes and has earned a reputation as someone who gets results.

There is perhaps no one on earth better qualified to teach about vertical jump training than Paul Fabritz and it’s clear that he’s put countless hours of hard work into Vert Code.

Who Should Do Vert Code?

Vert Code is marketed as being ideal for athletes aged 8-14 or anyone who doesn’t yet have a ton of experience with resistance training.

I’ll add to that… Vert Code is great for anyone of any level who, for whatever reason, doesn’t have access to a weight room.

Additionally, it’s a fantastic choice for athletes who have been out of the game for a while and are looking to ease back into training.

I would be willing to bet that detrained athletes could get better results from this bodyweight program than many of the jump programs which involve weight training!

What’s The Verdict?

Paul Fabritz has really outdone himself with the Vert Code…

This is by far the best bodyweight vertical jump program on the current market, period.

If you’re looking to start your first vertical jump program, I don’t think there’s really any better place to start than with Vert Code by PJF Performance.

Vert Code FAQ

As I get more questions regarding Vert Code, I’ll be updating this FAQ section.