Vert Shock Review (2023) – Is Vert Shock Outdated?

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Vert Shock Review Summary

Vert Shock

One of the most recognizable vertical jump programs on the market, Vert Shock has been around for almost a decade now... But is it still worth doing?

After going through the entire program and comparing it to the more modern jump programs, I can definitely still see Vert Shock being one of the better choices for certain athletes!

Our Rating:
4

The Good

Fantastic exercise demonstrations.

Dead simple workouts that don’t take forever to complete.

Program lasts only 8 weeks so it won’t take forever to complete.

Affordable.

The Bad

Not much included as far as lower body strength development goes.

It can get a little repetitive.

Recommended For

Vert Shock is a great option for anyone who wants results within the next 2 months and doesn’t want to spend hours in the gym every day!

Does Vert Shock Actually Work? Or Is It Outdated?

Ten years ago Vert Shock was super popular and actually getting people pretty decent results.

Almost a decade later and Vert Shock definitely still has a place the table when it comes to the best vertical jump programs in 2023.

How Does Vert Shock Work? & What To Expect

Vert Shock is one of the shorter programs on the market at just 8 weeks in length. It’s not called Vert ‘Shock’ for nothing – the idea is to shock your body into adaptation in a relatively short time period.

There is very little educational material in this program – you’re really only supplied with the exercise videos and workout program.

Vert Shock is a bodyweight program that does not require a weight room to complete, so it’s accessible to literally everyone.

The workouts are intense yet very efficient, so they’re relatively painless to get through.

Here’s what the workout program looks like visually…

Vert Shock Structure

It’s fairly simple to follow, although it could definitely be formatted more nicely.

Unfortunately the exercises aren’t clickable links – you have to manually navigate to the exercise library to see the video demonstrations if you’re unsure of how to do a movement.

In addition to the program, there’s a 5-10 minute ‘visualization workout’ you’re also encouraged to do 4-5 times per week…

Vert Shock Visualization

This actually seems like a pretty good idea and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes a significant difference to your end result!

What Are The Phases Of Vert Shock?

Vert Shock is broken down into 3 phases: Pre-Shock which lasts for 1 week, Shock which lasts for 7 weeks, and Post-Shock which lasts for 1 week.

After that there’s also a maintenance phase which we’ll discuss a little later.

Phase 1 (Pre-Shock)

The whole first week of the program is the Pre-Shock phase which is a highly intense period of jumping aimed at shocking the body into adaptation.

It’s 6 days of jumping with 1 rest day in the middle.

Phase 2 (Shock)

This phase lasts for 7 weeks and makes up the bulk of the Vert Shock program.

Expect to be jumping about 4 days a week while mixing in some core sessions throughout this phase.

You’ll also do a bit of a deload at the end of week 6 going into the final couple weeks of the program.

Phase 3 (Post-Shock)

The final week of the program mirrors the first week and is another 6 days of jumping.

That’s it! Done and dusted in just 8 weeks!

Vert Shock Maintenance Program

After having completed the program, there’s a maintenance routine you can do which is a fairly simple workout no different to the main program.

The idea is that by doing this workout once per week, alongside your normal sporting activities, you’ll be able to hang onto most of your hard earned gains.

Vert Shock Advanced Follow-Up Program

Included with Vert Shock is a ‘complex training program’ designed to be done after completing the main program as a natural progression to more advanced movements.

It looks something like this,

Vert Shock Advanced Training Program

It’s only 2 days per week but the program looks excellent – and utilizes more advanced training concepts compared to the standard program.

Unfortunately it doesn’t come with any exercise demonstrations and the whole thing seems somewhat rushed and as a bit of an afterthought.

Vert Shock Bonus Content

Vert Shock promises about 50 thousand premium bonuses for signing up…

Vert Shock Bonuses

Unfortunately these articles are super basic, extremely non-ground breaking, and by no means premium.

They also look as though they were rushed together in an afternoon and really contribute nothing to the value of the product.

Compare this with the bonuses you get in the Vert Code Elite program, the difference is night and day.

You will likely get absolutely nothing out of the Vert Shock bonuses, whereas the VCE bonus content is what really makes that program so special!

Some of this stuff is borderline laughable…

Many of these recommendations are ridiculous and have no logical justification…

It just goes to show how far nutrition science has come in the last 10 years! It was also around 10 years ago that the standard advice for gaining muscle was to drink 3 gallons of milk per day!

Some of the other bonuses we were promised are also unavailable…

Vert Shock Private Videos

It really seems as though the Vert Shock website hasn’t been updated in a decade!

Do I Need Equipment For Vert Shock?

No equipment is needed to complete Vert Shock.

You will need some very basic implements like a cone or hurdle to jump over, and a bench to jump off, but you should be able to make do with objects you have lying around the house.

A medicine ball would also be helpful but again you can make do without.

Vert Shock Results

Since Vert Shock has been around since the dawn of time, there’s plenty of testimonials of people having completed the program with good results.

Karl Hemmings Gained 5.5″

Karl Hemmings made decent progress on his vertical after following Vert Shock for 8 weeks, despite injuring his back.

Karl Hemmings Vert Shock Results

Not huge numbers, but still excellent for 8 weeks of work while managing an injury!

Andy Gained ~8″

Andy made pretty remarkable progress on Vert Shock increasing his running vertical approximately 8 inches.

It’s definitely questionable how accurate these results are, but the difference is very noticeable.

Fraser (9to5strength) Gained 3.2″

Fraser of 9to5strength was already a pretty experienced athlete with years of lifting under his belt before he started Vert Shock.

Fraser Vert Shock Results

He was able to gain 3.2 inches to his standing vertical jump in the 8 weeks, which is also pretty impressive considering the standing vertical jump responds best to strength training, of which there is none in Vert Shock!

I’d have been very interested to see his running vertical jump progress which I imagine would have been a bit higher!

Pros & Cons Of Vert Shock

And finally the meat and potatoes of this review… Here I’ll go over my analysis of the jump program: what I liked and disliked about Vert Shock.

Great Exercise Demonstrations

One thing you can’t deny is that the Vert Shock exercise demonstrations are really well done.

They’re actually much better than a lot of the modern day program video demos!

Vert Shock Exercise Demonstrations

Not only do you clearly see how to perform the exercise, but Adam gives you useful cues and tips to think about.

He also provides alternative exercises if you’re unable to do a certain movement.

Vert Shock Is Pretty Affordable

At just $67, Vert Shock is considerably more affordable than Jump Manual ($97) as well as many of the more modern vertical jump programs like Bounce Kit ($77), Vert Code ($85), Vert Code Elite ($275), and the Mac McClung Jump Program ($95-$115).

As far as bodyweight vertical jump programs go, it’s cheaper than Vert Code ($85) as well as the bodyweight MMCJP ($95), and is considerably shorter in duration, so I think it’s priced quite fairly.

Vert Shock Is Dead Simple

Part of the reason why Vert Shock is still so appealing to many athletes is because it’s incredibly easy to get going with…

  • You don’t have to download any apps
  • You don’t have to fill out any questionnaires before starting
  • The workouts are short and punchy
  • You don’t need any equipment
  • It won’t take you 4-6 months to complete
  • You don’t need to read through 30 pages of theory to get going
  • You don’t need to save up for weeks just to buy it

For a lot of athletes, this stuff is really important and I think that’s more than enough reason to still buy Vert Shock in 2023.

Exercises Don’t Link Directly To Demos

The Vert Shock workouts are delivered via a PDF which is separate to the exercise demonstrations section of the website.

Most vertical jump programs in this format, when you click on the exercises in the workout PDF, they will hyperlink to the corresponding video demonstration… but not with Vert Shock.

You’ll probably find yourself referring to the exercise demos quite a bit for the first week or so, but after that it shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Vert Shock Is Pretty Repetitive

This is perhaps the biggest downfall of Vert Shock… it’s almost too simple.

Week 1 is identical to week 8 – the exercises don’t change at all throughout the program and neither does the set/rep scheme!

I get that it’s hard to ‘progress’ bodyweight exercises over the weeks, but it really wouldn’t be difficult to gradually introduce more challenging movements towards the end of the program.

Even though Vert Shock is only 8 weeks long, I would imagine some athletes might lose interest due to boredom…

Having said that, doing the same exercises repeatedly allows you to master that movement pattern and develop neurological efficiency.

This is arguably better than switching exercises every week and never mastering any of them.

Vert Shock Doesn’t Include Lower Body Strength Development

Vert Shock is entirely based on plyometrics which only seeks to train one side of the power equation…

Power = Strength * Rate of Force Development

Vert Shock does wonders for your RFD, but absolutely nothing to improve your strength.

If Vert Shock were a more balanced program, it would include strength exercises such as squats, glute bridges, and calf raises.

Younger athletes also tend to respond better to developing their base of strength, so I think this is a pretty big omission on behalf of Vert Shock.

Each of the modern day bodyweight jump programs do a really good job of mixing strength with RFD work.

Vert Shock Contains Almost Zero Upper Body Training

Your upper body is responsible for at least 10-15% of your total power generation when jumping, so it makes a lot of sense to include some upper body training in a jump program…

Vert Shock will have you doing clapping pushups about once a week for 2 sets of 10 reps… And that’s it as far as upper body training goes.

While that’s definitely better than nothing, it’s not quite at the minimum effective dose of upper body training volume, in my opinion.

Having said that, other bodyweight programs like Vert Code also don’t include upper body training, so it’s not as though this is a deal breaker by any means.

Vert Shock Lacks Educational Material

Vert Shock does a pretty poor job of teaching us why we’re doing the things we’re doing throughout the program.

There’s really no theory about how jump training works whatsoever.

Programs like Jump Manual as well as Overtime Athletes’ Elite Vertical Academy do an amazing job of teaching you all about the theory and physics involved in jumping higher.

This stuff is super important if you want to maximize your vertical jump development after finishing Vert Shock!

Who Created Vert Shock?

Vert Shock Creator Adam Folker

Vert Shock was created by Adam Folker, a former D1 hooper who played some pro ball in Europe.

Adam is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, so he’s definitely qualified when it comes to designing training programs like he’s done with Vert Shock.

Judging by his Instragram (@adamfolker), Folker appears to have well and truly moved on from Vert Shock and coaching and now seems more interested in photography and spirituality.

How Does Vert Shock Compare To Other Vertical Jump Programs?

Having gone through and reviewed every single vertical jump program on the current market, despite its imperfections, Vert Shock definitely still has a place in my top 9 vertical jump programs of 2023.

Vert Shock can best be described as the following…

  • Budget friendly
  • Doesn’t require a weight room
  • Short duration (8 weeks)
  • Quick and simple workouts
  • Cross disciplinary (great for all variety of sports)

There’s honestly not too many other programs out there that check each of these boxes.

You’ve got Vert Code by PJF Performance, but it’s slightly more expensive, 50% longer, and the workouts also take quite a bit longer to complete.

The Mac McClung Bodyweight Jump Program is even more expensive and is really only a great match for basketballers, plus it takes twice as long to complete.

Every other jump program requires gym access, so it doesn’t make a ton of sense to compare them.

Who Should Do Vert Shock?

Vert Shock is a great option for anyone who values the following points…

  • If you’re on a budget,
  • If you don’t have access to a gym,
  • If you’re looking for quick results (8 weeks) and don’t want to wait 4-8 months to see progress,
  • If you don’t want to spend hours training everyday,
  • If you’re ready to start right now,

Then Vert Shock is definitely a jump program worth doing.

What’s The Verdict?

When I began researching Vert Shock, I was initially very skeptical and thought I’d end up absolutely slamming it in this review…

But to my surprise, I found the exercise selection and programming actually quite smart.

Also worth noting is that Vert Shock is more convenient, simpler, and much shorter than most of the alternatives which seem to drag on for the better part of a year.

It’s definitely a little rough around the edges and the website could most certainly use a revamp, but the product itself is actually pretty decent.

Vert Shock Price

Vert Shock is listed at $134 but you can get the program for just $67 when you click the button below!

Vert Shock FAQ

Here I’ve attempted to answer as many of your Vert Shock questions as I could find.

How long is Vert Shock?

Vert Shock is one of the shortest vertical jump programs at just 8 weeks in duration.

What happens when I miss a day on Vert Shock?

If you miss a Vert Shock workout, don’t stress… You’re advised simply to pick up where you left off. However if you’re sick or injured and miss 5-7 days or more, it’s recommended that you restart the program entirely.

Does Vert Shock help one legged jumpers?

Vert Shock is definitely going to be useful for one legged jumpers, although there are probably better options out there… There’s only 2 exercises that could be considered unilateral movements in the Vert Shock program, which is a relatively small fraction overall. Other programs like Vert Code and Vert Code Elite have significantly more unilateral work baked into them, which will probably lead to better results for one legged jumpers.

What kind of workouts are in Vert Shock?

Vert Shock is comprised of lower body plyometric exercises as well as some core strengthening movements. It has only 1 exercise which could be classified as an upper body movement (clapping pushups). Note that Vert Shock does not include any ‘lower body strength’ exercises like squats, deadlifts, calf raises, or glute bridges – it’s entirely jump based.

What if I haven’t seen results in the first few weeks of Vert Shock?

Patience here is really important. Your body is likely still adjusting to the Pre-Shock phase and there’s almost certainly a build up of fatigue which could be masking your ‘true’ results. As you progress through the Shock phase and you’re given some deload days, you should start seeing results.

What is in the Vert Shock Pre-Shock Phase workouts?

The exercises in the Pre-Shock phase are the same exercises you’ll be doing throughout the entire program: a lot of plyometrics/jumping and some core. The only difference is the overall training volume of the first week is much higher compared to the bulk of the Vert Shock program.

BoingVERT or Vert Shock?

Vert Shock is definitely going to be the better choice, and it’s not even close! Although BoingVERT has been improved in recent times, I’m still more of a fan of Vert Shock because I feel as though it’s going to be more challenging and will produce better results.

Vertical Jump Bible vs. Vert Shock?

This is a difficult comparison to draw because both products are very different. Vert Shock is a very simple and easy to digest workout program that lacks any sort of introduction to the theory of jump training… Vertical Jump Bible, on the other hand, is much less of a training program (though it does contain a program component) and is more of a detailed introduction to the scientific principles involved in vertical jump training. If you just want to see fast results, get Vert Shock. If you’re more interested in learning about the fundamentals of jump training, consider the Vertical Jump Bible.

How long does each Vert Shock day take?

The Vert Shock workouts take only about 45-60 minutes to complete, which is significantly shorter than some other programs like Vert Code/Vert Code Elite. This makes Vert Shock a pretty convenient option for busy people!

How many days per week is Vert Shock?

You can expect to be training 4-6 days per week, although the schedule varies a bit. Some of these training days are core only, so you’re jumping closer to 3-4 times per week.

Is Vert Shock a scam?

Vert Shock definitely isn’t a scam… The program is legit and was constructed by a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Having gone through it myself, I can say it’s pretty well constructed overall!

Does Vert Shock offer refunds?

Vert Shock offers a full 60 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee!

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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