Product Name: Portable Power Jumper
Company: Lifeline USA
MSRP: $49.95
Availability: Medium (Online & Maybe Some Stores)

Plyometrics… the type of workout which can kick the living snot out of anyone from the average dingleberry to the highly advanced pro athlete. It is one of the quickest ways to burn a massive amount of calories in record time, while simultaneously boosting your vertical jump and overall “speediness”. For this reason, I am SUPER excited to review the Portable Power Jumper from Lifeline USA… The same great folks that brought us the all awesome PowerWheel. Let’s hope that they can keep things rolling because I have seriously high hopes for this product. Yes, the damn pun was intended!

If you’ve read my previous articles then you know that I have two awesome Plyometrics Routines available on this blog and they both involve tried and true exercises and techniques that give you some serious results. So you might be wondering “Why the hell do we need this?”. Well, that’s a good questions, and one that I intend to find an answer to. First let’s find out what LifeLine has to say about it’s Portable Power Jumper.

Product Claims:

“An increased vertical jump means more blocks, rebounds, catches and saves. Jump training is a key part of competitive sports training. The Lifeline® Portable Power Jumper works your core and back at the same time and is the fastest way to stack on a lot of inches to your vertical leap. It works great with all levels of athletes-from beginners to experts. Just ask World Champion Dunker Jamillian Mormon. The Portable Power Jumper helped him add an incredible 13 inches to his vertical jump!

Use it with a jump rope and your cardio, strength training and jump training can all happen at the same time.

Key feature: Unlike platform or weight based jump trainers, the Portable Power Jumper does not accelerate your impact with the ground which saves your knees!”

First Impressions:

So there we have it, the prime reason you might want to consider the Portable Power Jumper [PPJ] over traditional plyometrics routines… Minimize impact! I cannot deny the fact that while you perform a normal plyo routine (specially with weights if you’re used to some resistance like me) then the impact of landing can/might do some damage to the knees. Usually you should be ok… But what if you have knee problems to BEGIN with, yet you still feel motivated as fuck to reach astronomical levels of height through jumping? This is when the bands in the PPJ can come save your ass.

Let’s get down to business. Upon embracing the whole unit at first, I was excited and slightly confused. All the bands and stuff just lying there make it look so complicated, but it’s really not. The build quality was exceptional (something I’m just expecting from Lifeline from now on) and the fact that they threw in an extra pair of heavier resistance bands made me get all giddy in my pants (usually the extra pair of heavier-resistance bands is $19.95 with included foam straps). One of the details that LifeLine USA seems to have missed is the “Portable” part. If you wind up the bands and squish the ankle pads together, you still end up with a package that is a foot long and 7 inches wide, and this is without the extra bands. If you want to carry the whole package, forget it. You could use this as the “Bagable Power Jumper”, but don’t expect to carry anything else in there.

It came with their usual brochure that mentions all of their other products like the PowerWheel etc. And also an instructional manual that gives a brief description of the unit along with plenty of exercises to fancy your pantsy. But I did have a few problems with this “manual”

1. It doesn’t clearly state in which position the leg attachment should go on. Here’s the quote from the manual: “…with padded cable over the back of your neck and handles on your feet.” Now OBVIOUSLY this isn’t that hard to understand but let me tell you LifeLine… There is a race going on between companies trying to make idiot proof products and the world producing more idiots. Right now the world is winning by a mile.

They need to put in diagrams that show you how to securely fasten this shit down. The main problem, like I mentioned was that I didn’t know which way the pad should face, front or back? After trial and error I found it much better to have the pad resting up on the calves instead of on the shins. Your experience will obviously differ.

2. The great thing about the PPJ is the interchange able bands so you can get the PERFECT amount of resistance that’s just right for you. But they never show you how to change these bands at all. The danger here is that I can just see someone trying to “stuff” the bigger, redder tube into the tiny crevasse and fucking it all up. What you need to do is pull about 6 inches of the band as much as you can, this way it’s width decreases. Then you slip it in and slowly release it back into it’s original shape. Pull into the position so the stopper is at the tip and viola! Now, most of you who read my shit are quite bright individuals (thank god), but I’ve met some real rubber mallets in my time, and I wouldn’t count on them figuring anything out.

3. Then there’s the… Uh…  shit. I actually got nothing else.

Let’s get more in depth with the bangin’ build quality I was touting on about. The bands (or as Lifeline like to call them, cables) are superior to anything else on the market and if you can outstretch these then you need to stay the fuck away from me. You beast you. On top of that, every band comes with a built in padded strap that makes it easier for it to rest on the back of your neck/trapezius area.

Then there’s the construction of the ankle strap. It was built with tough material and the stitching is top notch. I yanked, pulled, bit and tried to tear it with my manly hands… But to no avail. These pads can withstand some serious abuse and should last you for quite a while. If they don’t however, Lifeline backs the PPJ up with a lifetime warranty. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Real World Results:

Now comes the $49.95 question – Does this thing actually work? Well in short… hell yeah. It’s sensational! The PPJ can be used bare foot or with shoes. Let’s talk about the resistance. It’s not what you think it is, it’s kinda different but in a pleasant way. Kind of like being spanked by a random cute girl. At first you’re sorta taken off-guard and it stings, but then you really like it. That’s exactly how it is with the PPJ, minus the sting. It forces your whole body to compress into a tiny fetus. When you walk around with the PPJ on, the resistance from the bands make you look like a poor fob who took a massive diarrhetic shit in his pants.

I made my buddy (Josh) wear it inside, this way he’d have to walk out onto the grass and put it through it’s paces. Let’s say the initial impression that he projected was nothing short of hilarious. (Not hard feelings bro… It was for the greater good).

The exercises that you do are pretty standard, they can easily be performed with ankle weights or with dumbbells in your hands but there are a few places where the PPJ shines. One is when you hit the floor – Once you’re airborne, the bands want to re-contract from top to bottom, this means when you land, you can be in the optimal position to absorb the impact. It also forces you to bend your knees which I believe will be a lifesaver for most people.

The second aspect where the PPJ shines is the fact that you can wear the bands around your waist and hook up the ankle hoops to a stationary object. You can now do some sprinting and jumping drills that can get quite sport-specific. This type of variability is invaluable. If you’re a runner or sprinter, I have no doubts that using the PPJ can help shave off a second or more off your final time. Hands down!

So what about me personally? Most of you already know that my plyo is pretty awesome, did the PPJ help? Yup, it gave me an extra 3 inches! This is a SIGNIFICANT  improvement for someone who’s vertical jumping is usually at it’s peak. What I had to do to achieve this was incorporate the PPJ into my normal plyo routines… And I had to use one red and one maroon band for some extra jump juice.

I have some reservations about the insane 13 inch improvement Jamillian Mormon got from the PPJ, specially considering he’s a pro athlete. But I have no doubts that folks who have a weak vertical due to lack of training plyometrics should see an average increase of somewhere around 10 inches hands down… like no problem what-so-ever.

While testing, I did come across another slight problem with the PPJ… Young adolescents and midgets cannot effectively use it. They are too short for the bands, so there is no resistive feedback to provide a proper plyometric workout. But the good thing is that young adolescents will eventually grow, so it’s the midgets that are missing out. Oh well… Sorry. You little people can stick to my plyo routine, its height proof!

Conclusion:

The bottom line is that I can breathe out a sigh of relief. I try not to pre-judge products when I review but the Portable Power Jumper just seemed “gimmicky”  to me. One of those cool gadgets that would have no real merit, but thank god I was wrong. I’m not even gona lie, this thing kicked my ass… straight up. Everyone I gave it to loved the PPJ also, even if it made them look outlandishly awkward at first.

BONUS TIP FROM FJ

Here’s something kick-ass that I came up with. After finishing one of my plyo routines with the PPJ, I looked at my plan and had biceps scheduled in as the next muscle group. Instead of busting  out my normal Aylio resistance bands, I had a light bulb moment. I realized that you can step through the ankle loops of the PPJ, and grab the foam neck strap thing on each end, allowing you to perform standing barbell curls! How awesome is that!? Yes I’m a genius I know.

So let’s wrap this up along with a final score.

PPJ PROS:

• Works as advertised
• Resistance is adjustable for individual needs
• Can be used anywhere
• Excellent build quality – can withstand abuse
• Lifetime warranty!
• Well designed with vertical and horizontal uses
• Can use it to do standing barbell curls!

PPJ CONS:

• Manual needs to be revised with better instructions
• Young adolescents and midgets cannot use it effectively
• Not really convinced about it’s “portability”

…And now we get down to the FINAL aspect of the PPJ – The PRICE. Is it worth paying $49.95 for, specially when you do have cheaper alternatives available and the economy is a bit tight? Well I thought long and hard about this and I came to a conclusion. YES, as long as it’s needed.

See if I ever train anyone, I ALWAYS incorporate a plyometrics routine because like I stated at the start of this review, its an awesome calorie burner. On top of that it gives you FUNCTIONAL gains in leg strength, speed and endurance. If you play ANY type of sport, this piece of equipment should come in VERY handy because you’ll be doing plyo anyways… And the PPJ will give you fool proof protection from shitty landings. I’d also be surprised if you cannot find alternate uses for the excellent quality bands. Then there’s the LIFETIME warranty. This is the icing on the cake which made me say hell yes.

So because of its great design, awesome back-end support from LifeLine USA and super effectiveness across the board, the Portable Power Jumper gets 4/5 stars, but it’s also going to receive:

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life!

-FitJerk

Flawless Fitness Book

P.S – Have you tried my plyometrics routine? Have you done plyometrics at all? Let’s hear your thoughts on the science of jump training. Post some comments below and let me know you have an opinion!

———–
© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Let me be absolutely clear, this routine is for the top of the food chain. No wimps, wussies, dorks, loonballs or fruit cakes allowed! You WILL sweat buckets, you WILL hate me, but in the end you WILL out-jump every loser within a 100 mile radius. Point Blank Period.

I originally made it for a buddy of mine who runs a live entertainment company called Nexueurope.net. Check him out. The problem was that although he had properly conditioned legs, this white boy could not jump to save his life. Sure he could REBOUND and shit, but when it came to explosive jump power, I left him in the dust. Here are a few of the comments he left in my inbox while half way into the routine:

Tassilo:

“…Oh and bro, your jump program is motherf**kign killing me!”

“Dude, I could barely walk today! This all better be worth it!”

After some more b*tching, he made it. The results? He can jump higher, rebound faster and his overall tricking/acrobatics/powertumbling has improved. Look out for a video real soon. Ok so now let’s get down to business. (Don’t have a Bronze Level Membership? Stop being a chump and click “SIGN UP” in the box below. It’s FREE.)

{++}

To Be Performed With A 5Lbs Dumbell In Each Hand, Or Ankle Weights.

WEEKS 1-3: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

WEEKS 5-7: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

WEEKS 9-11: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Note: Weeks That Have A “+” Sign Is Where You Will Add Explosive Squats To Your Routine. An explosive squat is just like the normal squat, accept the tempo looks like this: 2-1-X. This means 2 seconds down, 1 second hold, then you stand up as fast as possible. Be careful, don’t shit your pants.

The reps written as (*) means as many as you can. The amount of weight should be slightly above your body weight. Don’t go too heavy, because the explosive movement could cause injury. Make sure you don’t use a Smith Machine… Pure free weight barbell squat is the key to work your stabilizing muscles.

Huzzah! If you can get through all 11 weeks, I’m going to be quite impressed. Another thing, if you ARE planning on seriously doing this routine, do me a favour and post your beginning stats in the comments section below. List your starting weight (lbs), your height (feet & inches) and your vertical jump (in inches). After 11 weeks post a progress report, take 2 weeks off then post a final report. It is at the end of those 2 rest weeks where you will notice the most significant difference in your jumping abilities, because your muscles will have fully recovered.

Maintenance: A lot of people have been asking me if they need to re-do the plyometrics program in order to keep their vertical jump accomplishments… and the answer is NO. You probably only need to do this routine once every year. To maintain your jumping abilities you need to make sure you keep active in a jumping sport such as basketball, volleyball, gymnastics etc. If you want you can do the last 3 weeks of the original routine every 3 months to keep yourself in peak condition. As long as your moving, you should be ok, but everyone’s different so adjust according to your body.

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life

-Fit Jerk

–

———–
© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Of course, my routines are ALWAYS changing and improving but they always follow the fundamental principals that I swear by… one of them being variety. So here is my latest plyo routine that you can perform.

Before we begin, let me address those that have no clue what plyometrics is and are probably wondering why they are reading this article…

Plyometrics is a fancy word for something called “jump training”. Gymnasts and basketball players have been doing this type of training for a LONG time, and it’s safe to say they have pretty much mastered it.

When I get approached by thugged out bboys that want to learn nothing more than a backflip, the first thing I do is tell them to pull up their pants. Then drill in the basics – and plyometrics is a big part of that in my opinion.

And yes I know… A back-tuck (backflip) is 90% technique, but the other 10% makes a BIG difference. Do you want to attempt a back-tuck with a vertical jump of 12 inches? Didn’t think so. I know all of this for a fact because I can back-tuck really… REALLY high.

So moving right along, what benefits can plyometrics training give you? Well besides the obviously higher vertical jump power, it is a GREAT substitute to cardio and will give you an aerobic system that will blow the faces off your competition. As a side confession… I really don’t like running even thought I do it. In fact, let me be totally honest – I HATE running, but that is why you will see me come up with a boat load of alternatives to it.

Ok, here’s my plyometric routine. You are to perform it 3x a week with a recovery day in between. So either Monday, Wednesday & Friday -OR- Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.

Rest for 60 seconds between sets.

S= Sets
R= Reps

* = Till Failure

“What are those crazy exercises?” You ask. Well let’s go through each one.

1. Squat Jumps – This one is pretty self explanatory. You start in a deep squat position (knees past 90 degrees) and then jump up as high as you can, returning back to your squatted position. Couple things to keep in mind: You can use your arms to swing but if this exercise is getting too easy, hold a medicine ball or a 5lbs dumbbell in each hand… This will REALLY make you work.

Also, when you blast off in the air, make sure your legs come together and you become a pencil… Then as you descend back down, spread those legs and return to the squat position. As you can probably guess, people with bad knees should avoid this exercise.

2. Calf Raises – This is a very common exercise, so I hope I won’t have to expel a mouthful of words to explain it. Basically you hold on to something stable, elevate one leg and put it behind the other. You then lift yourself up from your ankles keeping the supporting leg straight (Basically going on your tippy toes). Do the desired rep amount for each leg (duh!)

3. Rebound Jumps – This one is challenging… Not because the exercise itself is that hard, but because you’ll have to wrestle with your brain to keep your form as clean as possible. So first, start with your legs straight. Then, jump up as high as you possibly can with MINIMAL bend in the knees (straight legs if possible). Then as soon as you hit the ground, bounce back up as high as you possibly can (again, keeping those legs straight).

A good metaphor for this is to pretend that you are jumping on hot coal, and every time you touch the ground, you want to bounce back up to avoid the burn. But the funny thing is… You will feel the burn elsewhere because this exercise is a b*tch! Either way, there’s no way out! Perfect!

4. Rapid Bunny Hops – Think of this exercise as a mini version of the Rebound Jumps. You still keep your legs straight, you still rebound as soon as you hit the floor, but there is one crucial difference: Your aim with the bunny hops is NOT to jump as high as possible, it’s to burn out those calves.

So basically, you won’t be more than an inch off the floor at any given time, but each rep will be insanely fast (hence the ridiculous rep count). Tip: Focus on your ankles and use them to jump instead of bending at the knees. You can also use your arms for momentum.

And there you have it… A plyo routine that will have you panting and huffing every time, but will eventually increase your jump power by twofold. If things start to get easy, put on a pair of ankle weights or carry 5 or 10lbs dumbbells in each hand. I personally use the 10′s for my Squat Jumps and 5lbs for my Rebound Jumps & Rapid Bunny Hops. For my calf raises, I hold a 30 pounder with my free hand.

—MADE FOR THE ELITE!—

I’m always looking for ways to UP the ante. After you go through this workout, you’ll find that your jumping and natural aerobic abilities will wipe the floor off the regular person. However, there are those that want more, that want to be at the TOP. For these people, I’ve made the plyo routine for the elite. Check it here: Plyometrics For The Elite!

To Being Fit & Sexy For Life

-FJ
FlawlessFitnessBook.com

P.S- Got questions, comments, rants or suggestions? Leave em’ below…  you’ve got a voice don’t you?

———–
© 2009 – 2012, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.