Dear Yosef,

if understood you are referring to squat jumps with two dumbbells one in the left and the other in the write hand.

I think that could be difficult for the athlete to execute well this kind of jump. If the dumbells are light, the athlete intuitively start to involve the arms in movements; the biodynamic structure of this exercise is not favourable for development of the leg’s explosive strength. If the dumbells are heavy, this exercise hands also the risk for the back muscles.

The barbell squat jumps can be substituted by squat jumps with Russian kettlebell if the athlete use this exercise standing on two high parallel benches or plinths and kettlebell don’t touch the floor in the extreme low position.

In this exercise:

-          the arms are not involved in the movement because they are blocked by weight of the kettlebell;

-          the opposition force vector that influence the vertebral column has a back direction component; to give opposition at this back component of the force the athlete uses the abdominal muscles to maintain the vertical position saving the lumbar curve, so the vertebral column should be much less damaged.

The Russian Kettlebel can be substituted by one big dumbell, but it’s not very comfortable to maintain it in the hands.

Yuri Verkhoshansky

Dear Yosef,

5-10 sequence ketllebell jumps standing on two parallel high benches and 5-10 sequence barbell jumps are quite similar exercises if it is used the same weight of overload. These two exercises can be used for the explosive strength development, varying them from one training session to another to avoid the monotony of training process.

Both exercises are dangerous for the vertebral column if the athlete hasn’t the perfect technique of their execution:  a correct vertical position of back (lumbar curve well evidenced) and a correct (soft) landing impact.

These exercises should be introduced very gradually in training process after the period of the non overload jump exercises use. In this way it’s possible to strengthening gradually the back muscles and vertebral column discs ligaments and to avoid accidents. In this period it’s very important keep under observation their execution technique.

What exercise could be more preferable? All depend on the level of the athlete and on the objectives of his training.

The barbell jumps are more harmful because it’s more difficult to maintain the correct back position in this movement and also because, if the landing impacts are too hard, the barbell can bump the vertebral column.  

The ketllebell jumps are less harmful but their training potential have a limit – the weight of overload can’t be more than 32 kg. When the athlete already has a very high level of explosive strength but he needs to increase it more, he should use another exercise: the 5-6 single-sequence jumps with overload  of 50-60 % (with brief relaxations of legs between every jumps). In this exercise can be used only one type of overload – the barbell. This exercise can be performed only  with a belt, because it is very harmful for the vertebral column if the athlete has not a perfect technique of execution. A good technique of execution could be previously learned through the use of the squat jumps with light barbell.

So, if the athlete doesn’t need a very high level of explosive strength to increase his sport result, he can substitute the barbell squat jumps with the kettlebell squat jumps.

If the athlete’s future training objectives are connected with a very high increase of explosive strength (as in track and field jump disciplines, basket, volleyball, ski jumping), at the beginning of his preparation period (or at the beginning of his sport carrier) he needs the use of barbell jumps to improve gradually their execution technique and also to strengthening previously his back muscles and discs ligaments.

Yuri Verkhoshansky