By Christian Thibaudeau
In the “Quick tips” series, the goal is to give you simple, actionable strategies that can quickly improve your performance—especially when it comes to strength.
In this instalment, we’ll look at a few methods you can add to your program with minimal effort that can deliver both short-term and long-term results.
Specifically, we’ll show how to use jumps to improve your lifts.
“Jumps? I want to lift heavy weights, not jump high.”
Let’s look at two examples.
Hatfield (Yes, Him Again) Pre-Lift Jump
Fred Hatfield, also known as “Dr. Squat,” was one of the top powerlifters of his era.
He was incredibly strong across all lifts, but his squat stood out—over 1000 lbs in competition at 45 years old.
One of his unique habits was performing a maximum vertical jump shortly before attempting a heavy squat.
This method works through a phenomenon called Post-Tetanic Potentiation (PTP).
PTP enhances performance by increasing neural drive following a high-intensity muscle action.
For PTP to work, two conditions must be met:
- High force production — either by lifting heavy or moving explosively.
- Minimal fatigue — fatigue reduces the potentiation effect.
When applied correctly, this can improve motor unit recruitment and firing rate.
Four Effective PTP Methods
- Jumps — highly effective with minimal fatigue. Wait about 1 minute before lifting.
- Overcoming isometrics — push or pull against an immovable object for 3–5 seconds. Wait 2 minutes.
- Heavy non-maximal single — perform a heavy single (around 90%) before moderate reps.
- Supramaximal eccentric — lower 110–120% of your max slowly. This is powerful but highly fatiguing.
For this article, we’ll focus on jumps.
How to Use Jumps Before a Lift
About 60–90 seconds before your main lift, perform:
- 1 jump at ~50% effort
- 1 jump at ~75% effort
- 1–2 maximum effort jumps
Reset between each jump.
A maximum jump should be explosive—like delivering a knockout punch.
The greater your intent to accelerate, the greater the potentiation effect.
This method works best for lower-body lifts but can also benefit upper-body performance.
The Pierre Roy Warm-Up
Pierre Roy, a coach for the Canadian National Weightlifting team, used jumps as part of every warm-up.
Each session began with a few sets of 5 jumps, ranging from simple vertical jumps to more advanced variations.
This approach improves the nervous system’s ability to recruit high-threshold motor units and increase firing speed.
Over time, this leads to better force production.
That’s one reason why sprinters are often strong in the squat—the explosive work improves neural efficiency.
Key Guidelines
To maximize results:
- Keep jumps explosive
- Avoid fatigue
- Limit to 5 reps per set
- Rest 2–3 minutes between sets
High-rep jumps reduce power output and defeat the purpose.
The goal is quality, not quantity.
Conclusion
Adding jumps to your training is a simple way to improve strength and performance.
As long as fatigue is controlled, the benefits are significant with minimal downside.
Apply these strategies consistently, and over time you’ll see noticeable improvements in your lifts.
