High Jumping or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Hamstring Injuries

[aborgman]

Any other track and field folk out there?

I'm currently in training to do a Masters (read - old people) Decathlon next summer, and have recently gotten a chance to high jump a bit.

Needless to say - I pretty much suck right now.

For everyone's amusement and laughter - here are a few videos:

Me jumping at 5' (1.52m)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZetJnpZ0JM


5'4" (1.63m)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LAvgEGupwI

On the second to last jump in the 5'4" clip I pulled a hamstring... so it'll be a bit before I'm jumping again.

[tastybasslines]

I made 5'8 in high school.

Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I don't see your right knee coming up to create that extra lift.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

I made 5'8 in high school.

I made 5'8" in 7th grade, 5'11" in 8th grade, and have a personal best of 6'4"...

...but that was when I was 18, not 18 + 18.

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I don't see your right knee coming up to create that extra lift.

Yeah - I'm driving the knee, but not as well as I should.

The other issues I see are even worse:

plant angle is bad (should be 15-30 degrees, is 0 degrees to slightly negative)

Lower body is maintaining curve radius but upper body is not on penultimate step through plant

Laying out/reaching for the bar at takeoff

Dropping the chin/looking for the bar too early in flight.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by aborgman

I made 5'8" in 7th grade, 5'11" in 8th grade, and have a personal best of 6'4"...

...but that was when I was 18, not 18 + 18.



Yeah - I'm driving the knee, but not as well as I should.

The other issues I see are even worse:

plant angle is bad (should be 15-30 degrees, is 0 degrees to slightly negative)

Lower body is maintaining curve radius but upper body is not on penultimate step through plant

Laying out/reaching for the bar at takeoff

Dropping the chin/looking for the bar too early in flight.

6'4 wow! Pretty good. As you can see, I have no hops. I did once do a flying side kick over a full size Lexus LS 400 though.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

6'4 wow! Pretty good.

I was what I called "almost good"

I jumped high enough to win most meets, and was city champion - but not high enough to advance out of regionals and go to the state meet.

Heck... there were almost 60 guys who jumped 6'4" or higher in Michigan last year.

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

As you can see, I have no hops.

I used to... now it looks like I'm wearing a back pack with a couple 45lb plates in it every time I jump.

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

I did once do a flying side kick over a full size Lexus LS 400 though.

Now THAT is cool...