¡Que tal, querido Dunk Dayer!
This is the last topic of Phase Two, and certainly not the least. Phase Two has led to plenty of learnings and uncharted territory; this particular topic has been my favorite because it’s reached a perfect blend of pushing the comfort zone and enjoying something fresh that you weren’t quite sure you could do. What shall I compare it to? It’s like hosting a dinner party and unveiling an ambitious new meal for the first time, and it turns out perfectly. You get one of those “It’s good, chef” nods from Carmy in The Bear. Dinner is served!
Before we get into my takeaways, I want to define the phrase of the day. Sticking with the dinner party theme, let’s look at our menu. It’s just one course: power. We’ll juxtapose power with strength (the meal I’ve been eating for the last year and a half), examining both in the context of working out in the gym:
Strength would be lifting with as much resistance as possible. Think heavy weights in the gym, like a back squat with a barbell loaded with weights. The idea with strength training is to get as much weight on that bar you can safely lift.
Power focuses on fast movements with limited resistance. A power squat would be less heavily weighted, with a slower approach on the way down, but exploding back up as fast as you can.
This has been like my time studying abroad in Spain, seeing an whole pig brought out for lunch, before it was carved up with a plate (it was that tender, that a plate was the perfect tool to slice it. Added bonus, the plate is then smashed on the ground, per tradition). Was it overwhelming seeing an entire pig set before my group and I, hooves and ears and all? Absolutely. Was it one of the best things I’ve ever eaten? You betcha. This concept of power has been the reset that I needed, and I’m hungry. ¡A cenar!
Now that we’re all on the same page with strength vs power (and a quick detour into Spanish delicacies), let’s hop into the takeaways!
This has led to a complete overhaul of my gym time. The exhaustive two hour gym sessions are a thing of the past (and with them, the 9 or 10 PM dinners. Despite the study abroad in Spain, the Spanish lifestyle doesn’t really fit here in the US, unfortunately. I’d love a midday siesta to go with later nights, but I digress.). Coach Doctor Andrew has me doing five sets of five reps of five different plyometric weighted exercises. I’m in and out in about an hour!
My gym vibe was already weird, with backwards treadmill, L sits, nordic curls and the like, but this has reached a whole new level. Comfort zone, pushed. The resistance element of power has been accomplished by means of a weighted vest. Pair that with the takeaways from feet earlier in Phase Two and you get this weirdo:
Dunk Day Subtle Athleisure™️. Who wants in on my merch line? When you’re dressed (and jumping around) like this, you get some looks. You also get genuine interest in what you’re about.
Random guy at the gym: “How much is in that thing? Tom Brady used to do stuff like that, right?”
Homie that I hoop with: “What is that?” After telling him I’m trying to dunk, he responded with “I bet you’re there in three months!”
He’s like 6’4” and dumb bouncy, and I’ve seen him dunk numerous times. So I’ll take the endorsement, no doubt.
Dragging an 18 pound weighted vest around the city, on public transit, has been one of the worst parts of this whole dunking endeavor. What a pain. I bought a locker at my gym just to avoid it.
Most importantly, I think the power approach is working! I’m bouncier than ever, but with the seasons changing haven’t had a good true jump session in over a month, since these trainings really took off. The 10’ rim touch is consistent.
Indulge me in two quick anecdotes, if you don’t mind. You’ve made it this far!
I had an abbreviated jump session probably two weeks ago, before it started raining. There were a bunch of boys in what I assume to be fourth grade hooping, and when they saw me warming up with my tennis ball, yelled out things like “bouncy!” They then asked if I wanted to “1 v 4" them, as in play against all four at once. I countered with asking them to throw me lobs on the 9’6” rim. The kid that had yelled the loudest immediately husteld over and threw me three subpar lobs. His friend implemented a hostile takeover, threw a near perfect lob that I just missed, to which I was rewarded with cries of “sold!” This means something to the extent of “you sold the clip,” as in, you messed up the highlight. My bad!
In my Saturday rec league I had a free runway at a potential offensive rebound. It went way over my head on a high bounce, but my friend afterward said something to the effect of “Dude, you really got up! All those workouts are working!” Gas me up!
In summation, I’m all about the power training approach. This is great stuff from Coach Doctor Andrew and I’ve really enjoyed diving into it. I think it’s a great adaptation. I’ll take the weirdness of this look in exchange for a few more precious inches of vertical. Let’s get bouncy so I stop selling the clip!
That’s a wrap. Kitchen is closed. Look out for some upcoming posts on Phase Two in action. Thanks, as always, for jammin with me!
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