Denver's Best Sports Physical Therapy
Written by Coach Francis, CSCS
If you’re looking for how to increase your vertical jump, French Contrast training is one of the most effective methods available and one of the most underused.
French Contrast is a proven power-training method that pairs a heavy strength movement with progressively faster power exercises. The goal is to take advantage of a real performance effect: after you move a heavy load with maximum effort, your nervous system becomes “primed,” allowing you to produce more force and speed on the explosive movements that follow.
In other words: heavy strength → faster jumps → higher vertical.
This isn’t a general fitness program. It’s a targeted vertical jump training program built around one principle — training your nervous system to express force faster. Below is a simple French Contrast framework you can use to target 3–5 inches of vertical jump improvement over time with consistent training and smart progression.
French Contrast training is a strong fit for:
If you’re a beginner, scroll down to the modification section before jumping in.
French Contrast Training is a 4-step power training method that combines heavy strength exercises with explosive plyometrics to improve vertical jump and athletic performance.
It’s a 4-exercise sequence performed back-to-back with moderate rest, repeated for multiple sets. You start with the heaviest, slowest movement and progress toward the lightest and fastest. This creates a powerful stimulus for the nervous system to improve rate of force development, efficiency, and explosive output — exactly what drives vertical jump performance.
French Contrast is commonly used for:
Perform the following sequence for 3–5 sets.
Load: 80%+ of your 1RM | Reps: 1–3
The purpose here is not to build fatigue. It’s to fire up the nervous system with a maximal contraction so everything that follows is faster and more explosive. You should finish the set feeling powerful, not gassed.
Coaching cue: Move the weight with aggression and perfect form.
Load: Light dumbbells or trap bar | Reps: 1–3
This keeps resistance in the equation while still demanding high movement speed. A good starting point for most athletes is around 10 lb dumbbells per hand, adjusted based on speed and quality.
Rule: If jump height or speed drops, the load is too heavy. Strip it down and go faster.
Options: Hurdle hops, depth jumps, approach jumps | Reps: 1–3
This is where the primed nervous system converts into true explosive output. Keep reps low so every single rep is sharp, fast, and intentional.
Option: Band-assisted vertical jumps | Reps: ~5
Band assistance pushes you faster and higher than you could get on your own, teaching your nervous system exactly what elite output feels like. The more familiar that feeling becomes, the easier it is to replicate without assistance.
Goal: Quick ground contacts, maximal intent, uncompromising quality.
French Contrast only works if you arrive at each exercise fresh enough to produce real output.
If you turn this into a conditioning circuit, you will train endurance. Not power. You do not jump higher on tired legs — full stop.
French Contrast is simple in structure but easy to execute poorly. Watch for these:
New to plyometric or power training? Dial back the protocol before progressing to the full version:
Get the pattern right first. Intensity will take care of itself once the mechanics are locked in.
Perform 3–5 sets:
Rest 30–60 seconds between exercises. Rest 3–5 minutes between sets.
French Contrast works because it trains the nervous system to transition from high force to high velocity. That is the exact demand of jumping higher in sport, and it is a quality that traditional strength training alone rarely develops.
If your vertical has plateaued, or you have been grinding away in the weight room without seeing it translate to your jump, this is likely the missing piece. A bigger squat matters. But if that strength never converts to speed, it will never show up at the rim or the net.
Commit to low fatigue, high intent, adequate rest, and consistent weekly exposure. Do that, and you will build a more explosive athlete with a real shot at adding 3–5 inches to your vertical over time.
If you’ve been putting in the work and your vertical still isn’t where it needs to be, the issue isn’t effort.
It’s programming. At UNITE, we assess how you move, identify what’s limiting your power output, and build a plan that actually translates to performance.
Let Denver’s premier team of sports physical therapists and performance coaches lead the way!