The thinking on vertical jump training has gone from “it’s all genetics” to “it’s totally trainable”. Personally, I think genetics DOES have a huge say on what your ceiling is, but most people are several inches to even half a foot or a whole foot away from their ceiling, and the right training gets you there. THP Strength is the best in the game at this kind of training, while Garage Strength is more of a generalist program that will undoubtedly carryover to explosiveness and vertical jump. Both of them have a barbell-first approach (notice the word ‘strength’?), which we think carries over perfectly to the home gym philosophy of Home Gym Market. Vertical jump equipment isn’t actually different from other strength training, it just prioritizes some kinds of equipment and deprioritizes other kinds.
A Note from HGM: Our goal is to help you build the single best home gym for your specific needs. Anyone can tell you to splurge on the most expensive gear, but that’s rarely the smartest move. We believe in finding the “Minimum Viable Home Gym”— the perfect, curated set of equipment that delivers maximum results without wasting your money. This guide is our specific recommendation for the Vertical Jump training, which we derive by applying tweaks to our foundational philosophy, which we encourage you to check out via our complete Buyer’s Guide Directory.
The biggest difference between vertical jump training vs other kinds of athletic strength training is that Olympic lifting variants are non-negotiable, which has a number of equipment selection implications. Namely: bumper plates, bar whippiness, and a very secure and stable squat rack become essential, not mere “nice to haves”.
As a result, your rack, barbell, and plates must work together as a system designed for safety and performance when moving weight dynamically.
The Big Three Non-Negotiable Vertical Jump Equipment
1. Bumper Plates (Essential for Drops)
The Logic: Unlike traditional cast iron plates, bumper plates are made of dense rubber and are specifically designed to be safely dropped from overhead without damaging the plates, your barbell, your floor, or yourself. When you’re performing a snatch or a clean and jerk, this is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. And since you will be performing Oly lift variants for vertical jump training, this is essential vertical jump equipment.
Our Picks:
- Best Value: The Yes4All Bumper Plate Set provides a durable, reliable set at an excellent price point for those starting out.
- Premium Pick: The Vulcan Alpha Bumper Plates are a step up in quality and durability for the more serious athlete.
What about Rogue and Eleiko? These are great brands, but you are here to train, not to enter a CrossFit or IWF competition. You’ll end up massively overspending for no discernible benefit.
2. The Barbell (28mm for “Whip”)
The Logic: For Olympic lifts, you need a barbell with good “whip”—the ability for the bar to flex under load and then snap back. This is primarily determined by the diameter of the bar shaft. A 28mm diameter bar is the standard for Olympic lifting and provides the necessary whip for dynamic movements. This is a key difference from the thicker, stiffer 29mm power bars. While some vertical jump coaches might have you only do plyos and slow lifts and skip the Olys, that’s unlikely. The barbell is indispensable vertical jump equipment, and some are better than others.
Our Picks:
- Best Value Oly Bar: The Synergee Open Bar features a 28mm shaft and fast-spinning needle bearings, making it the perfect entry-point for a training program centered around power cleans (which is what the best vertical jump programs will do). It is an intermediate-level Oly bar at an entry-level price point.
- Top All-Arounder: The Vulcan Bravo Barbell, with its 28.5mm “sweet spot” diameter, is a fantastic hybrid option for athletes who mix Olympic lifts with traditional strength work. If for whatever reason your coach or your program calls for a blend of slow strength and plyos, instead of Oly lifting (or only occasional hang cleans etc), then this is the right bar. It’s a solid, general purpose barbell at a lower-mid price point.
3. The Squat Rack (Stability First)
The Logic: most vertical jump athletes are deep squatting in the mid-300’s lbs, so frankly most of our recommended racks work just fine. However, deep squats are only a small part of the vertical jump training protocol; plenty of elite coaches, whether THP Strength or PJ Fabritz, often advocate quarter squats, which are loaded much heavier. Advanced programming in THP Strength will often call for pin squats and other lifts where you need more than just unracking off off the J-Cups. THP also tends to program very heavy calf raises, which you want to do inside a cage with pins instead of from a J-Cup. All put together, a vertical jump trainee with a mid-300’s deep high bar squat might be quarter squatting or doing calf raises in the 600’s. This starts to require an 11 gauge rack.
In addition, a full power rack (cage) with safety pins is much preferable to a squat stand or half rack. We know that some of the best dunkers out there have a squat stand, but you’re not them (yet), are you? We much prefer a four-post design, which provides a much safer and more secure environment for this style of training. The choice then comes down to your flooring and willingness to bolt down.
Our Picks:
- Top Pick (If you can bolt down): The Titan T-3 Power Rack. It’s an 11-gauge, “buy it for life” rack that, once bolted to a solid foundation, will handle any explosive lift you can throw at it.
- Top Pick (If you cannot bolt down): The Rugged Warrior Power Rack. This 2×3, 11-gauge rack is a tank that provides immense stability without needing to be bolted down, making it the superior choice for most home setups. Rugged is not a well-known brand, but we think this makes the product the best kept secret in the market.
We really like both of these Titan options and we think that for they deliver top-notch bang for the buck, but admittedly, they can be a bit above budget for a lot of people. The cheapest cage we feel safe recommending is the Fitness Reality 810XLT. It’s a 14 gauge 2×2, but it has handled a 730lb crash from shoulder height, and remained intact.
Supporting Cast: Other Vertical Jump Equipment
1. Essential Foundation: Flooring
The Logic: A stable rack and bumper plates require a proper foundation. Heavy-duty, 3/4-inch rubber flooring (like horse stall mats) is essential to protect your floor from the impact of dropped weights and to provide a stable, non-slip base for your rack.
2. Essential Accessory: Resistance Bands
The Logic: Bands are a crucial tool for any explosive athlete, perfect for dynamic warm-ups, mobility work, and adding accommodating resistance to your main lifts to build power through the entire range of motion.
3. Dunkers love Hip Thrusts, so you need a barbell pad
The Logic: Hip thrusts are one of the single most effective exercises for building the powerful glutes required for a higher vertical jump. A high-quality, dense foam pad for the barbell isn’t a luxury; it’s an essential tool that allows you to perform this key exercise safely and comfortably. I mean, have you ever tried to do hip thrusts straight against the barbell? It HURTS and it BRUISES.
Smart Savings (What You DON’T Need for Vertical Jump Equipment)
This is where we save you money. For a vertical jump-focused program, you can skip several common home gym items.
You Don’t Need an Incline Bench: A high-quality flat bench is perfectly sufficient for the accessory work required.
Dumbbells are an Accessory, Not a Central Item: Unlike in bodybuilding, heavy dumbbells are not a primary tool here. A single pair of moderate-weight dumbbells for accessory work is all that is needed.
A Box is Not Always Necessary: While a dedicated plyo box is great, a sturdy weight bench can often serve the same purpose for essential exercises like step-ups and depth jumps, saving you both money and space.
Want to have a more expansive view of our philosophy and our curation? Check out our Guides and our Limited Selection.