I didn’t go into this session expecting anything special.
It was week 4 of my JMX training block. I was feeling fatigued, and I hadn’t deloaded at all. I didn’t even warm up fully before testing. So when I tested a 38.5” vert—well below my PR of 41.5”—I figured it was going to be a decent session at best.
But then something clicked.
This ended up being one of the best dunk sessions I’ve had in a long time. I hit a Dubble Up Elbow for the first time ever.
Why This One Felt Different
After testing, I got right into dunking. I wasn’t expecting much because my legs didn’t feel fresh. But the more I continued jumping, the better I felt. I started hitting dunks back to back—Eastbay, behind-the-back, and then the Dubble up elbow.
It was one of those rare sessions where everything flows. I didn’t really overthink or waste jumps.
And the energy was real. Jalen Miller—a new member of the Minnesota Dunk Squad—tested 45” and went off. That kind of energy from someone new always raises the whole vibe. You’ll see him featured more in upcoming uploads on our Minnesota Dunk Squad channel.
Honest Talk on Testing
Like I said, I tested 38.5”. That’s low for me. But context matters.
- I went from 112” to 114”, missed it, and shut it down.
- I didn’t warm up properly.
- I didn’t try to hit my max because I knew I wouldn’t get it.
- I was in the hardest part of the training block—this is where the fatigue stacks.
If I had tapered or even just taken a deload week, I probably would’ve gotten 40+. But testing high wasn’t the point of this session. Getting a baseline was.
So What’s Next?
I’m bringing the Vert Trainer to more sessions from now on. I want to start testing my vertical more consistently and pairing that with how the dunks feel.
I’m also planning to continue publishing everything—sessions, breakdowns, all of it. You can follow that on my YouTube.
This wasn’t a great day jumping-wise, but I hit a lot of my best dunks.
Final Thoughts
Even when testing feels off or the numbers don’t look good, actual dunk performance is more important (to me at least). I hit a new dunk. The group energy was there. And I walked away with it being one of my best sessions so far.
You can watch more of my full sessions on my YouTube.
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