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When trying to improve your vertical jump, the first place to take your new-found interest is to the internet in hopes of finding an answer.
After exploring pages filled with an overwhelming amount of information, you’ll eventually realize that the most direct approach towards increasing your jump height is to use a vertical jump training program.
One such program in this realm that you’ve likely come across is Air Alert and for a good reason.
Being one of the earliest programs to capitalize in the field of vertical jump training, it was a commercial success thanks in part to its marketing and simple design.
The problem at the time was the lack of research and the lack of competition within this field that allowed Air Alert to succeed, despite it being lackluster.
This early fame allowed for future iterations to be made, with each version building on the previous one.
That only led to it garnering further attention, and today people still seem to be in search of Air Alert, which is a clear testament to the longevity of its reputation.
So in this Air Alert review, we’ll be looking at the most recent iteration to see what it has to offer relative to the best programs currently available, and decide whether or not it’s worth purchasing.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
What Is Air Alert?
Air Alert is a vertical jump training program released as far back as 1991, that received plenty of attention as one of the only competing programs at the time.
Having been one of the earliest resources for jumping higher, it quickly built a reputation amongst many of the professional athletes that would give it the support it needed to be a success.
This early prosperity led to the creation of three more versions that would follow in the coming years, but with each iteration, there was little done to differentiate itself from its original structure.
This program was made to be used by all athletes as a way to help them become an all-around better player, regardless of the sport.
Unfortunately, because of its evergreen nature, it doesn’t delve into any specific sports and, as such, is devoid of any material on basketball that teaches you how to dunk.
Looking at the website, it states that it’ll increase your vertical by 8 to 14 inches higher in the near four-month duration of the program, and it does so through plyometrics.
Many athletes have used Air Alert over the years, and on the official website, they seem to have video testimonials of users dunking.
These were likely the minority of people that saw any tangible results, with the reason being that the program itself doesn’t follow any scientific principles, with its approach to jump training having no basis on any logical or factual information.
This makes me question the effectiveness and validity of the program’s structure and how well it delivers results.
What Do You Get With Air Alert?
The Air Alert Program (1,2,3 & 4)
Upon purchasing Air Alert, you’ll receive a training DVD that goes over the fundamental exercises, a 43 paged training manual, which is essentially the DVD on paper, and a workout chart that outlines all of the sets and repetitions for each workout session.
Alongside this, you’ll also receive measurement charts and progress charts to jot down your results and measure your progress.
The DVD itself is helpful for visual reference on how to perform each of the exercises, and the training manual is an on-the-go extension of the DVD that you can bring with you to use as a reference.
Looking at the workout chart itself, it covers everything you need to know, and the measurement and progress charts are a considerate addition to provide users with a chart template for taking notes and writing down data.
As previously described, this program is very simple, and such gives the bare essentials to start training your vertical.
Air Alert Pricing
How much does Air Alert cost?
From looking on the official site, it seems as though it comes bundled with a second product, or second “program” as it’s labeled, which is the Court Controller heads up dribbling mask.
Why they choose to bundle these two products together is a mystery to me, but it’s sold at $12 with an additional $4 for shipping, making the total price of Air Alert about $16.
Relative to practically all other programs in this market, it’s incredibly cheap, but the price of the program seems to fall in line with what’s being offered.
Considering it doesn’t provide much value, and may not even get you the results you were hoping for, I’d say that it simply isn’t worth purchasing, even at such a low price.
Who Created Air Alert?
Looking at the creator of Air Alert, there isn’t much information available about him.
Timur Tukel
Timur Tukel is the creator of Air Alert; he is also the owner and operator of TMT Sports, which is the company that publishes, distributes, and licenses this program.
Aside from that, he also has a bachelor’s degree in both psychology and biology, having gone to the University of North Carolina.
I find it distressing that despite his credentials, Air Alert is devoid of a cohesive and logical workout regimen, and provides no scientific or factual evidence to support it.
This is about all there is on Tukel, and what I find even more worrying is that he doesn’t seem to have any certification as a coach or trainer that would give this program some credibility.
I’ve seen other programs in a similar position with a creator who isn’t a certified trainer or coach, namely Jordan Kilganon’s Bounce Kit, and it hasn’t gone well.
On the official site, it states that Tukel has spent over 30 years, helping over 1 million athletes improve their jumping ability and running speed.
Although this statement is hopeful as it explains his involvement in this field, a more significant explanation of his background and experience would have been appreciated.
How Does Air Alert Work?
Looking at how Air Alert works, it uses an approach labeled as “habitual jump training,” which is fundamentally described as the progressive increase in repetitions that then leads to a gradual increase in your vertical jump.
This is their core training principle present in all versions, and they label it as the “Kangaroo Effect” since it’s supposed to make the action of jumping second nature, thereby reducing the effort necessary to jump from the ground.
The main principle behind this program is the “Kangaroo Effect”
The problem with this idea is that it conflicts with the actual science behind improving jump height effectively, which is to maintain a low number of repetitions while performing each exercise explosively during an intense training session.
Every repetition should be done with maximum effort to develop both your speed and explosiveness, which are two of the factors that contribute to your jump height.
Naturally, the body can only continue in this state for so long, which is why the number of repetitions is usually kept small.
Instead, with Air Alert, you’re performing many repetitions of the same exercise for long periods, even to the point of exhaustion, and the body then learns to conserve this energy in preparation for long training sessions.
Once you get tired and begin to perform each jump under maximum intensity, you’re now training for endurance, not for explosiveness.
Developing your endurance does not help with jumping higher and may even reduce your vertical, considering your body is now preserving more energy.
Practically all other programs focus on training for explosiveness, but Air Alert chooses to go in the opposite direction, with almost no scientific or factual basis to support its decision.
Upon examining the workout chart, there’s an absurd amount of repetitions being performed, with the first week starting at 270 jumps total per workout session, and the final week having upwards of 2,000 jumps per workout!
The entire idea of this being the most convenient way of training your vertical is ludicrous, and to suggest that this amount of repetitions is in any way healthy or necessary is entirely illogical.
Merely completing one workout within the first week is enough to overtrain your body, so to continue adding to this number would only put immense strain on your knees and ligaments, and could even lead to severe injuries.
Even for athletes who already train for endurance, the workload is still challenging to carry out and dangerous.
Air Alert Workouts
Air Alert is a plyometrics oriented program that lasts 15 weeks and does not make use of any weights.
This by itself can a very effective way of training, especially considering that other programs have been able to succeed using a plyometrics-only approach, namely Vert Shock.
However, Air Alert has you jumping for an excessive amount of repetitions, which completely undermines the point of training with plyometric exercises, which is to develop your speed and explosiveness instead of endurance.
Another shocking revelation is that the entire program makes use of the same six exercises per training session, with three training sessions per week.
The exercises themselves are slight variations of basic bodyweight and plyometric movements, most of which work better when interwoven into a well-structured workout regimen than they do by themselves.
These common exercises are pretty basic
These six plyometric exercises are:
• Leap-Ups
• Calf Raises
• Step-Ups
• Thrust Ups
• Burn Outs
• Squat Hops
Each week is designated as either an odd week or even week, depending on the given week number, which determines the days you train within that given week.
In an odd week, you train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on an even week, you have training sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
There’s also one week near the end of the program that is used entirely for rest and recovery, only to then continue with the same training regimen.
As previously stated, this program is straightforward and, as such, has a very linear system with the only change coming from the increase in repetitions.
This leaves the workouts feeling very monotonous, and many of the decisions made to add variety, such as having an odd and even week do very little in terms of providing actual substance.
Air Alert Pros & Cons
Now that we’ve entirely gone over Air Alert and what it has to offer let’s take a look at both the good and the bad qualities that make up this program.
Pros
Pricing
Air Alert is exceptionally cheap, costing a measly $16 with the inclusion of the Court Controller heads up dribbling mask.
There doesn’t seem to be any other purchasing method on the official website besides the bundle.
You can also just get it for free by searching up for the Air Alert workouts and retrieving the PDF from the many online sites that have it available.
However, regardless of pricing, a bad program is still bad, and choosing to follow an inefficient and even dangerous training regimen based solely on price alone is a bad idea.
You’d probably get more value from doing you’re own research and gathering the best insights from what you find than you would from following Air Alert’s incorrect principles.
Builds Endurance
Although it’s still an inferior and dangerous choice relative to other endurance programs, Air Alert does build your endurance and could be seen as a substitute for a cardio workout.
…want to build endurance? Air Alert can help with that
By this logic, you’ll likely get more fit, but on the topic of vertical jump training, it won’t do anything for improving your jump height.
Cons
Incorrect Scientific Principles
The “Habitual Jump Training” approach that Air Alert uses is incorrect from a scientific perspective and has no basis on actual jump training principles.
Not only does it pose harm to a person’s body and ligaments to perform an unnecessary amount of repetitions, but spreading this idea as factual information is dangerous to others who believe it to be true, instead of seeing it as a simple marketing scheme.
Especially when compared to the current science, the principles used by Air Alert simply don’t meet modern standards, making it obsolete relative to other programs available.
Doesn’t Allow You To Maximize Your Vertical
Considering the program solely focuses on a plyometrics-oriented approach and doesn’t even do a good job at it, that leaves you with an extremely underdeveloped vertical jump with regards to your speed and explosiveness.
It also includes no weight training of any kind, so don’t expect to build much strength from the workout sessions.
Even Vert Shock, which is similarly a plyometrics-only jump program, offers a separate module dedicated to building strength in the lower body and core.
Even though weight training is less important than plyometrics, that doesn’t mean you can’t just neglect it altogether.
Can Cause Serious Injuries
The exercises themselves pose no harm and are of little consequence, especially considering that no weights are used and that there but six plyometric exercises present throughout the entire program.
The real danger comes from the number of repetitions it says you have to do to see results, starting with more than 100 repetitions per workout session and going upwards of 2,000 repetitions by the final week.
Anyone can tell you that the constant motion of an exercise can be made only so many times before you begin overtraining the body, putting unnecessary tension on your ligaments, and in this case, hurting your knees.
With Air Alert, injuries are just around the corner
But this isn’t just a theory; Air Alert has had plenty of its users report injuries such as shin splints, which are the direct result of overusing the shin bone in the lower legs.
It’s one thing to work through a tough program like Air Alert and not see results, but potentially suffering significant injuries along the way should draw the line on whether to get this program or not, especially when there are much better alternatives to choose from.
Tedious & Time-Consuming
The 15-week time-span of the entire program is longer than the average duration of most programs, lasting nearly a whole month longer than The Jump Manual and almost two months more than Vert Shock.
Now, the fact that it takes a little less than four months to complete isn’t necessarily that big of an issue, and the most obvious problem here is that it’s simply not a good choice for athletes who want to do in-season training.
But what makes it a real hassle is how challenging the workout sessions are to complete, which is due mainly in part to the number of repetitions in each workout that are draining to perform.
Some of the best programs available have intense training sessions and are challenging in their own right, but Air Alert kicks the heat up several degrees, making it a real pain to even think about exercising.
Outdated
Even though the program is still being sold today, it still reprises much the same look from its original state when it was first released and feels like a program from the 90s.
The DVD and training manual do enough to get the job done, despite being outdated, but when compared to other programs that have online navigation with video libraries and even additional reading material, Air Alert falls short.
Conclusion
So, is Air Alert worth purchasing today?
From the looks of it, the program wasn’t worth purchasing even back then, it merely managed to tap into a market for regular athletes, that at the time didn’t exist, which gave it free domain with practically no competition.
Today, the program hasn’t changed, and even with the three additional iterations, it’s still kept the same core problems that have held it back.
The difference today, however, is that the field of vertical jump training has grown, and is now filled with plenty of effective programs that have pushed heavily marketed but poorly created programs to the side.
Now, if you, for whatever reason, decide to push yourself through this program, it is possible to see some results, as some users have reported seeing an increase in their vertical.
However, the improvements never reached higher than an additional 4 inches in jump height, and even then, the chances of seeing results like that using this program are slim, not to mention that you would be putting your body at risk of being injured.
Air Alert simply isn’t worth spending the time and energy it takes to complete, not only because of how long it takes to finish and how difficult it is to complete but mainly that you’re putting your body in great danger just to see disappointing results.
Jump Program Alternatives
Considering Air Alert is now off the table, I have a few programs worth mentioning that are easily better options for vertical jump training.
Vert Shock
The Vert Shock Program
Vert Shock is a vertical jump training program created by Adam Folker and Justin Darlington in 2014 that received plenty of attention due to the results people were getting.
Similar to Air Alert, it uses only plyometric exercises. Still, it expands on the number of exercises and arranges them to train your body through intense sessions with low repetitions effectively.
This also means that no equipment or gym is required, and if you wish to maximize your vertical through weight training, they have an added module you can get that is separate from the main program.
As of now, Vert Shock has helped many athletes with improving jump height, and relative to other programs, it’s both quick and straightforward.
Being one of the fastest programs available, it takes two months to complete, and the direct approach to training allows you to start immediately by using the workout logs and watching the instructional videos in the video library.
Vert Shock is true to its word of increasing your vertical by 9 – 15 inches in just eight weeks, and it does so through scientifically-backed principles that the two creators have collaborated on and refined into a program.
The Jump Manual
The Jump Manual Program
The Jump Manual is a vertical jump training program that was created by Jacob Hiller in 2008, and that was met with plenty of hype at release but quickly made a name for itself as a program that contained proven jump training based on science.
The results that athletes were getting spiraled its reputation beyond the entry-level attention it received, granting it a spot in the vertical jump community as one of the best jump programs available.
The Jump Manual uses both plyometrics and strength training and is methodically structured to develop your jump height over a three-month period progressively.
This makes it an ideal choice for maximizing your vertical, and there is plenty of attention drawn to injury prevention with entire rest days dedicated to performing stretches and exercises that allow your body to recover.
Aside from that, there is an extensive amount of reading material that provides background information on how vertical jump training works and what the different aspects of your vertical are, as well as advice on nutrition and injury prevention.
This program is slightly more complex, and the value being provided can seem overwhelming. Still, it merely boils down to following the training logs and watching the instructional videos in the video library for reference on each exercise.
Everything is meticulously crafted and laid out in the digital ebook you receive to make the program easy to navigate and carry out.
Summary
The Air Alert program was a fad from the 90s that capitalized on an untapped market and quickly became popular, with its reputation still lingering today as exhibited by the recognition it still receives.
The issue is that the core principle of “habitual jump training” holds no scientific basis, and the program provides no supporting evidence beyond an illogical connection between increasing repetitions and jumping effortlessly like a kangaroo.
As far as increasing your vertical goes, the method of training is far from useful as it trains for endurance instead of explosiveness, which does nothing towards improving jump height.
This approach also proves to be dangerous as it puts unnecessary strain on the ligaments and especially the knees by overworking them to perform an absurd number of jumps.
This was a marketing scheme that worked flawlessly back when the field of jump training was almost exclusively within the realm of professional athletes, and the science behind this field was shrouded in mystery.
Today, the facade that Air Alert portrays falls flat and fails to hide the apparent holes within the program, bringing to light its fundamentally unsound philosophy and poorly structured workout regimen.
Ultimately, there are simply better jump training programs that are not only more effective but also deliver results quicker and are safer to use.
