Abstract

Background: The vertical jump (VJ) is a key indicator of lower-limb power and is widely used for performance monitoring in sports. While most VJ training programs focus on lower-body exercises, biomechanical evidence indicates that upper-body motion—particularly arm swing—can enhance take-off velocity, impulse, and jump height. However, the comparative effectiveness of lower-body-only (LB) versus combined upper- and lower-body (CULB) training remains underexplored.

Objective: To review and synthesize post-2010 evidence on the effects of integrating upper-body power training into VJ programs, comparing outcomes with LB-only approaches, and to provide evidence-based programming recommendations for practitioners.

Methods: A narrative–systematic hybrid review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 principles. Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORT Discus and Google Scholar (2010–2024) identified studies involving healthy adults or athletes undergoing ≥4-week VJ-focused interventions, either LB-only or CULB. Eligible studies reported at least one standardized VJ outcome. Data were synthesized qualitatively, with effect sizes noted where applicable.

Results: LB-only programs consistently improved CMJ/SJ height by ~4–12% over 6–12 weeks. CULB programs, particularly those incorporating upper-body plyometrics, Olympic-derivative lifts, and trunk-stiffness training, often yielded an additional ~3–8% improvement—especially when testing allowed arm swing (CMJa, approach jumps). Benefits were linked to trainable arm-swing power, enhanced trunk force transmission, and improved whole-system rate of force development and movement sequencing. Greater effects were observed in sports where arm use is integral (e.g., volleyball, basketball) and in athletes with underdeveloped upper-body power.

Conclusions: Adding targeted upper-body power and trunk-stiffness training to established lower-body VJ programs offers a modest but meaningful performance advantage in applied sport contexts. Practitioners should retain foundational lower-body strength and plyometrics while integrating 1–2 upper-body power elements per session, with weekly volumes of 40–70 explosive repetitions. This integrated approach better reflects the full-body nature of sport-specific jumps and is more likely to optimize realized performance.

Keywords: vertical jump, arm swing, upper-body power, plyometric training, countermovement jump, complex training, trunk stiffness

Keywords

targeted upper-body, sport contexts, trunk stiffness