This post is
for everyone who fears or has trouble with the 3 foot vault. Or both. If you can clear it, this article ain’t for
you.
Jumping over
a 3 foot wall, barrier, fence, or 3 foot anything gives many people trouble.
I’ve even seen those who can clearly jump it still have anxiety issues with it.
Why is that?
It’s part
psychological and part physical. But it is largely psychological.
Here’s a
little overview of the vault if you’re not familiar with it:
- The vault
is the last obstacle on each lap of the course
- You can
clear the vault any way you can: jump over it, climb over it, crawl over it, it
doesn’t matter as long as you get over it
- What does matter
is you land in control on the other side
- Once over,
you must perform either a front fall or a back fall, which is barked out by the
PARE test administrator as you approach the vault
As I
mentioned, you can get over the vault however way you can. Here are some
examples:
But
considering time is of the essence, doing whatever it takes may not always be the
best course of action. You need to be as fast as you can. And some jumps are
faster than others. Learning how to get over it quickly and efficiently is key.
Before you
can learn the most efficient way of getting over, you have to build a solid
foundation. And that foundation starts in your head.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE
You need to
conquer your fears, or your fears will conquer you. Being scared is not going
to get you anywhere.
But of
course, that’s easier said than done. I could tell you til I’m blue in the face
that there’s nothing to fear. And there really isn’t, but in your mind there
will be.
So what’s
the first step in building confidence? Let me lay out for you:
1) Strength Training
There’s no
greater confidence builder than getting stronger. When you feel like The Hulk,
you feel like you can take on the world
To get
stronger, you have to drop those light weights. You are training for STRENGTH, which means lifting heavy weights and pushing them around like it’s nobody’s business.
No more high
rep, low weight strength routines, you have to lift appreciably heavy weights
for less reps. When strength training, you are doing it to increase
performance, not to look good (although you can still look good aesthetically
when training for performance). It doesn’t matter what you look like for the
test, all that matters is that you can perform.
(As a quick aside, I was at a training
session for applicants and I saw a lady who was about 5’ in height, and
probably 20-30 lbs overweight. And yet when she ran the course she blew
everyone away, even the people half her size. She was running the laps with
ease and tackling the vault like it was nothing. Appearances can be deceiving.)
Heavy
lifting will develop stronger and more powerful legs, ingredients necessary for
a better vault jump.
Two very
important strength exercises are the deadlift and squats. Now, before you start
lifting heavy, do make sure you have very good technique for both the deadlift
and squat (but really, you should have good technique in everything you do). These two lifts are more technical than people realize, especially
the deadlift. If you’re not doing them right, you’re in for a world of hurt, like this guy will be if he continues deadlifting with that form:
In terms of
reps and sets for both, you’re generally looking at 3-6 sets of 4-8 reps. And
because you’re lifting heavy, you want to make sure you get good rest time
between sets, about 2-3 min of rest.
2) Practice Practice Practice
You know
what they say, practice makes perfect. And practicing the vault jump as often
as you can will help you in the end. When doing this in concurrence with
strength training, you will see improvements.
I mentioned
that, for the most part, it doesn’t matter how you jump over the vault, as long
as you get over it. Watch the video above to see the different ways again.
There are some better than others, and typically the one foot method or both
feet swinging over are the fastest ways of jumping. But of course not many can
do the one foot method or both feet swinging. If you did you wouldn’t be
reading this right now.
Find the
fastest way possible for you at your current abilities. Continue to learn the
best methods, but practice those methods at a lower height first. As strength
improves, and your proficiency improves at the lower heights, you can try practicing
them at higher heights.
If you know
someone who can build you a vault, great! Ask them (politely of course) to help
build you a vault, preferably one that is adjustable. If not, ask anyway as it
will be handy to have.
If you’re
not fortunate to know a handyman, the next best thing is having access to an
aerobic step and risers.
You can set
them up at the adjustable heights: 2’6’, 2’8”, 2’10”, all the way to 3’. The step adds 2-4", and each riser is 2". Do measure the height with a measuring tape to get the rough height.
As you improve at one
height and are able to clear it with ease using whatever method you deem
comfortable, then move on to the next height. Keep moving up until you hit 3
feet.
If you’re
out of luck and can’t have a vault built nor have access to steps and risers,
then you find whatever you can to help simulate the vault. You can go to a
playground and try to find something there. Concrete medium barriers may be
good examples to use (at least for lower heights). Construction barriers may be
another alternative, just make sure to use it when there’s no construction
happening.
Do whatever
it takes to practice on a vault. If that means using the scissor method, then
use the scissor method. Build yourself up to the point where you can at least
arc over the vault.
Bonus: Jump Training
Jump
training (better known as plyometrics), takes the strength gained from the
heavy lifting and allows you to better utilize it for quick and powerful
movements. And the vault requires a quick and powerful movement in order to
jump over well.
Here are
some jump training exercises to help you bounce around like a kangaroo:
BOX JUMPS
JUMP SQUATS
SPLIT JUMPS
HURDLE JUMPS
TUCK JUMPS
Not all have
to be incorporated. Choose one, two max, to perform in a training session. And
not very many sets and reps need to be done. Two to three sets of 5-8 jumps is
sufficient. A good time to perform jump training is after the warm-up and
before the first main set.
These jumps
are meant to be done explosively and with the intent of getting up as high as
you can. This is the same intent you want with the vault.
Yes, the
vault can be scary. But what’s scarier: an inanimate object that doesn’t fight
back, or a dude twice your size ready to pummel you into a bloody pulp? In the
end, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
It may take
you 2 weeks to become comfortable and proficient with the vault, it may take
you 2 months. However long it takes you, make sure to get yourself strong and practice
lots. Don’t let fear deter you from becoming an officer. If you truly want it,
you will do whatever it takes to reach your dreams.
