Jake's Jumps Subscribe

About me

I'm Jake. I cleared a 7-foot bar, tore my ACL, had two knee surgeries, and I'm dunking again.

26 years old, 5'11.5", 158 lbs, 7'10" standing reach. Computer science degree, currently working on a master's in cybersecurity.

I live in Colorado. If you're nearby and want someone to go dunk with, message me.

  1. 2022-2024

    7-foot high jumper

    Cleared 7 feet five times between 2022 and 2024.

    Jake clearing the bar at a high jump meet at the Air Force Academy track
    2022, bar at 6'6".

  2. Torn ACL and meniscus

    Grabbed a rebound and came down on a wet spot. My foot slid right, my knee bent and twisted inward, and it popped loud enough that I knew the ACL was gone right there. I walked off, drove myself to the ER, and figured I'd probably never jump again.

    Diagram of a knee from the front, with the torn ACL and the torn meniscus labelled
  3. Surgery 1

    ACL and meniscus surgery

    Then a long stretch of rehab.

    Jake after his first knee surgery, in a hinged knee brace, giving a thumbs up
    Post-op, surgery 1.
    The knee with fresh surgical incisions and tape
    The incisions.
  4. Between surgeries

    A cyclops lesion

    Scar tissue grew in front of the new graft, about an inch by half an inch. The name comes from how it looks on a scope: a round nodule like an eye. It can stop the knee straightening all the way.

    MRI of the knee from the side showing the cyclops lesion
    MRI, side view.
    MRI of the knee from the front
    MRI, front view.
  5. Surgery 2

    Removing the lesion

    Jake in a yellow hospital gown before his second knee surgery, giving a thumbs up
    Pre-op, surgery 2.
  6. Now

    Learning to dunk again

    Windmilling again. I'm at 41 inches, 4 off my peak, and training on THP Strength. The Jrich is next.

    Jake in mid-air at the rim with a brace on his knee
    Back up at the rim, brace on.
    Jake jumping toward the rim with his hand up at the net
    Reaching the net again.

What I did to come back

The order mattered more than anything else. This is what I did, not a plan for anyone else.

  1. Leg extensions, endlessly

    That was the starting point, and most of the early work.

  2. Bodyweight only, at first

    Until the knee had built up the capacity to take more than that.

  3. Load added slowly

    Slow overload progression, into squats once I could handle them.

  4. Explosive work last

    Power cleans, sprints, and the jumping that comes with them.

Now I'm on THP Strength, and the rest of what I use is on the gear page.

This is my story, not medical advice. If you're dealing with a knee injury, talk to your surgeon or physical therapist.