Every basketball player wants to dunk. The problem is most can't. Ben Dickinson, Jack Hamilton, Thomas Matthews, Logan Samuels, Malcolm Smith, Cahli Thomas, and Danny Williams couldn't.
But after following a 10-week training program with personal trainer Alan Stein, many of them can.
Now you can learn how, too.
All seven players were selected to participate in a 10-week training program with StrongerTeam.com trainers Stein and Blair O'Donovan. The goal was to be able to dunk at the end by training in a series of workouts to build the muscle, flexibility and explosiveness needed to dunk.
In this series with ESPN RISE, Stein will teach you the drills in the program, explain how to do the workouts properly, and will train you to increase your vertical.
Here is a rundown of the seven players who took part in the training:
Name | Class | High School | AAU Team | Height |
Ben Dickinson | 2011 | Gonzaga College Prep (Washington, D.C.) | East Coast Fusion | 6-8 |
Jack Hamilton | 2010 | St. Stephen & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.) | Mid-Atlantic Select | 6-3.5 |
Thomas Matthews | 2011 | Surrattsville (Clinton, Md.) | Tri-State Players | 6-0 |
Logan Samuels | 2013 | St. John's College Prep (Washington, D.C.) | Bowie Express | 5-11 |
Malcolm Smith | 2014 | Christian Faith & Fellowship (Ashburn, Va.) | Team Takeover | 5-10 |
Cahli Thomas | 2011 | Gonzaga College Prep (Washington, D.C.) | Triple Threat | 6-1 |
Danny Williams | 2010 | Gonzaga College Prep (Washington, D.C.) | N/A | 6-0 |
The 6-Part Series
Here is a full list of episodes:
•Part 1: Loosening Up -- The coaches show a variety of exercises and stretches that will loosen the athletes' bodies for training.
•Part 2: Preliminary Leg Exercises -- A couple of basic leg exercises are introduced that will build lower-body strength.
•Part 3: Explosive Leg Exercises -- The coaches introduce leg exercises that work on explosiveness, which is key for any dunk attempt.
•Part 4: Posterior Exercises -- The players go through lower back and glute exercises to maximize vertical leap.
•Part 5: Squat and Lunge Exercises -- The coaches show squat and lunge exercises that are useful depending on how many feet you jump off of.
•Part 6: Wrapping Up -- The coaches introduce two final exercises, then document the progress of the players after 10 weeks.
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