Referral Reward: Refer "The TriumFit Community" to just 3 friends & get one of my training plans for free ($20-$35 value). Just reply to this email with subject line: "Newsletter referrals" and list the emails of your 3 amigos, and I will add them manually! (Ideally you tell them how awesome it is first, of course...)
Now you have a proper training plan for the body you want to get your swagger back.
Champions League Updates:
The "TriumFit Champions League" is my fitness accountability group for individuals looking to GET AFTER their goals, but more importantly TO GIVE BACK at the same time. 10% of your membership dues go to GiveDirectly.org, so every goal is funding global change!
What I've Learned So Far:
...It’s not just how high you jump. It’s how fast you leave the ground.
Reactive Strength: The Metric Elite Jumpers Care About
Most people measure their vertical jump with one number:
Jump height.
How high can you get off the ground?
But in many sports performance labs, coaches are more interested in a different number entirely.
Reactive strength.
Because jumping higher isn’t just about power. It’s about how quickly your body can absorb force and explode back out of it.
In other words:
“
How little time do you spend on the ground before you launch back into the air?
That split second is where elite athletes separate themselves.
The Secret Spring in Your Legs
Your muscles and tendons behave like springs.
When you land from a jump, energy is stored in the muscles and connective tissue. If you reverse direction quickly enough, that stored energy helps propel you upward.
This is known as the stretch-shortening cycle.
Think of it like compressing a spring.
If you release it immediately, the energy snaps back. Wait too long, and the energy dissipates.
Elite athletes are extremely good at capturing and releasing that energy quickly.
The Metric: Reactive Strength Index
Sports scientists measure this with something called the Reactive Strength Index (RSI).
RSI = Jump Height (meters) < divided by > Ground Contact Time (seconds)
The equation is simple.
Higher jump height helps.
But shorter ground contact time matters just as much.
Two athletes might jump the same height. The one who does it with less time on the ground has better reactive strength.
And that athlete is usually the more explosive one.
Why This Matters for Vertical Jump
This is why some athletes look unbelievably “bouncy.”
Their feet barely touch the floor before they explode upward again.
A good example is Ja Morant.
Morant isn’t the strongest player in the NBA weight room. But his ability to rapidly absorb force and convert it into upward movement makes his jumps look effortless.
His body acts like a perfectly tuned spring.
A Simple Test You Can Try
You can estimate reactive strength with a drop jump test.
Step off a box (about 12–24 inches).
Land briefly on the ground.
Immediately jump as high as possible.
The goal is to minimize ground contact time while still jumping high.
If the landing feels slow and heavy, reactive strength may be the limiting factor.
If you bounce quickly off the ground, you’re likely using elastic energy effectively.
How to Train Reactive Strength
Exercises that improve reactive ability typically involve quick ground contacts and elastic movement.
February didn't have a Group Charity Challenge, but it did have an individual "Fitness Contest," where I give away fitness coaching for FREE, and help raise money at the same time.
I set a PR this year! Went from 1 hour and 36 minutes in 2025, to 1 hour and 34 minutes this year. Then I donated $22 to "Mission 22" after, in honor of the challenge.
Sadly, nobody else took me up on the contest :(
Sam Wambaa did row 10k, but then he quit, lol. But still props to him!
This month there IS a Group Charity Challenge. We are celebrating the life of famous farm worker rights leader, Cesar Chavez. The man MARCHED 280 MILES from Delano, CA to Sacramento, CA in 1966 to campaign for better working conditions, economic security, and health protocols for migrant workers. In his honor, every year I "Farmer's Carry" (see what I did there...), 2.8 miles with ~1/2 my bodyweight.
Come out the 29th if you are in Tacoma, or ANYWHERE if you want to complete it virtually and tag me on Instagram.
Entry tickets are on the button below, we are supporting FarmWorkerRights.Org with your participation.
Next month (April):
April doesn't have a Group Charity Challenge, but it has an individual "Fitness Contest," where I give away fitness coaching for FREE, and help raise money at the same time.
This one hurts. But in a good way. I hate assault bikes, lol.
We are supporting probono.net (now called scalejustice), which has a mission of covering the legal fees for people who can't afford it, for cases ranging from domestic abuse to wage theft.
Pay $25 for any event to be registered as a "TriumFit Athlete" (25% of TOTAL ticket sales are now going to a relevant charity)
Or buy ALL 7 challenges at once and get 1 challenge FREE
"Bear Crawl Club" Updates
I made a new swaggy logo
"TriumFit and Chill" is now "Bear Crawl Club." A bi-monthly group fitness challenge and social hang in Tacoma, WA. Read more about the WHY below!
The next couple dates are:
3/8/26 #8 DONE.
Thanks to Michelle, Raquel, Haldo, Wrangler, Jairo, Mitch, Darnell and BANDIT for showing up
3/22/26 #9 SAVE THE DATE!
4/12/26 #10
4/26/26 #11
ETC. (every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month)
P.S. the first 3 badges are IN! These look incredible.
If you show up to Bear Crawl Events you can earn these bad boys
(or bad bears rather) ;)
These will be $5 each. The "Cub" arm band is FREE for showing up the 1st time though :D
What is Bear Crawl Clubs purpose?
America is Broken. Not beyond repair, but cracked where it matters most. We’re politically polarized, physically unfit, and angry at anyone but ourselves. We’ve lost the muscles that made us: grit, grace, unity, humility. So let’s rebuild it. Not with opinions. With actions. Introducing: TriumFit’s Moonshot Challenge “The Fall Bear Crawl Across America” 3,000 athletes. 3,000 miles. $300,000 raised for charity. One mile at a time. In October the goal will be to get every day athletes to register to commit to Bear Crawling 1 mile in 1 day, and raising $100 for GiveDirectly.org It will be a completely VIRTUAL challenge, no location limitations. One day it would be cool to actually pass a baton or something across the United States, but not yet. We start on all fours — bear crawling across a divided country to prove something simple: We don’t need to agree on everything to move in the same direction. Because strength isn’t found in shouting louder. It’s found in those who bear their weight and keep moving forward.
🧭 What Training For This Looks Like (local to where I am) Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Unless otherwise noted. 📍 Location Stadium High Football Field, Tacoma WA 🕑 Time 2:00 – 4:00 PM Hour 1: Fitness (Bear Crawl Challenge) Hour 2: Fun — bring a nostalgic snack + drink combo to share 🐻 Distances (choose your level) ¼ mile · ½ mile · ¾ mile · 1 mile 👉 Gloves recommended Each crawl contributes to our national mission — one local effort at a time. This is where community meets commitment. Where fitness becomes a statement. Where America begins to rebuild. Join the mission. Crawl for a cause.
What all the badges will look like!
p.s. If you paid for and completed a TFC event, make sure you're on the list below. This is an editable document for you to keep track of your completion times after each event, to see how your fitness is improving!
