Today I am sharing some additional testing data from our advanced strength and conditioning class for athletes. Before sharing this data though, I think it is important to discuss the why, what, and frequency of our testing.
The primary reason we test our athletes is to make sure our workout program is accomplishing what we want it to. If we want our program to make our athletes more explosive, faster, and quicker, then we should design our testing around those factors. Generally, the battery of tests that we use are:
- Estimated 1RM Bench
- Estimated 1RM Squat
- Estimated 1RM Push Press
- Estimated 1RM Hang Clean
- 40 yd dash (Straight Speed)
- Vertical Leap (Explosion-Leaping Ability)
- Pro Agility Shuttle (Quickness/ Agility)
- Body Weight
And from these we can then calculate:
- Pound for Pound Ratio (Lean Muscle Mass)
- Power Quotient (Lower Body Power)
As was mentioned is a previous post (Pound for Pound Ratio Data), the Pound for Pound Ratio Takes the athlete’s Total Weight (1RM for the 4 Core lifts) and divides it by their Body Weight. The Power Quotient multiplies the Square Root of the Vertical Leap by the Square Root of the Body Weight. An athlete that weights 200 pounds and has a vertical of 25 inches is generating more lower body power than an athlete that weighs 100 pounds and has an identical vertical leap. As detailed in a previous post (Workout Card Motivation and Efficiency) the workout card automatically calculates both of these numbers.
I also believe testing is a strong motivating factor, and with this variety of tests, most of the athletes can take pride in some aspect of their results. Beyond just the raw data, the calculated results (Power Quotient and Pound for Pound) are great motivators as well. The smaller athletes generally can score higher in the Lb/Lb category, and the larger athletes have a chance to score well in the Power Quotient. All of the results are printed on their workout cards so that they can see it daily, and in the case of their estimated 1RM they can check their progress as well.
We typically test our athletes 2-3 times a year, depending on when and how often they take our strength and conditioning class. Last week we tested the athletes in our class on the vertical leap. The vertical leap test always gets a great deal of pub this time of year because of the NFL Combine. This increases the interest among our athletes. We test using a measured tape against the wall. We mark their reach, then note their jump/ touch mark, and subtract the two. While not as accurate as using a Vertec (which we do have) we opt for this method because we can test more athletes during a short amount of time using the tape/ wall technique. We do it this way every time, so when we compare data we are comparing “apples to apples”. We tell our athletes (and it proves to be true ) that typically they could measure 2”-6” higher testing on a Vertec.
The following results were from student-athletes (both men and women) that were enrolled in our strength and conditioning class. It includes athletes from all sports, and all grade levels (9-12)
The results for the 76 men we tested ranged from 12” to 31”. The average jump was 21.26” and the Median was 21” This graph shows the distribution of the results.
The results for the 40 women we tested ranged from 12” to 22”. The average jump was 16” and the Median was also 16”. This graph shows the distribution of the results.
The calculated Power Quotient for the 76 men ranged from 41.28 to 80.75 (higher number is better). The average PQ was 59.34 and the Median was 59.23. This graph shows the distribution of the results.
The calculated Power Quotient for the 40 women ranged from 39.50 to 61.32 (higher number is better). The average PQ was 47.57 and the Median was 47.36. This graph shows the distribution of the results.
I do believe our testing protocol, in conjunction with the printed workout cards, serves us well in evaluating and motivating our student-athletes.
If you have any questions, please just comment or email!
Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com
Lexi started as a freshman (which is rare) on our Volleyball team this season as an Outside/ Middle Attacker. She had the top hitting percentage on the team (.346) and was second in blocks with 16.5. Lexi also led the squad in earned points with 175, which was 25% of the team’s total earned points. Alexis was voted 2nd Team All-Conference (also rare for a freshman) and was nominated for the All-Area and All-District squads. You can read about Lexi’s (and her freshman teammate, Brianna Savidge) volleyball exploits at this link
