Svj

[salin]

I've been lifting for a few months and just recently picked up "Practical Programming for Strength Training." In it, Mark mentions how the standing vertical jump is a good indicator of genetic neural-muscular efficiency. When would be a good time for me, as a novice, to considering applying this test in order to obtain a more accurate measure of this capability.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Now, I suppose. But it may tell you things you don't want to know.

[Kyle Schuant]

If you are naturally explosive, you will probably know this already. It's not like you'll try it for the first time at 30yo and go, "oh look wow, I have a 40" jump, turns out I'm awesome and never knew it." The explosive person, if they had any more co-ordination than a drunken rhino, will have spent a large part of their youth dominating whatever sport they tried.

For the typical newbie, a SVJ test is simply a test of how shit you are.

[salin]

I am only 20 and jump a 24in SVJ. I only ask because I want to know what this means for me in terms of potential improvement and/or skill set.

Also, for a completely untrained and sedentary person, say someone who is overweight. Might they receive more accurate results waiting until later in their training before performing this test? Intuition tells me that attempting to check an individuals potential at this stage may not provide any useful information in terms of potential improvement and/or skill set simply due to their lack of strength.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The SVJ is valuable precisely because it cannot be effectively trained. It is a test of genetic capacity for explosion. A person of normal athletic body composition will perhaps improve 10-20% over the course of years of training. So it doesn't really matter when you test it, unless you plan to lose a lot of bodyfat.

[salin]

The SVJ is valuable precisely because it cannot be effectively trained. It is a test of genetic capacity for explosion. A person of normal athletic body composition will perhaps improve 10-20% over the course of years of training. So it doesn't really matter when you test it, unless you plan to lose a lot of bodyfat.

What can be considered a lot? Certainly losing double digit body fat percentages can be cause for a substantial increase in SVJ regardless of strength gains simply because it allows for the manifestation of ones strength.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Isn't that what I said?

[salin]

I must have misunderstood what you said. Thank you.

[Will Morris]

If you are naturally explosive, you will probably know this already. It's not like you'll try it for the first time at 30yo and go, "oh look wow, I have a 40" jump, turns out I'm awesome and never knew it." The explosive person, if they had any more co-ordination than a drunken rhino, will have spent a large part of their youth dominating whatever sport they tried.

This cannot be overstated. The internet abounds with stories of lay individuals who claim to jump 38, 40, 42"...and a few times, I have even seen people claim to jump upwards of 46 or 48 inches.

The average American male will average 16-18", and the average American female will be 10-14". If you jump significantly higher than this, you will have already realized this. If you jump over 30", other's have already noticed and have told you that you jump really high. And, if you truly jump 40+, someone is already paying you to jump.

[ajvd]

A person of normal athletic body composition will perhaps improve 10-20% over the course of years of training.

Is any of that improvement a result of improved explosiveness?