What's the reason that the SVJ is the preferred metric for measuring power?

[umairsemail]

What's the reason that the SVJ is the preferred metric for measuring power, but not the running vertical jump? Surely more power is generated in a running vertical jump than a standing one, so why is the latter one given so much more importance? I frequently see you and others discussing the SVJ, but not the RVJ. Is it because the NFL chooses to measure it over the RVJ? There are many athletes that have decent SVJs, but amazing RVJs and vice versa. Just wondering...Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The SVJ is preferred because it requires essentially no technique, and therefore can't be "gamed," as you are apparently fond of dreaming about. It's very hard to cheat, easy to measure, and difficult to train, so it's the perfect way to determine genetic explosive capacity, which is the purpose of the test. If we wanted a jump that could be really amazing, we'd use a trampoline.

[CJ Gotcher]

Why do we jump-test at all? If we were jumping to find out what movement could generate the most power, we'd certainly use the RVJ or a similar test.

If you're trying to test whether an athlete became more explosive after a training program, or trying to compare the innate talent of two athletes, why would you use a test that's so variable? How many steps you take up to the jump and how much lateral motion you make are confounding factors in the RVJ you just don't have in the SVJ.

[Aslin]

it's the perfect way to determine genetic explosive capacity, which is the purpose of the test.

Should body mass be taken into account when measuring somebody's SVJ? For instance someone who has gained 80lbs of muscle using the basic lifts might have a lower SVJ than they started out with, but they obviously have to shift more weight with the power they can generate. I find the SVJ a bit inaccurate for this reason if I grasp the concept accurately.

[umairsemail]

The SVJ is preferred because it requires essentially no technique, and therefore can't be "gamed," as you are apparently fond of dreaming about. It's very hard to cheat, easy to measure, and difficult to train, so it's the perfect way to determine genetic explosive capacity, which is the purpose of the test. If we wanted a jump that could be really amazing, we'd use a trampoline.

What do you think about people that have significantly higher running verticals? Derrick Rose, for example, has a 34 inch SVJ, but a 40 inch RVJ...Curtis Withers, on the other hand, has a 35.0 inch SVJ and a 36.5 inch RVJ. Surely both have practiced the hell out out their running verticals; perhaps Rose is simply the more explosive athlete, despite his inferior SVJ.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Should body mass be taken into account when measuring somebody's SVJ? For instance someone who has gained 80lbs of muscle using the basic lifts might have a lower SVJ than they started out with, but they obviously have to shift more weight with the power they can generate. I find the SVJ a bit inaccurate for this reason if I grasp the concept accurately.

Someone who has gained 80 pounds of muscle now has 80 pounds more of force-generating material than he did before. It all comes out in the wash. Someone who has lost 80 pounds of fat during the same process would experience a gain in SVJ. But this doesn't happen that often, so the SVJ remains a useful tool.

What do you think about people that have significantly higher running verticals?

Some people are better at performing the skill than other people. This is precisely why we use the SVJ instead. But, I repeat myself.