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Assessment

Vertical Jump Test

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powervertical-jumplower-body-powertestsargentpeak-power

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DefinitionA short reference note, not a full lesson.
Definition

Measure how high you can jump from a standstill; jump height (and equations from it) estimate lower-body explosive power.

Detail

The vertical jump test (Sargent jump) measures lower-body explosive power as the difference between standing reach and jump-touch height.

Protocols:

  • Wall/chalk or Vertec: mark standing reach (feet flat, arm fully extended), then jump and touch/displace vanes at peak; jump height = peak − standing reach.
  • Jump mat / force plate / phone apps: compute height from flight time or takeoff velocity.
  • Counter-movement jump (CMJ) allows an arm swing and dip; squat jump (SJ) starts from a paused squat (no dip) — keep the variant constant.

Protocol points: warm up; best of 2–3 trials; record cm/in. Power can be estimated from jump height and body mass via equations:

  • Sayers peak power (W) = 60.7 × jump height(cm) + 45.3 × body mass(kg) − 2055. (Sayers equation; alternatives: Harman, Lewis)

Notes: technique (arm swing, dip depth) strongly affects height — standardize it. Compare to sport/sex norms or, better, to the athlete's own baseline; useful for monitoring power training and neuromuscular fatigue.

Key facts

  • Jump height = peak jump-touch − standing reach; best of 2–3 trials.
  • Variants: CMJ (with dip/arm swing) vs. squat jump (no dip) — don't mix.
  • Peak power (Sayers): 60.7 × height(cm) + 45.3 × mass(kg) − 2055 W.
  • Standardize arm swing/dip; track against own baseline for power/fatigue monitoring.

Connections

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
Sargent jump (1921); Sayers et al., peak-power equation, Med Sci Sports Exerc (1999); NSCA's Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed.).

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Explore related topics

Atlas Connections

Agility Tests (5-10-5 Pro Agility & T-Test)
Timed change-of-direction courses — the lateral 5-10-5 and the multidirectional T-test — that measure planned change-of-direction speed (not reactive agility).
Standing Broad (Long) Jump TestClosely related
Jump forward as far as possible from a standstill with a two-foot takeoff and landing; the distance indexes horizontal lower-body explosive power.
Sprint Speed Tests (40-Yard Dash & Splits)
Time a maximal linear sprint over a set distance (classically 40 yards, with 10/20-yard splits) to assess acceleration and top speed.
Box Jump
A two-foot jump up onto a raised box, landing softly on top — a lower-intensity way to train upward jump power while reducing landing impact.
Power vs Strength vs Speed
Strength is how much force you can produce, speed is how fast you can move, and power is the product of the two — force applied quickly.
Squat Jump
A maximal-effort vertical jump from a squat — the basic strength/power jump testing and training drill.