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Recently, we had some testing done, and I just wanted to point out the correlation between 100 meters times and Elastic Power and Strength.
I think it’s pretty obvious why we do weight training, explosive Olympic lifts, and plyometrics as part of our routine. If you want to ran a faster 40 yard dash or 100 meter sprint, your legs better be strong and explosive. It’s all about force application and ground contact. Plus a million other factors.
It is also just a coincidence that this is the 2011 NFL Combine week.
After a full warm up and a series of at least 10x100m tempo runs, I like to do a series of 5 jumps, all starting from a standing position, then call it the day with some core work just for fitness. I see no benefit from testing how many sit-ups one can do in 60 seconds. (Do people still do that test?)
I try to keep the field conditions consistent and in my case, I prefer to use Astroturf for my bounding tests.
The 5 tests are:
- Standing Long Jump (landing in sand, not like the NFL Combine where you must land like a gymnast)
- Standing Vertical Jump
- 3 bounds from a standing start
- 5 bounds from a standing start
- 10 bounds from a standing start
The bounds can be single arm or double arm.
Source: FRANK DICK’s DEVELOPMENT OF MAXIMUM SPRINTING SPEED
Beware of Numbers
Just a word of warning. Consider these 2 statements:
If it is a horse, then it has four legs.
If it has four legs, then it is a horse.
What I am trying to say is, if you can vertical jump 33 inches (as we will see at this year’s 2011 NFL Combine), it doesn’t automatically mean you will be a 10.20 to 10.65 second 100 meter sprinter. (Though it would be nice, eh?)
It doesn’t work the other way around.
I am simply looking for correlations and improvements over time.
I know from my stats, when I ran 10.92, my standing vertical jump was 29 inches, and I could bound 10 steps in 35 meters (from a standing start). My standing long jump was over 10 feet or 3.05 meters.
How do your numbers add up?
Jimson Lee
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Thx for article, we gonna try it next week. And I will publish our results.
Could that table be from this Frank Dick article? (Table 2 on Page 5 of the PDF)
http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/technique/109-Frank_Dick.pdf
@Manny, yes, that’s it! Thank you!
Are your bounding measures performed single leg (Ex. 3 bound: R-R-R, 5 bound:R-R-R-R-R). You are just measuring distance,yes? I am use to doing the sprint bound index where you measure 30m, noting number of hops and speed(timed).
@Randy, I define hops as same leg, and bounds as alternate legs.
Yes, there are other good tests like you mentioned, and they are good as long as you keep track and have the same tester for timing.