Everyone knows weightlifters, sprinters etc. have huge VJ’s and they are also very fast over the first 40yards but has there ever been a study to determine the carryover from one to the other.
Since i start OLing my vertical has increased to a massive 26". I’m delighted with this even though its only average for anyone else. It was less than 20" 6 months ago.
unfortunately i havent noticed much of a carry over to my 40yard dash though.
I know it has a lot to do with technique, timing etc etc
So i was just wondering what your thoughts are on these two tests. Surely there must be some relationship??
For the general population and in untrained people, maybe, simply because those with more athletic ability will be able to do both well. I doubt though there is a lot of correlation after that. You cannot have a dreadful 40, but amazing vertical and vice versa, but after that, there is a lot of room for error with technique and specific abilities and such.
I am interested in seeing some of these studies on Oly lifters over 40 yards and their verticals. What exactly is a “great” 40 and who did they test this with? It seems to me like this is something that had some truth (oly lifts and throwers being fast in the start and very early accel 10-20m) and is continually exaggerated to what we have today.
Jo, when I was training for and competing in olympic lifting I developed a great deal of explosiveness, at least for me. My vertical peaked as high as 36" but it didn’t necessarily carry over to the 40 yard. In fact, my 40 was not all that impressive. Sure, I was faster than the average joe schmo on the street, but in the athletic world, I wouldn’t blow anybody away.
I think the main reason for this was due to the fact that during those days when I was a lifter, I rarely practiced any form of running. Now, I have greatly scaled back my lifting, but have been doing GPP for track for the last two months and I can tell a marked difference in my speed—mostly because I’m working to develop that specific skill of running.
Yes the commonly touted “study” that occured during the mexico games where it turned out the OLers were the fastest and could jump the highest of any class of athlete so therefore we must all become OLers to succeed in any sport never pleased me.
I mean what coach will allow his athlete to complete a study during the Olympic’s
However i was reading an article here recently where it stated that speed was determined not by how fast your legs moved but rather by how much force you exerted on each footfall
so therefore it seems logical to me that 2 people with similiar bodyweights, equally good running technique but one with a better VJ that this one will have a better 40 yard.
Im sure there must be some kind of study done on this as these 2 are so commonly tested
Jo, I don’t know of any studies so you may just have to monitor yourself and see how you progress in these areas. I was just saying that, from my perspective (which I’m certainly no expert), running fast is a specific skill. True, force is important, as it is in vertical leaping, but I think these are two different skills. I know for a fact that there were guys I trained (O lifting) with who could run faster than me, but I could jump higher. These folks were also in the middle of football season, so they were in the habit of running…We frequently tested shuttle runs and, although I had the highest vertical, I was just middle of the pack in my shuttle timing.
So, for me, being able to jump high may mean that I have the POTENTIAL to run a fast 40 if I were to develop the specific task of running, which I am seeing come to fruition since resuming track/sprint work. In my case, being a good jumper didn’t mean that I could walk outside, line up, and automatically run a quick 40, but the “wiring” or nervous system development was in place for me to BECOME fast should I decide to work on the skill of running.
I want to see the actual study, not an abstract or summary or something–the actual study. I have found from 2 sites a summary, not even an abstract! Until then, I will have a VERY hard time believing it. I agree with you are saying that it is very hard to be pleased by anything that lacks even an abstract, let alone actual data.
I mean what coach will allow his athlete to complete a study during the Olympic’s
However i was reading an article here recently where it stated that speed was determined not by how fast your legs moved but rather by how much force you exerted on each footfall
so therefore it seems logical to me that 2 people with similiar bodyweights, equally good running technique but one with a better VJ that this one will have a better 40 yard.
And technique falls where? I believe CF said himself that while sprinters do well in many tests, other than sprints, they are not that much superior in any one test than other groups of elite athletes.
Im sure there must be some kind of study done on this as these 2 are so commonly tested
But who are we testing? If we test average untrained individuals, I have a feeling there will be a slight correlation simply due to general physical abilities that people naturally have. Compare this to trained athletes and there will probably be a far weaker correlation (although I am sure there is one, somewhat).
correct me if i’m wrong but i believe there is a relationship between the vertical and 40yd.
the vertical helps show explosive power in the legs. with the explosiveness needed to jump higher. the 40yd also requires more explosive speed than the 100m or 200m sprints. this explosive speed can be linked to the vertical leap.
when you position yourself to start the 40yd, u r generally in a crouched positon (correct me if i’m wrong). when you postion yourself to start the vertical, u r crouched (different style, but still a crouch)
when you start off the 40yd you explode upwards in a forward driving motion. in the vertcial, you explode upwards.
so my theory is that they are both related, but only at the start of the tests. at the start of the 40yd, it ressembles the start of the vertical.
I agree with you. I’ve seen people well under 6’ that can dunk no problem. But this doesn’t mean that they’re fast. I’m sure that with proper training they could be, but I would embarass them in a sprint and my vertical is REALLY weak.