N
InsightHorizon Digest

What is a countermovement vertical jump

Author

Isabella Turner

Updated on April 04, 2026

The Countermovement Jump (CMJ) is a vertical jump test performed by having an athlete quickly squat to a self-selected depth and then jump as high as possible. It is the first jump in our force plate assessment and is used to both determine lower body power via jump height and to measure lower limb asymmetries.

What is a non countermovement jump?

non-countermovement jumps is a plyometrics exercise that primarily targets the calves and to a lesser degree also targets the hamstrings and quads. … non-countermovement jumps is a exercise for those with a beginner level of physical fitness and exercise experience.

What is a countermovement jump vs squat jump?

Although a larger difference may reflect the utilization of elastic energy in a small amplitude countermovement jump as a result of a well-developed capability to co-activate muscles and quickly buildup stimulation, a larger difference may also reflect a poor capability to reduce the degree of muscle slack and buildup …

Why does countermovement increase jump height?

The greater jump height in CMJ was attributed to the fact that the countermovement allowed the subjects to attain greater joint moments at the start of push-off. As a consequence, joint moments were greater over the first part of the range of joint extension in CMJ, so that more work could be produced than in SJ.

Is countermovement jump reliable?

Summary. The countermovement jump (CMJ) is a simple, practical, valid, and very reliable measure of lower-body power. As a consequence, it is no surprise that this has become a cornerstone test for many strength and conditioning coaches and sports scientists.

How do you do a countermovement jump?

A countermovement jump is where the jumper starts from an upright standing position, makes a preliminary downward movement by flexing at the knees and hips, then immediately extends the knees and hips again to jump vertically up off the ground (Figure 1a).

Is a vertical jump the same as a countermovement jump?

The Countermovement Jump (CMJ) is a vertical jump test performed by having an athlete quickly squat to a self-selected depth and then jump as high as possible. It is the first jump in our force plate assessment and is used to both determine lower body power via jump height and to measure lower limb asymmetries.

What is meant by countermovement?

1 : a movement in an opposite direction She observed that whenever the body abruptly moves one way, there is a fallout of countermovements and readjustments …—

What is a countermovement squat jump?

A countermovement at its most simplest form is a downward action followed by a reciprocal upward action. In this case, it would be the lengthening of certain muscles as the athlete begins to lower down pre-jump.

What are the key difference for the static jump and countermovement jump and how might they make a difference?

JUMP AND SQUAT JUMP It has been proposed that the difference between movements with and without countermovement is caused by the performance-enhancing effect of the stretch-shortening cycle during the countermovement (58).

Article first time published on

What muscles are used in a countermovement jump?

Muscle activity in the COD and countermovement jumps was only distinguished by a higher peak muscle activity for the adductor longus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris in the COD to stabilize the hip and decelerate knee joint movements when turning compared with the jumps.

What is CMJ and SJ?

Background: In the context of a public health physical fitness (PF) examination in adolescence, a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a squat jump (SJ) are two vertical jump (VJ) tests widely used to evaluate lower limb muscle strength and power, respectively.

Is the effect of a countermovement on jump height due to active state development?

Conclusion: The greater jump height in CMJ than in SJ could be explained by the fact that in CMJ active state developed during the preparatory countermovement, whereas in SJ it inevitably developed during the propulsion phase, so that the muscles could produce more force and work during shortening in CMJ.

What is a good CMJ height?

Although men jumped higher than women in this study, both sexes jumped lower than the athletes tested in previous studies, which reported a CMJ height range of ~36–45 cm and ~45–60 cm for women and men, respectively [11–13,17].

Is there any transfer between countermovement jump and swimming track start performance?

The aim of this study was to determine if the countermovement jump could predict swimming starts performance. … In addition, results suggest that swimmers with higher jumps and higher peak vertical force are faster on the 15m mark when using a track start.

How many phases do you think is ideal to break down the countermovement vertical jump?

This article describes how six key phases of the CMJ (weighing, unweighting, braking, propulsion, flight, and landing) can be derived from force-time records to facilitate researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding and application to their own practice.

What happens during a vertical jump?

During this phase, the athlete bends his knees, swings his arms and prepares the jump by lowering the center of gravity. The force plate is registering forces lower than the 981N needed to resist gravity, which means the athlete is accelerating a downward movement.

Why is vertical jump height important?

The better your vertical jump becomes, the better your sporting speed, agility, and quickness tends to become as well. The vertical jump test can also be used to assess your state of recovery prior to a weight-training, speed, or even practice session.

What function is served by incorporating a countermovement into the standing long jump test?

The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) refers to the ‘pre-stretch’ or ‘countermovement’ action that is commonly observed during typical human movements such as jumping. This pre-stretch allows the athlete to produce more force and move quicker.

What is another word for countermovement?

counterattackcounteroffensiveretributioncounterpunchretaliationrevengevengeancereactionresponseattack

What is countermovement in sociology?

A countermovement in sociology means a social movement opposed to another social movement. Whenever one social movement starts up, another group establishes themselves to undermine the previous group. Many social movements start out as an effect of political activism towards issues that a group disagrees with.

What is an example of a revolutionary movement?

Examples of radical revolutionary movements include the Bolsheviks in Russia, the Chinese Communist Party and other communist movements in Southeast Asia and in Cuba (which attempted to introduce broad changes to the economic system), the movements of the 1979 Iranian Revolution against the shah, and some Central …

Does deadlift help with vertical?

But, do deadlifts help vertical jump? After 10-weeks of deadlifting, jump performance has been shown to improve by 7%. Deadlifts develop the force output of the legs and hips by strengthening the bottom position similar to the bottom of a vertical jump.

What muscles do you use when dunking?

  • Hamstrings and Glutes.
  • Core and Low Back.
  • Single-Leg Strength.
  • Knee Jumps.

What exercises improve vertical jump?

  1. Jumping jacks. Jumping jacks are a type of plyometric exercise that can help you jump higher by building lower body strength. …
  2. Single-leg deadlifts with jump. This advanced exercise builds stability as you explosively jump up using one leg at a time. …
  3. Burpees. …
  4. Forward linear jumps. …
  5. Squat jumps. …
  6. Rebounding.

What are drop jumps?

The drop jump, also called the depth jump or box jump, is a fitness test of leg strength and power which requires the athlete to “drop off” a box and immediately jump as high as they can. … Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions.

What is drop jump test?

The Drop Jump Test is designed to examine athlete reactivity. … The Drop Jump (DJ) test consists of an athlete standing on a platform behind the force plate(s), stepping off and dropping onto the plates, absorbing the drop and immediately propelling back up into a jump.

What is the average NFL vertical jump?

NFL scouts often look for a high vertical jump from wide receivers, cornerbacks and pass rushers. The average vertical jump for college football players is between 29 to 31 inches. Here are the top 10 NFL players with the highest vertical jumps.

What is an elite vertical jump?

ScoreMen (in inches)Women (in inches)ExcellentOver 28Over 24Very good24 to 2820 to 24Above average20 to 2416 to 20Average16 to 2012 to 16