Getting started is the first step, but what happens next? At Precision Athletica we use a range of assessments to test and screen our athletes for multiple reasons.
A very important part in our athletes screening process is looking at how capable our athletes are in using the Stretch Shortening Cycle.
The Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC) refers to the countermovement or pre-stretch action used in movements such as jumping. When performing a powerful activity, the muscles involved are first stretched and then shortened to accelerate the body or limb.
One way to assess the effectiveness of the SSC is looking at the Eccentric Utilisation Ratio.
The EUR is simply the ratio of a countermovement jump height to a squat jump height. Each of these measures may provide reliable data to account for changes in SSC.
An ideal EUR is suggested to be around ~1.1 – which suggests that your Countermovement jump should be 10% higher than your Squat Jump.
Gaining some insight into your jump performance will help to guide your training more effectively.
As mentioned earlier, to set KPI’s and goals for your next training block, assessing your SSC and determining your EUR can be a great tool in individualising power, strength, speed, ballistic and plyometric exercises with an appropriate balance.
Book a Performance Screen with one of our Strength and Conditioning Coaches and receive all relevant data to guide your next training block.
If you would like to know more about the Performance Screen and how it might benefit you, we’d recommend booking a session with one of our Strength and Conditioning Coaches based in Olympic Park.
We’re taking the health of our clients, members and staff very seriously and our preference would be for you to call to book an appointment so that we can make sure to explain our approach to keeping you safe. You can call our bookings team to schedule a session: