The tests
Athletes often debate over which sport lays claim to the best athletes. Athlon places athletes from all sports on the same plain and provides objective data to finally help answer the question! Athlon strives to find commonality amongst all the athletes undergoing assessments by standardizing the baseline tests. Ten foundational tests are used to assess athleticism over time and the results show how participants rank compared to athletes from other sports or backgrounds.
Vertical jump
Start the combine with an explosive vertical jump. Starting with both feet flat on the ground and using a counter movement, the athlete leaps as high as possible. No Vertec needed, our wearable device does the measuring for us.
Broad jump
Requires the athlete to travel the greatest distance possible, in the air, while using a two-foot stationary take-off and landing. Athletes propel themselves forward by swinging of their arms and bending their knees as a countermovement.
The test measures lower body power and explosiveness and is a great indicator of an athlete’s short-area quickness and burst.
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is used to measure speed and acceleration over a given distance. Athlon records the time it takes for an athlete to run 10, 20 and 40 yards, using laser timing gates. The “40” has traditionally been used to test for speed in the sport of football, however the test is relevant to almost any sport. The benefit of recording split times is that the data is more segmented and provides a more accurate resume.
Neurotracker
The world-renowned NeuroTrackerX can assess and train an athlete to improve their brain's core functions to make the jump from good to great. By taking part in an Athlon Combine, any athlete can test their processing speed in decision making, their peripheral vision, and their working memory (amongst others). Athlon participants also gain access to two free Neurotracker sessions following their first combine to track their progress over time.
Powerball toss
The Powerball Chest Launch assesses upper body power and strength, as well as coordination. From a kneeling position, the athlete pushes a 6LB or 8LB ball forward in an upward trajectory as far as possible in one motion, using a countermovement to build momentum, without ever having his/her knees lift off the ground. The athlete completes the movement down in a pushup position.
Relative bench press
This test is an upper body muscular strength and strength endurance assessment. Athletes perform max repetitions at a set % of their body weight. The body weight percentage is set where it is both indicative of muscular endurance upper body strength. Athlon uses a 1RM formula and then measures it against the athlete’s body weight to derive a score.
3-cone drill
This test is commonly referred to as the L-Drill, is a test of agility, quickness, change of direction and body control. An athlete’s speed is also reflected in the test, evidently not the same straight line speed measured in a 40. Many coaches and scouts argue that an athlete’s “fluidity” in agility tests like the 3-cone drill are most indicative of true athleticism.
Tank push/pull
The TANK™ M4 is a state-of-the-art, multi-surface resistance sled on wheels. Athlon incorporates the novel piece of equipment in its unique 40-yard push/pull circuit. The athlete must push the sled forward for 40-yards, reposition, and then grab the tow ropes and back pedal another 40 yards- fighting the TANK’s resistance, and in as little time as possible. The unquestioned crown jewel of an Athlon Combine, it will assess explosive power, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, speed and strength in one lone test!
20-yard shuttle
The 2--yard shuttle, also referred to as the 5-10-5 test and the Pro Agility test, is a great measure of speed, explosion, body control and the ability to change direction. Three cones are placed along a line five yards apart. Typically, the athlete can start by going either to the right or left direction, however Athlon incorporates reaction modules that guide the athlete to a specific side based on which panel lights up. The extra element allows to simultaneously test for reaction time as well as agility.
Multi stage fitness test (Beep Test)
The Multi stage fitness test, also known as the “beep test” is a widely used endurance fitness test. The test involves running back and forth between markers 20 meters apart, in time-to-audio cues which get progressively faster. The test is known to accurately predict the VO2max of the athlete based on the level and shuttles completed, age, and body weight.
Book an Athlon combine
Athlon makes it easy to finally compare yourself against athletes from different sports! All athletes perform the same benchmark tests.
Join a combine today!