What it is
The Plyomat Power Score (PPS) is a simple, physics-based metric that quantifies total mechanical work during a jump. PPS tells you who can move the most mass the highest, true muscular power output.
PPS rewards athletes who can apply more force to the ground, move more total mass, and generate higher overall power outputs. Whether it's a 300-lb lineman or a 150-lb guard, PPS reveals who's producing the most total work.
Jump height alone has always quietly punished bigger athletes. A 150-lb guard who jumps 30″ looks more "explosive" than a 320-lb lineman who jumps 18″, but the lineman is moving more than twice the mass. PPS puts mass back in the equation, literally.
The formula
The math is deliberately approachable. You don't need a force plate or a lab, you need a bodyweight, an optional external load, and a jump height.
That's it. Add the athlete's body weight to any external weight they're holding, then multiply by jump height in feet. The external load is optional, PPS works bodyweight-only or loaded. The result is a single number expressed in foot-pounds of work.
"Jump height tells you how high. PPS tells you how much work. For big, powerful athletes, that difference is everything.
Case study
Here's why the score matters. These are two NFL offensive linemen with incredible lower-body power outputs, tested from a pure concentric application going from a seated position (the seated dumbbell jump). Look at how close their PPS lands despite very different jump heights and body weights:
- Body weight
- 335 lb
- External weight
- 80 lb
- Jump height
- 16.9″
- Body weight
- 297 lb
- External weight
- 80 lb
- Jump height
- 18.5″
Athlete B jumped 1.6 inches higher. On a vertical-only leaderboard, B wins and A looks unremarkable. But A is carrying nearly 40 more pounds of body weight, and once you account for the total mass moved, their power outputs are functionally identical: 584 vs. 581. PPS captures what jump height alone hides.
Ways to test PPS
We recommend three primary options that together provide a complete picture of lower-body power development. Or, if time is a constraint, simply commit to one of the following:
PPS standards
These standards are broad, taken from 1,000+ data points of athletes ranging from 12 to 26 years old across various training ages and athletic backgrounds. They are also taken from jumps performed without the use of "Just Jump Mode."
| Level | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| World Class | >600 | >400 |
| Elite | 500–600 | 325–400 |
| Advanced | 400–500 | 250–325 |
| Efficient | 300–400 | 175–250 |
| Developmental | 200–300 | 100–175 |
| Poor | 100–200 | 0–100 |
Standards are guidelines, not verdicts. They're a starting frame for context, the most valuable comparison is always an athlete against their own trend line.
Load-velocity profile
By testing multiple jumps with progressive loads, e.g. bodyweight, +10%, +20%, +30%, PPS gives you a visual profile of how each athlete's power changes with load.
The peak PPS value often identifies the athlete's optimal power zone, where strength and speed meet. Shifts in that curve over time help coaches tailor training blocks toward either a strength or a velocity emphasis.
"What used to require a lab can now be done in a gym, weight room, or field with Plyomat.
Coach takeaway
PPS isn't here to replace jump height, it's here to give it context. Jump height answers "how high?" PPS answers "how much work?" For mixed-size rosters, a weight room full of linemen, guards, throwers, and skill players, that second question is often the fairer one.
Run a seated DB jump, a loaded CMJ, or a dowel CMJ on the Plyomat and the app computes PPS automatically. Test across progressive loads to build a load-velocity profile, then watch the curve move as your programming takes hold. Start with measurement, then prescribe.