Metrics Guide

Learn what each metric means, why it matters, and how it applies to your sport. Every number tells a story about your strength and performance.

Strength

1 metric

Max Force

kg

What it is

The peak force you produced during the effort. This is the single highest point on your force-time curve.

Why it matters

The most fundamental measure of strength. Track it over time to see if you are getting stronger, compare sessions, and set benchmarks.

A climber pulls 45.2 kg on a one-arm hang test. Two months later they hit 49.8 kg — an improvement they can quantify.

All sportsClimbingWeightliftingRehab

Speed & Explosiveness

4 metrics

Time to Max

sec

What it is

How long it took you to reach your peak force from the start of the effort.

Why it matters

Faster times mean quicker muscle activation. Critical for sports where you need to produce force in a fraction of a second.

A sprinter reaches max force in 0.18 s while a recreational athlete takes 0.45 s — the difference matters at the starting blocks.

SprintJumpMartial artsBoxing

RFD Peak

kg/s

What it is

The highest instantaneous rate of force increase within the first 200 ms. Your best single explosive burst.

Why it matters

Shows your maximum explosive potential — the fastest you can ramp up force. Used internationally in performance labs.

Sprint startThrowingShot putOlympic lifts

RFD 200ms

kg/s

What it is

Average rate of force increase during the first 200 milliseconds.

Why it matters

A more stable measure of explosiveness than RFD Peak because it averages over a window. Ideal for tracking progress across sessions.

Comparing RFD 200ms before and after a plyometric training block reveals whether explosive capacity improved.

SprintJumpWrestlingRugby

RFD 100ms

kg/s

What it is

Average rate of force increase during the first 100 milliseconds.

Why it matters

Captures the very earliest neural activation — how fast your nervous system fires your muscles in the first tenth of a second.

Sprint startsBoxingFencingTable tennis

Impulse

3 metrics

Impulse 0-300ms

kg·s

What it is

Total force accumulated in the first 300 milliseconds of the effort (area under the force-time curve up to 300 ms).

Why it matters

Reflects your early force output in a time window relevant to jump takeoffs, punch contact, and sprint push-off.

Jump takeoffStrikesSprint push-off

Impulse 0-1s

kg·s

What it is

Total force accumulated in the first second of the effort.

Why it matters

Gives a complete picture of your initial effort, combining both how much force you produced and how quickly you built it up.

All explosive sportsJumpingThrowing

Accumulated Impulse

kg·s

What it is

Total impulse across the entire effort duration — the full area under your force-time curve.

Why it matters

Measures your overall work output. Higher values mean more total force sustained over time. Important for endurance-based strength.

ClimbingGrapplingRowingJudo

Endurance

2 metrics

Stable 3s

kg + CV%

What it is

The average force during the most stable 3-second window of your effort, plus the coefficient of variation (CV%) measuring consistency.

Why it matters

A low CV% means you held a steady output — important for rehab assessments and endurance benchmarks. The mean force shows your sustained capacity.

CV% below 5% is excellent consistency. Between 5-10% is good. Above 10% indicates variable output.

RehabEnduranceClimbingPhysiotherapy

Average 5s / 10s / 20s / 30s

kg

What it is

Average force you maintained over different time windows (5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds).

Why it matters

Shows how well you sustain force over increasing durations. Comparing across windows reveals your endurance profile — some athletes are explosive but fade quickly, others maintain well.

Climbing holdsWrestlingRehabCycling

Analysis

3 metrics

Force-Time Curve

graph

What it is

Your full effort plotted as force (vertical) against time (horizontal). Shows every phase: ramp-up, peak, plateau, and fatigue.

Why it matters

The most complete view of your effort. Coaches use it to identify technique issues, compare left vs right, and spot fatigue patterns.

CoachingAll sportsPerformance labs

Force-Duration Curve

graph

What it is

The same data rearranged: force values sorted from highest to lowest, plotted against cumulative duration.

Why it matters

A flatter curve means better force endurance — you stayed near your max for longer. A steep drop-off signals rapid fatigue.

Performance labsEndurance trainingClimbing

Effort Duration

sec

What it is

The total time of the test from start to end of meaningful force output.

Why it matters

Ensures consistency between measurements. If one test lasted 5 s and another 15 s, comparing other metrics directly may be misleading.

All assessmentsTest standardization

Balance

1 metric

Bilateral Symmetry

%

What it is

Compares the max force between your left and right sides. 100% means perfectly balanced; lower values indicate a stronger side.

Why it matters

Identifies imbalances that could lead to injury or limit performance. Guides targeted training to bring the weaker side up.

A footballer shows 87% symmetry — the left leg produces 13% less force. Targeted single-leg work can close the gap.

All bilateral sportsRehabRunningFootball

Progress

1 metric

Progress %

%

What it is

The percentage change in max force compared to your previous measurement of the same exercise and side.

Why it matters

Instant feedback on whether your training is working. Positive values mean you improved, negative means you declined.

All sportsMotivationTraining periodization

Advanced

1 metric

EMIF

kg + range

What it is

Estimated Maximum Isometric Force — your true max extrapolated from mathematical modeling of the force-time curve, including a confidence range.

Why it matters

In a real test you may not reach your absolute max. EMIF estimates what that ceiling is, giving coaches and researchers a more precise strength benchmark.

Measured max is 62.3 kg but EMIF estimates 67.1 kg (range 64.8–69.4). This suggests room to improve technique to unlock more force.

Advanced coachingResearchPerformance labs