Start Saying THIS and Start Getting Better Force Plate Data

I had not heard this until Dr. John McMahon educated me. During the video above John correctly told me that an IMTP, Isometric Mid Thigh Pull, is not an Isometric Mid Thigh Pull when using force plates. Sure when you pull on a chain with your Hawkin TruStrength it is an Isometric Mid Thigh Pull.


(Image from Hawkin Dynamics)

As you see in these pictures when someone is pulling on a chain (with the TruStrength) between the handle and the immovable object (something screwed into the ground) athletes are CLEARLY pulling up and exerting force into the TruStrength. Thus the word IMTPull is correct.


(Image from Hawkin Dynamics video What is Hawkin TruStrength)

However, when you are using force plates you are doing an IMTPush. Think about it for a second, I know it sounds silly but Dr. John is right. You PUSH down onto the plates as you lift the bar into the immovable object.


(Image from Hawkin Dynamics Blog)

Why does this matter? Because when you tell athletes to push rather than pull you will get better data and intent on the data. At the end of the day we all want the best data possible, right? That is why we are using tech like Hawkin, Vitruve, Dashr, etc... Well start calling it an IMTPush with your athletes when you use your force plates and watch their numbers go up. If you have the TruStrength and pull with a chain (hands on bar or with a belt) then call it an IMTPull. If you are using both devices, just make sure you tag which is which. Tagging is KEY with your force plates and is something that Dr. Matt Jordan talked about in his CMW with me click here for his episode (speaking of Dr. Matt Jordan he and I just finished an agreement that will be BIG news for everyone)

When doing your IMTPush you have many options. My personal favorite is the device from Power Lift.


(Image from me when I was at Power Lift in May 2024)

As you see I was at Power Lift in 2024 helping give some feedback on the device that they were building. This above picture is the more refined and final product, take a look at what they were working with at first.


(Image from me Feb, 2025)

Notice how the holes alternated sides and are not like the final product from Power Lift. Now, why I love this device, look at how standardized you can make the bar placement.


(Image from Power Lift)

Notice how EXACT you can get with bar placement. Why does this matter? Because like we talked about in the beginning of this blog, we want the BEST data possible. This means it needs to be reliable and valid. Valid means it tests what it needs to. Reliability means it is repeatable. Repeatable means anyone else can do it. So, if you are on a staff with multiple coaches you can know that everyone will put an athlete in the right spot. You can tell any coach, intern, or ATC to put Athlete X on height 32 and you know all the data collected was at the same spot each time.

This will help you ensure as you track someone's progress (especially important for RTP) that the data is the same and not having spikes from being in different IMTPushing spots each time. By removing error on how the test is collected you can know that the variation in the numbers is from the athlete. Maybe he or she is not recovering well. Whatever it is, you can know that the error is not on you.

To get in touch with the team at Power Lift reach out to them here.

And to get in touch with the team at Hawkin for your force plate and TruStrength reach out to them here.

PS - yes I am biased, but that does not mean I am wrong. I am biased that the United States of America is the best country to live in, am I wrong about that? Why go get some big bulky piece of equipment that other companies sell when you can get the TruStrength to pair with your HD Plates and be able to measure ALL movements with a small and portable device? Take a look at the image below, yes you can still test hamstring strength and can even test quad strength with the same device...if you don't know, now you know.