LESSON 1:
Top 5 Keys to Improving
Spiking Power for Volleyball
1. Improve spiking power by focusing on the scapula
You've probably heard the expression, "It would be like trying to shoot a
cannon out of a canoe."
To hit a volleyball really hard, you need to have a strong base.
The base for "shoulder joint strength" is the scapula stabilizers.
Many athletes make the mistake of
focusing solely on improving strength of
rotator cuff muscles.
Improving rotator cuff strength can
help, but the base for shoulder joint
function is the scapula.
A strong rotator cuff with weak scapula
stabilizers is like trying to, "shoot a
cannon from a canoe".
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Exercises that work the scapula stabilizers might appear nonfunctional,
but it's these areas that are critical to long-term health of the shoulder
joint.
The bottom line is that a stable shoulder complex will make for a healthy
shoulder complex.
Some exercises to improve shoulder stability...
(In the above video, the Physioball Y Exercise)
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(In the above video, the Physioball Push up Plus Exercise)
2. Train Movement, Not Muscles
When you approach to hit a volleyball, it's important that you have the
right muscles firing at the right times.
Core activation exercises and other movement exercises can help
improve "energy leaks".
An energy leak occurs when all the energy to perform a certain
movement doesn't go specifically into that movement.
Think of all the muscles and joints in your body working together as a
"chain" of muscles and joints. The big picture goal is for the body to be
trained as a single unit. You want the movement of your muscles to be
efficient.
Just think about when you take an approach to
hit a volleyball. As you take your steps and plant
to jump, energy is transferred from the ground
up.
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You apply force with the feet against the ground
extending your hips, knees, and ankles. This is a
multi-joint movement where efficiency is key to
maximum jumping and hitting power.
It's no coincidence that great leapers can bang the ball really hard. They
have a great ability to transfer energy from a powerful approach to a
powerful spike.
Also, muscular balance is important for the chain
to work efficiently. For example, pushing
exercises work the front side of your body.
Pulling exercises work the back side of your body.
If you were to workout for months or years using
solely pushing movements without any pulling
movements, you'll likely create muscular
imbalances between the opposing muscle groups.
During your workout, when you do 20 crunches,
are you also doing 20 back extensions to counterbalance?
Many athletes make the mistake of going to the gym and only doing
pushing type movements (bench press, overhead presses, etc). Be sure to
include pulling movements such as rows and deadlifts to keep your
training balanced.
A balanced strength program will help keep your movement efficient
which has a big impact on how hard you can spike a volleyball.
3. Explosive Exercises for Spiking
Here are my top 2 explosive exercises for volleyball hitting power...
1. Two hand medicine ball overhead slam
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2. One hand medicine ball overhead slam
The one hand overhead slam is basically the same except you perform a
slower, more controlled movement. There isn't any jumping like the two
hand slam. With the one hand slam, you just bring the medicine ball
around and throw it into the ground. You've likely seen many volleyball
players warm up by throwing volleyballs into the ground in the same
manner.
4. Hitting on a box
Being a strong, powerful, efficient athlete is useless if you haven't
developed skills for spiking.
To hit the ball hard, it's important to develop a good solid contact with
the ball.
Hitting on a box (or elevated platform) is often overlook when it comes
to learning to spike. Don't make the mistake of leaving this out of your
spike training.
Hitting on a box drill...
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Stand on a box at the net. Toss the ball to yourself and hit the ball down
into the court. You should place targets on the ground and focus on
hitting those targets.
What's really important here is to work on the contact with the ball.
Also focus on contacting the ball high with arm extended and hit the ball
with topspin down into the court.
Important Tip: Get the elbow as straight up as possible before
spiking. Elbow up and elbow to wrist contact. When you hit, it'selbow to wrist.
Elbow to wrist... elbow to wrist... this is key.
Once you develop a good elbow to wrist, this is when you'll likely start
hitting with massive topspin and power.
Also, hitting on a box is great because it makes you focus on
positioning.
Thousands of repetitions of hitting on a box will help you groove the
same movement pattern. As you become more skilled at this, your
movement pattern becomes more efficient.
5. Learn good spike approach footwork
The next step is to learn a spike approach. You don't want to start taking
an approach and hit any volleyballs yet. First, focus on the right steps
and upper body movement.
Good technique for approaching gets you in the best position for
attacking the ball. The better your approach is, the harder you can
potentially hit the ball.
After you have developed a consistent approach, use a spike trainer.
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6. Using a spike trainer
A spike trainer is a device that basically holds the ball for you, ready to
spike.
The spike trainer is great because it forces you to contact the ball
higher.
Basically, the coach places the volleyball in the spike trainer and you
then take an approach and spike the ball out of the device.
The advantage of using a spike trainer is you don’t bend your elbow like
you could when you’re being set because the ball is at a fixed position.
You must reach as high as the ball is sitting or you won’t be able to hit
it.
Perhaps the the most important reason to use the spike trainer is the
fact you don’t have to anticipate the set or make an adjustment.
Basically, you just focus on making a good approach and jump high
hitting the ball hard.
7. Hitting off of a set
Obviously, since you'll be hitting off of a set in a
game, this is what you'll need to practice.
If possible, work on hitting sets from a really
consistent setter. The less adjustments you need to
make when you approach, the better repetitions
you'll have for hitting.
Consistent repetitions are important for improving
movement efficiency.
Developing a consistent approach and armswing is key to developing
hitting power. This is why many players often become more powerful
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hitters just by practicing spiking.
LESSON 2:
How to Relieve Muscle Soreness
Recovery is your secret weapon to making consistent muscular gains…
… yes, you know that but nobody shows you specifically HOW to recover.
(In the above video, using a foam roller to improve muscle tissue
quality)
How Muscle Soreness Occurs
There are three main theories that result in muscle soreness.
Most muscle soreness occurs immediately following an activity and then
has a delayed onset effect. Immediate muscle soreness is due to a
buildup of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid and a lack of
sufficient oxygen.
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Delayed onset muscle soreness (D.O.M.S.), which begins 24-72 hours
after an activity, is not yet determined.
There are three theories which will have an impact on the degree of
muscle soreness:
1. Muscle Damage.
As a result of repetitive contractions, microscopic tears occur within the
muscle fibers themselves create pain and lead to inflammation, which
creates more pain.
2. Damage To The Connective Tissue.
Microscopic tears occur in the connective tissue particularly as a result
of eccentric contractions, which are contractions in which the muscle
lengthens rather than shortens. Examples of eccentric contractions are
the muscles working during a squatting movement (lowering the weight
down) and the lowering movement of lunging. This portion of the
exercise is also known as negative work or "eccentric" work.
3. Ischemia/Spasm Cycle.
The lack of oxygen and build-up of metabolic by-products causes pain
which causes the muscle to spasm. This further reduces the amount of
oxygen available, increases the metabolic by-products, and the viscous
cycle continues.
Muscle soreness will occur when you push your limits, 'out do' yourself
and expose your body to unaccustomed stress.
Combine this with either repetitive movements for extended periods of
time; using jerky or explosive movements; stretching beyond normal
range of motion and/or repeated eccentric contractions and OF COURSE
your muscles are going to be sore.
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The following are some tips to help relieve muscle soreness...
1. Increase the blood flow and oxygen to the damaged area (to
facilitate the breakdown of metabolic by-products, and the removal of
debris, and to speed nutrients to the cells for healing).
2. Relax the muscles. Experiment with the following activities to
determine which one helps reduce and relieve your soreness the
quickest. Most likely you'll need a combination of these methods.
A. Static Stretching.
Focus on slow and gradual stretching. Stretch each
muscle just to where you begin to feel the stretch then
hold that position until you feel the muscle let go.
Don't bounce or force the muscle unless you want to create more harm
than good.
Flexibility training for volleyball should involve both dynamic and static
stretching exercises. Static stretching can be good for increasing the
resting lengthen of tight muscles.
Static stretching relaxes muscles turning off the nervous system.
B. Light Exercise.
Muscles that are not used will become stiff and take longer to become
pain free. Gentle, non-stressful exercise will increase the circulation and
relax your muscles.
It's important to spend time warming up before training sessions,
volleyball practices, and tournaments. A proper warm up will help with
preventing injuries and recovery from workouts.
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Cooling down after your workouts will also improve your performance
and accelerate the recovery process.
C. Pre-workout Nutrition
What you eat before you train depends on the
individual athlete, current training level, and
training goals.
Generally, 100 to 200 grams of complex
carbohydrates 2 to 3 hours before the workout and
another 50 grams 30 minutes to 1 hour before the
training session.
It may help to consume simple carbohydrates before, during or after the
workout.
D. Post-workout Nutrition
Consume a post-workout nutrition bar or drink after your workout.
Consume carbohydrates right after training while your body is still warm
to better replenish muscle glycogen.
3. Massage.
Good old fashioned massage acts much
like light exercise or gentle stretching
by increasing your circulation and
coaxing the muscles to relax. The
differences are that with massage you
need do nothing other than simply
enjoy, and the massage therapist can
locate and work with those areas of your musculature most in need of
attention.
4. Foam Rolling.
When training speed and power,
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muscle regeneration is very
important for those stressed areas.
The tissue that's been damaged
needs to be treated. The tissue can
be treated and opened back up by
using a foam roller.
The purpose of foam rolling is to regenerate your muscle tissue and help
create the highest quality tissue. Foam Rolling is like giving yourself a
massage. The foam roll uses deep compression to help massage out
muscle spasms that develop over time.
After awhile, the quality of tissue will improve. Harder rollers should
then be used for muscle tissue that's harder to break up.
The self massage results in your nerves relaxing, your muscles loosening
up helping blood flow and your body recover. The purpose of the self
massage is to irritate the tissue to produce a chemical response. This is
why soft tissue work can often be painful.
The chemicals produced are what begin the healing process. Soft tissue
work is important because the massage changes the quality of the
muscle fibers.
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Athletes should do self massage using the foam roller because it's so easy
to maintain the tissue on your own.
5. Cold.
Cold water or ice breaks the
pain/ischemia/spasm cycle by
increasing the circulation and
interfering with pain signals. Ice is also
an excellent anti-inflammatory agent
and will greatly speed healing. I run my
muscles under cold water for 3-10
minutes after a workout.
6. Alternating Hot and Cold.
Since the thought of hot often seems more soothing it is included here,
but in combination with cold. Hot water will relax muscles and increase
circulation but will also increase inflammation and swelling within
muscle fibers.
Therefore it is important to alternate with cold and end with cold. This
can take the form of a sauna and swim, a whirlpool and cold plunge, a
hot and cold shower or a hot bath and ice.
After 3-10 minutes of cold, run the hot shower on your legs for 1 minute.
And than repeat a few times.
7. Movement In The Pool.
Water supports your muscles and
makes them easier to use.
If you are extremely sore it will be
easier for you to use your muscles in
the pool either walking, stretching,
or gently swimming.
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I trust this is more than enough
information to speed your recovery and return to volleyball training!
LESSON 3:
7 Reasons Single Leg Training is Important for
Volleyball Players
1. Single leg training results in less back stress due to the reduced
loads. In the traditional two-legged back squat, the back is the limiting
factor. At some point the low back doesn't allow you to transfer any
more weight through your legs.
2. Single leg training is more "functional" for volleyball. You do almost
everything in sports in a split stance, or by pushing off one leg from a
parallel stance, so it just makes sense to train your body that way.
(The exercise in the video above is a variation of the single-leg box
squat.)
3. The back is often the weak link in bilateral exercises like squats.
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The reason bodybuilders perform exercises like the leg press is because
they are able to work their legs real hard because they are bracing the
back. Because of the greater amount of weight they can use, the result
is much stronger and bigger leg extensors (the quadriceps).
A greater load is possible during the leg press because the weight isn't
moving through your back to get to your legs.
This isn't to say that the leg press is good for your back. With the squat,
the spine is being compressed. During the leg press, the spine is being
rounded which can create problems over time.
4. To build bigger, stronger legs, it's best to target those muscles
without having to place heavy loads on the spine. A great single leg
exercise is the Bulgarian Split Squat.
Beginners will develop balance and hip flexibility, along with strength
and size. This rear-foot-elevated split squat will develop the
all-important ability to endure a high level of discomfort while training.
You want to rest the top of your back foot on the bench, even though it
may be uncomfortable for you. You'll likely be uncomfortable being in
this position if you're used to doing this exercise with your toe on the
bench. It may be easier for you to do it that way with lighter loads, but
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with heavier loads it's not because the range of motion is longer, and
your balance will be worse.
5. You can apply huge weights to your leg muscles with limited spinal
compression. The Bulgarian Split Squat for example, advanced lifters
can get dramatic results when they apply heavier loads to the exercise.
6. The back is the weak link in squatting. The traditional two-legged
back squat doesn't allow you to get maximal work capability out of your
lower body. The place you lose squatting is in the back. What gets
injured most often in squatting? The back. If you can bypass the back,
your legs can handle much heavier weights. So how do you train your legs
with heavier loads, with the goal of increasing strength and size? Bypass
the back with single leg training.
7. Single leg training is likely a better way to get results with half the
weight. Single leg exercises aren't as sexy as the traditional back squat,
but by training one leg at a time, you save yourself the back-sparing
effects of using lighter loads.
LESSON 4:
Six Keys to Gaining Maximum
Strength in Six Months
Use the following tips to improve volleyball strength.
1. Eat every 3 hours.
2. Record every workout.
3. Last set of every exercise is an ALL-OUT set.
4. Focus on full-body workouts.
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5. Focus on compound exercises.
6. Switch reps and sets scheme almost every workout.
Eat EVERY 3 hours at least six times a day.
The easiest way to do this is to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner
then also add in three home made meal replacement drinks or
shakes for the other three meals. It's best to have a replacement
drink or shake 30 minutes to an hour before a workout, then also
one immediately after a workout.
An example of a good breakfast would be 3-4 whole eggs with 6 egg
whites. A few cups of veggies and a 2-4 slices of toast with natural
peanut butter.
An example of a lunch would be two tuna sandwiches on whole
wheat bread and a few cups of whole milk. Dinner should be some
sort of meat such as chicken, beef, salmon, fish. This can be
combined with rice, pasta or potatoes and always vegetables.
Shakes consist of 30-60 grams of protein powder, 1-2 cups of frozen
berries, natural peanut butter and possibly add in oatmeal and/or
ice cream which can easily add up to 1000 calories! The extra
calories will get your muscles pumped and full, never running out
of gas.
1.
Record every workout in detail.
Record the reps, sets, rest, exercises, order, how you feel and any
extra comments. You need to know what to shoot for the next
workout so you can make constant progress for six months straight.
For example, when approaching a workout, you should know how
much weight or reps I needed to increase to beat my previous
workout.
2.
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Focus on making the last set of every exercise an ALL-OUT SET.
The last set of every exercise should be very intense. The last set
should always be with the heaviest weight and the most reps. This
is where you spark your muscles into growth and “out do” your
previous workout.
19.
Focus on full-body workouts because they recruit more motor
units and muscle groups than split training. Increase volleyball
strength with full-body workouts by eliciting a greater increase in
testosterone and GH than split routines too.
By training each body part more often, you yield a greater anabolic
effect.
Also, since a body part is usually recovered within 48 hours, not
training that muscle again within 48 hours is wasted time off.
Protein synthesis is increased for up to 48 hours after a muscle is
trained and then begins to drop back to normal. It's important to
get to bed early and get tons of sleep because you need to recover
within the 48-hours.
20.
Focus on compound exercises that position you to lift the
heaviest weights possible and maximize the most muscle in the
shortest period of time.
Here's a list of compound exercises that are the biggest bang for
your buck... bench presses, bent over rows, over head presses,
deadlifts, squats, dips, chin ups and hanging leg raises. Focus on
doing these exercises or a slight variation on these movements for
variety.
21.
Switch reps and sets almost every workout to stimulate slow
twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers and to gain knowledge of
22.
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what rep and set ranges created the best gains in strength.
Volleyball strength can be increased by implementing a variety of
rep and set schemes. Schemes can vary from 3 x 15, 4 x 10, 5 x 5, 2
x 25, 4 x 12, 6 x 6, 10 x 3, and 8 x 8. All these schemes can work.
The lower the reps the higher the rest (2-3 minutes) and the higher
the reps the lower the rest (30-60 seconds).
Although you can constantly vary the intensity and volume, you can
still pre-plan each rep and set scheme into different phases and
vary them from workout to workout or week to week.
Don't underestimate the importance of volleyball strength training.
Don't let the lack of volleyball strength keep you from becoming a great
volleyball player.
LESSON 5:
Volleyball Nutrition...What to eat and what not
to eat to be successful at volleyball
How's your volleyball nutrition?
“There’s no such thing as good or bad food; there is only good and bad times to
each certain foods.”
The above statement is important because it is true that there are
actually very few BAD FOODS.
Sodas, juices, processed meat, ice cream, cookies, crackers, foods with
white flour, and potato chips should be avoided if possible.
If you want to be a great volleyball player, you must remove foods that
will turn your body into a toxic waste dump and take away your energy.
If you thought eating healthy was only important for people trying to
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lose weight, think again.
Volleyball nutrition is very important for becoming a stronger, more
athletic volleyball player.
Here are some things you should be consuming...
Water, boneless chicken breasts, cheeses, dried fruit, eggs, lean ground
sirloin, fruit, extra virgin olive oil, green tea, grains, lean turkey,
legumes, meat, poultry, fish, mixed nuts, salmon, and vegetables are
important to your health.
Foods You're Better Off Living Without
Sodas and juices. Most fruit juices have high amounts of sugar and
water.
High fat processed meat. Sausage, pepperoni, bacon and related foods
are loaded with the type of fat that will shorten your lifespan, and are
also loaded with sodium. These poor food choices shouldn't be confused
with good sources of protein.
Frozen desserts and ice cream. Ice cream just has more sugar and few
nutrients. You’re better off without all the sugar and extra empty
calories.
Most processed foods. Products packaged in colorful wrappers, boxes,
bags or containers are likely highly processed. These foods promote
‘healthiness’ but fail to admit the degree of processing it went through.
Do your own experiment - next time you are unsure of a processed food
just take a look at the ingredient list. If you see more than 5 ingredients
that you can not pronounce then you have to wonder what the heck you
are putting in your body. Most of these foods have ‘fillers’ that preserve
the shelf life and have nothing to do with nutrient value.
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Cookies. Are your cookies highly processed?
Crackers. Most crackers sold in grocery stores are processed and loaded
with sodium.
White flour products like white bread and bagels. Manufacturers take
out nutrients such as wheat seed’s bran, its six outer layers, and the
germ. Vitamins, minerals, and fiber is being lost. Also, a few synthetic
nutrients are added back into the white flour and labeled ‘enriched,’but
in reality there has been no real ‘enrichment’ of the original product.
Here's What to Add to Your Kitchen
Beverages. Start drinking a lot of water. Also, drink 2-3 cups of green
tea a day for its high antioxidant profile and more than a handful of
health reasons. Throw out the the killer fruit juices and soda!
Boneless Chicken Breasts. If you can't afford the for free-range chickens
(organically raised), then go with the grain-fed, store-bought type
because they carry minimal body fat.
Cooking Spray. Only buy the cooking sprays made from canola or olive
oil.
Cheese. Typically, the cheeses that have a stronger taste have a better
protein and fatty-acid profile. Cheese is higher in fat so use it in
moderation and aim for a variety of cheeses such as Feta, goat, Havarti,
aged white cheddar and Parmesan.
Dried Fruit. Just a small handful of some dried fruit has the same
amount of calories as a large apple. If you are trying to lose weight then
be very cautious. Good sources of dried fruit are currants, dates, pears,
mango, apples, and banana.
Eggs. Omega 3 eggs are the best choice because they are laid by
chickens that were fed a diet rich in ground flaxseed. Omega 3 fats are
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important for volleyball nutrition because they improve volleyball player
knee and joint health.
Extra Lean Ground Sirloin. Always go for the leanest sources available.
Your local grocery store should meet your requirements but feel free to
venture down to a farmer’s market and go for grass-fed beef freshly
ground.
Fruit. For your volleyball nutrition, always go for an assortment of colors
and make sure your fridge is always stocked with fresh fruit. Examples of
good fruit choices are apples, grapes, bananas, kiwi, raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, mango, oranges, tangerines, and pineapple.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This oil can be used in salads and sauces. It's
loaded with antioxidants is an easy source of calories.
Green Tea. An organic green tea without any extra herbs is the best.
Grains. The best grains are oats, oat bran, whole flaxseed, quinoa,
whole barley and wheat bran.
Legumes. Kidney beans, split peas, chickpeas and lentils are excellent
sources of fiber and a great addition to your volleyball nutrition.
Meat, Poultry and Fish. Eat a wide variety and do not limit yourself to a
single grocery store. Whether it's a small market or supersized grocery
store, each will carry a different selection of meats.
Mixed Nuts. These are easy calories and a great source of good fat.
Salmon. Genuine wild salmon is better than farmed salmon because you
will benefit from its higher quality Omega-3 profile and absence of
mercury and toxins.
Spices. If you're not a gourmet chef, just focus on some of the basics like
salt, pepper, fresh garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, and cinnamon.
Vegetables. You should get familiar with vegetables from your local
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market. Here are important vegetables for volleyball nutrition...
spinach, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions,
cucumbers, celery and carrots. When choosing vegetables, try and aim
for the colors of the rainbow and you'll be fine.
LESSON 6:
Volleyball Injuries...Top causes and how to
avoid them
Volleyball injuries related to tendon, ligament or joint pain are
common problems faced by strength training athletes.
At one time or another, you likely have heard a volleyball player say,
“My shoulder is killing me,” or “This knee has been aching for months,”
or “I can’t doing anything that involves bending because it hurts my low
back.”
It would be more comforting to believe that injury prevention is not a
hot topic because volleyball injuries are very uncommon, but we know
this is not true.
If you have a history of injury or a present problem, it needs to be fixed.
Even better, lets prevent the potential for volleyball injuries altogether.
Top 8 Causes of Volleyball Injuries
1. Not Warming-up. If you have never warmed up and have never been
injured, consider yourself lucky. A warm up is a great insurance policy
against a strain or injury.
Even though warming up is highly subjective, I recommend that everyone
spend a few minutes warming up before a volleyball strength training
workout.
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The best way to warm up depends on your age, your level of
conditioning, and your history of injury. The purpose of warming up is to
get blood rushing through your body and to allow a few minutes to
mentally rehearse your goals for the hard workout you are about to do.
2. Training Too Often. Your volleyball strength program likely has
splitting exercises. For example, one day may focus more on upper body,
while the next day you focus more on training the lower body. A splitting
routine has its benefits, but its benefits are counteracted when you train
too often.
It’s not just your muscles that require recovery, but also your organs,
joints, hormonal systems, and nervous system all need adequate time to
recover from volleyball training.
These vital systems can be overworked too, and just because you feel
rested doesn't mean these other systems have fully recovered.
Your structural system doesn't care that you worked your upper body
yesterday and are giving it a break by training your legs today. It’s all
the same to your tendons, ligaments and joints.
I assume you want steady and consistent gains so don't underestimate
the other systems in your body.
3. Psychological Influence. Studies have shown that athletes who are
aggressive, tense, and compulsive have a higher risk of injury. Tension
may make muscles and tendons more taut, increasing the risk that they
will be harmed during workouts.
However, don’t underestimate the value of ‘psyching’ yourself up prior
to a weight training session.
Similar to other life goals, improvement requires a sense of focus and
purpose prior to each workout. To make progress, you must reach a
greater muscular capacity creating potential for muscle growth which
means today’s workout must be better than your last workout.
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4. Choosing the Wrong Weight. Even though our goals are improving
strength and power for volleyball, there are still times when you could
choose a weight that will compromise your form and put you at risk for
volleyball injuries. Not only will your form be incorrect but you will lose
the isolation on the muscle. Remember, your muscles can not read the
amount of weight on the plates. Yes, muscular overload must be
attained with heavy lifts but the progress must be consistent and
gradual.
Inch by inch life is a cinch. Yard by yard life is hard! Your goal is to
stimulate your muscles - not your joints.
Oftentimes choosing a weight that is outside our limits will transfer the
stress to your tendons, ligaments and joints.
Most trainees have no idea until a few days later when they can’t figure
out why the heck their lower back, shoulder, and knees are killing them.
Worse yet, most young trainees who are currently lifting outside their
limits will have no clue until 5-10 years from now when their neck and
shoulder start hurting and they have to start spending hundreds of dollars
on therapy.
6. Inadequate Nutrition. Most joint problems, such as arthritis,
tendinitis, and bursitis, can be reduced with natural compounds that can
save you from aching joints and years of pain. The sad news is that most
treatments offered by traditional medicine simply treat the symptoms
and make the problem worse in the long run.
Common doctor recommendations of anti-inflammatory drugs,
injections, joint replacement and ‘stay off it’ advice are useless and
could be avoided if the proper measures were taken years ago.
Supplement with flax oil at least three times a day to help reduce
inflammation in the joints, which will also help reduce pain from heavy
lifting. Glucosamine is considered by many as one of the best natural
products for the treatment and prevention of cartilage degeneration. It
is an essential part of cartilage, synovial fluid, and other components of
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joints. Chondroitin sulphate is related to glucosamine and acts like flax
oil helping to reduce inflammation around the joints. Also, the
antioxidants Vitamin E and C should be added because it is well known
that free radical pathology is part of the damage that takes place in the
joints.
7. Using Inappropriate Range-of-Motion. Many volleyball injuries occur
when training in the weakest part of the motion. For example, the
bottom of the squat position places outrageous stress on the knees and
the bottom of the bench press position can tear the ligaments and
tendons of the upper arm and shoulder.
However, lifting heavy with a full range of motion is acceptable and will
stimulate more muscle tissue if you have gradually progressed with a
slower and controlled movement and then progressively add resistance.
If you are training with full range movements and have limiting flexibility
issues in certain joints, only train within your current range.
8. Not Stretching Enough. Studies show that shortened muscles perform
weaker, slower and have a higher incidence of volleyball injuries. But big
muscles require strong, lengthened and healthy tissue. Performing
exercises that prevent volleyball injuries is an important component of
your fitness that can improve muscle strength, help maintain healthy
joints, and accelerate recovery.
LESSON 7:
Bodyweight strength training you can literally
do anywhere
The following volleyball workout program has many functional exercises
including push-ups, pull-ups, handstand push-ups, dips, one leg squats,
one leg deadlifts, one leg back extensions, and a few others that might
be new for you.
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"You have no freaking business using a load if you can’t stabilize,
control and move efficiently using only your body weight."
- Alwyn Cosgrove
Do you think bodyweight exercises
are too easy and a waste of time?
Body weight exercises should be the foundation of any volleyball
training program no matter what your frame, body type, age or sex.
The secret to this volleyball workout program is INTENSITY. The order of
strength exercises is not so important. The goal should be to perform AS
MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE within each time frame. Your heart will be
pumping and you should be sweating harder than any traditional cardio
workout.
Bodyweight Workout for Volleyball
Order Exercise Sets Time Tempo Rest
AStandard Push
up3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
BMountain
Climbers3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
C Burpees 320
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
D High Knee Drill 320
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
EBodyweight
Squats3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
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FClose Grip Chin
ups3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
G Bench Dip 320
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
H Modified Pull up 320
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
IAlternating Split
Squat Jump3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
JSingle Leg Hip
Extension3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
KBodyweight
Reverse Lunge3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
LSingle Leg Plank
Raise3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
MOblique
Adductor Raise3
20
seconds
constant
speed
20
seconds
Bodyweight Volleyball Workout Program Tips
This volleyball workout program should be done as a continuous
circuit. This means you will move continuously from exercise to
exercise.
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You'll likely need a watch so you can keep track of the 20 second
intervals.
Your goal is to perform as many reps as possible within 20 seconds
and then move to the next exercise. You get 20 seconds rest
between exercises.
Focus on using a faster tempo for this 20 seconds so you can get
more and more reps within the 20 second time frame.
Feel free to improvise with this circuit if your fitness is really low.
For example, you could group all of the upper body exercises
together and all the lower body exercises together and perform
them on separate days.
The secret to this circuit is INTENSITY. The order of volleyball
strength exercises is not so important.
Don’t be surprised if you get extremely winded and fatigued. This
volleyball workout program can also be used as a conditioning
program.
To train conditioning, work up to 3 sets with only 1 minute rest
between sets. If 20 second intervals are not enough, then build up
to 30 seconds per exercise.
Good luck!
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LESSON 8:
12 Tips to Strength that Lasts
It’s simple to suggest workout intense, eat well, and you’ll improve your
strength for volleyball. Unfortunately this advice doesn't explain why
your friend can make great gains in volleyball strength and power while
hanging out at the pool and not working out very much all summer.
As you know, not all metabolisms are created equal and research has
proven that some of us can improve strength, build muscle, and burn fat
faster than others. If you feel like you’re doing everything right but are
still not in the great shape you would like to be in, check out the tips
and tricks below.
Here are 12 secrets that will help you increase your strength and power
for volleyball. You should combine as many of these techniques as
possible so that you experience a huge difference in your volleyball
game.
1. Follow a specific, pre-set nutrition plan so that you know exactly
what you’re supposed to eat and what times and in what amounts. Many
volleyball players (especially teenagers) are simply not eating enough.
You will be more likely to get your meals in and consume enough food if
you have a plan to follow. Print it out and post it on your refrigerator.
2. Read nutrition labels being precise about your food intake and ensure
your food plan matches exactly with what you’re consuming.
3. If you aren't getting the results you want, plan to raise your caloric
intake one time every five days, minimum.
4. As you increase your caloric intake, you should be doing more interval
training. You should build up to at least three 20-minute workouts at 85%
intensity.
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5. For interval training, rely on the classic and effective 1-minute hard
followed by 1-minute easy protocol for a total of 10 intervals. Don't
make the mistake of adding aerobic conditioning to your training.
Training aerobically is just going to make you less athletic and slow your
process to becoming a more strong and athletic volleyball player.
6. Incorporate muscle-saving supplements like creatine and branch chain
amino acids with a liter of water before your strength training sessions.
7. Train hard with weights and train often. With any program,
progression is key. Be prepared to move from 1-day or 2-days of weight
training to at least 3-days or even 4-days of weight training a week.
8. For anerobic conditioning, improve anaerobic endurance by keeping
rest periods between 30-60 seconds. Obviously, your intense strength
training workouts need to have longer rest periods.
9. Don’t plan to eat perfectly without any unplanned cheat, I mean treat
meals.
10. Eat as many fibrous vegetables as possible like broccoli, cauliflower,
spinach, and/or asparagus to name a few.
11. Only bring food items that appear on your meal plan into your home.
12. Set a deadline for the day you want to have your desired results.
Just one of these tips above could be the game-changer that gets you
the strength you need for volleyball. Your instincts will tell you which
ones to begin leveraging starting today.
Workout hard and train smart,
Dennis Jackson, CSCS
Author, Volleyball Strength!
volleyball-strength-program.com
strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com
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Copyright & Disclaimer - Before beginning any new exercise, nutrition or
dietary supplement program you should consult a physician first. The
information presented herein is not meant to treat or prevent any
disease or to provide the reader with medical advice. If you are looking
for specific medical advice then you should obtain this information from
a licensed health-care practitioner. This publication is intended for
informational use only. Dennis Jackson and www.strength-and-power-
for-volleyball.com will not assume any liability or be held responsible for
any form of injury, personal loss or illness caused by the utilization of
this information. The individual results obtained from the use of this
program will vary from person to person and we make no guarantee as to
the degree of results that you will personally achieve. This publication is
fully copyrighted and does not come with giveaway or resale rights. You
may not sell or redistribute this report. Copyright and illegal distribution
violations will be prosecuted.
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