Getting in Shape for Volleyball

Volleyball requires many different physical demands on your body. In order to be at your top performance on the court, there are several things your should do off the court.

Nutrition is important. Many people wonder what they should be eating the day prior or day of an important tournament. A better question is what should we be eating everyday. So, the big question is what to eat? Dr. Bill Misner is a nutritionist and competitive sports athlete. He discusses nutrition for endurance and shares ten secrets for better performance.

Off-court training is also very important. As with any change in physical training, you should consult a physician before beginning. Off-court training will not only increase your performance ability, it will also protect you from injury. What you do off the court is just as important as what you do on the court. While each person is different, your off-court training should include a balanced mix of cardio / aerobic and anaerobic exercises and weight training.

Here's an example of my work-out regimen: My workouts are all in three phases: warm-up; target work-out; cool down stretching. While each target work-out may change, the warm-up and cool down are always the same. I have an intense work-out designed to do as many exercise as possible in as little amount of time. I work out five day's a week, regardless of practices or games.

Warm-up

I do not stretch. This is important. Recent studies have shown that prolonged stretching before working out is actually counterproductive.

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Benefits of stretching "...include relaxation of tight, tense muscles or the "cooling down" of muscles.. actually [putting] the muscles to sleep ..."

About.com Exercise Guide

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you stretch before exercises or games, I strongly suggest you read this article. What you should do is run or even walk every day you work out for at least 20 minutes, regardless of your workout. Not hard running, just a nice leisurely job to get you body warmed up and ready to perform. At the end of your job, your joints will be warm and muscles will be already be receiving oxygen and ready to go. After my jog, and before my target work-out, I do active stretches that pertain to that target work-out. Active stretches are those that put the joint and muscles through a full range of motion. These should never be done before warming up first.

Cooling Down

After my workouts is when I stretch. I stretch my entire body, regardless of the workout routine. I do this to maintain optimum flexibility which helps prevent injury. I always start with my supportive leg muscles first: calves; anterior tibilous; hamstrings; buttocks; and finally quads. From there, I do my lower back, abs, arms (biceps, triceps, forearms), then shoulders, lats, upper back, and finally chest. I always end my cool down with another stretching of my legs muscles.

Target Your Workouts for Success

Too often, players feel that they should concentrate on one area of fitness - jump training, muscle building, food, endurance. In the end, players will strengthen one area nd neglect the rest.

Your workouts should include total body fitness. To do this, I use a four day work out routine. I will work out for two days and then break for one day and then pick it up on day three of my work-out schedule. This allows for bumps in the schedule. If I am unable to work out for more than one day, I just pick it up where I left off. However, the important thing is to get into the gym at least three times in any one week.