Nutrition & Training Tips

In-Season Nutrition & Training Tips for Club Volleyball Players by Rox Volleyball’s Courtney Davidson

Another exciting club season is on the way and with it comes those long weekend volleyball tournaments. This is a very busy time for club volleyball players and coaches with a lot of preparation to ensure success on the court. But what about the endurance and strength that is needed to finish off a tournament as strongly as you began it? We caught up with expert trainer, Barry Lovelace, at the AVCA Final Four Convention to get a few simple, yet effective, tips and exercises to help fuel your performance in between game time.

1) Whole grain cereal. The cereal aisle is FULL of healthy whole grain cereals that will provide the carbohydrates to supply you energy. It’s easy to pick up the cups of cereal in the grocery store and bring them with you to the tournament or you can just pour cereal into bowl-size plastic containers. There are several healthy packaged milks, such as soymilk and almond milk, that won’t require you to keep refrigerated and will supplement your cereal.

#2) Fruit – Apples, bananas, etc. are perfect and portable whole foods that, again, are healthy for you and supply a great source of fiber and carbohydrates for energy.

#3) Nuts and/or nut butters – Nuts and nut butters provide protein and fat to keep you from getting hungry again right away.  One of my favorite snacks is a banana with almond butter, yum! Of course it is also very important to hydrate often with water or pure coconut water. Keep clear of soda, tea and energy drinks and hydrate with plenty of water/coconut water! It is essential to your body especially during times when the physical demand is high. Pure Coconut water is filled with electrolytes, which are important to replace after working hard on the court. Take in a lot of fluids and supply your body with the foods mentioned above throughout the tournament and you will see a difference in energy levels and overall performance.

Now onto an exercise tip for the Club Volleyball Season.

There are countless exercises that I do with my athletes to improve their strength, power and endurance. Today I want to give you 2 exercises that are super effective that you can do anytime, anywhere.

1) Plank – A plank is sometimes referred to as a ‘top of a push-up’ position because that is what it looks like. It is a super exercise that offers many benefits since it challenges the core, the arms and the legs. Begin on your hands and knees and push up so that you are on your hands and tips of your toes. Feet are hip width or slighter wider to maintain a solid base. Hands should be directly under shoulders, hold your core in tight (squeeze core and do not suck in stomach) and use the strength of your legs to hold yourself stable and strong. From the top of your head to your heals should be a straight line. Hold this position for as long as you can without losing proper form (such as your back bowing or your buttocks lifting up). Take a break and then repeat. Perform 5- 6 times.
Once you have mastered the plank you can add this progression: From the Plank take your left hand and touch your right shoulder. Replace the hand back down to the floor in a controlled manner. Then take the right hand and touch the left shoulder. Replace the hand back down to the floor in a controlled manner. Be sure to stay in your strong and stable plank position throughout the exercise. Do as many as you can with losing form. Take a break and then repeat.

2) “5-5-5’s” – This exercise is great for building explosive power in the legs. Begin standing with feet a bit wider than hip-width apart. Come down into a squat position by lowering into an imaginary chair. Make sure that your knees do not come forward over your toes and focus on sitting back into your heels. Be sure not to bring your buttocks any lower than your knees. Come back up to standing. Do this 4 more times at a regular pace. That will give you a total of 5 squats and it is the first ‘5’ in the title of this exercise.  Next, do the same 5 squats but this time perform them very fast on the way down while returning at a normal pace. This represents the second ‘5’ in the title. Finally, do 5 squat jumps. To do squat jumps come down into a squat and then propel yourself up into a jump. The key is to land softly. Think: ‘Start in a Squat/Land in a squat’. Also, imagine landing like a feather. This will help you land soft in an effort to protect your back and joints. Spring right back up into another jump and repeat 5 times. Once you do 5 squats, 5 quick drops and 5 squat jumps you have completed 1 round of 5, 5, 5’s. Take a break and then perform 2 more rounds.

These exercises are great to do in between practices and tournaments and are a solid way to build core strength, power and endurance.

Click HERE To Read More Blog Posts by Rox Volleyball!

Click HERE To Read More Blog Posts by Rox Volleyball!

Click HERE To Read More Blog Posts by Rox Volleyball!

Barry Lovelace is a leading sports performance specialist and creator of the successful volleyball training products including Training for Volleyball, Volleyball Team Training, and Drills N Kills.  He is also the owner of the Barry Lovelace Athlete Training Academy and Totally Fit Boot Camps in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania.  In a few short years, athletes worldwide have taken advantage of Lovelace’s volleyball training tutorials.  Users include Olympians, USA National Team Members, as well as national and state champions, all whom successfully benefited from the programs.

A member of Team Men’s Fitness and Two-Time Personal Trainer of the Year for Lehigh Valley Magazine, Lovelace trains hundreds of volleyball players, clubs, colleges, and high schools in his area.  He travels to clubs, high schools, and colleges, teaching them how to incorporate his training style into their own program.  Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Lifescape Magazine, WFMZ-69 News at Sunrise, and CNN Headline News’s Workout Wednesdays are just a few of the media outlets where Lovelace’s valuable information has been seen and used.  For more information on Barry Lovelace and his training programs, email barry@training4yoursport.com or call 610|403-3220.