Volleyball Player's Guide
to Safe Plyometrics

by Greg Brittenham
Strength and Conditioning Coach, New York Knicks
 

Power is the maximum force that can be generated in the least amount of time. Volleyball is a power sport, combining strength and speed to enhance expressiveness, agility, coordination and reaction/response time.

Since strength and speed are compo-nents of power, increasing one while neglecting the other limits total power development. Unfortunately, many players focus on strength because they are familiar with this traditional and well-established mode of training. Because strength and speed have a multiplicative impact on power, athletes can make greater gains if they develop both components. For example, if an arbitrary strength score for an athlete was 2, and the athlete's speed score also was 2, the hypothetical power rating would be:

Doubling strength without altering speed would double power:

If the same athlete made only a 50 percent gain in strength and an equal gain in speed, the power rating would be:

For maximum training benefit, there-fore, the volleyball player should use a "To-tal" approach toward athletic development.

Following concepts of training specific-ity, the physical stress of training should use the predominant energy systems, movement patterns and sport skill fundamentals of competition volleyball. Practice serving to improve serve accuracy. Lift weights to develop strength. Incorporate plyometric training to enhance the speed component of power.

Safety Considerations Before Starting

Adequate Strength Base: The athlete should have an adequate strength base be-fore adding plyometrics to a training regi-men. This will largely be determined through a coach's observation. An ath-lete exhibiting advanced physical maturity can endure training intensities above those of the athlete who has difficulty handling his or her own body weight. Plyometrics is by no means a replacement for a strength pro-gram. Rather, it works with resistance training. Because power is the relationship between strength and speed, the stronger the athlete, the greater the potential for in-creased power development. As strength levels increase, the athlete may progress to drills of higher intensity and greater volume.

Intensity: All athletes should approach a plyometric program with caution. Some drills appear simple and one might doubt their benefits. However, just because a drill looks easy does not mean significant physi-cal adaptation is absent. The body adapts to progressive increases in stress. Plyometrics should follow an intelligent progression, leading from less difficult to more advanced drills.

Medical History: Athletes who have a history of injuries or who are recovering from an injury should not perform plyometrics. The athlete should resume plyometric training only with a doctor's or trainer's approval.

Safety Considerations During Plyometrics

Training Sequence: Maximum neuromuscular adaptation will be achieved if plyometrics are performed when the athlete is fresh. Plyometrics should precede all other training activities on the day they are performed.

Progression: The athlete should start with easier drills, moving to increased levels of difficulty when strength level and drill proficiency allow.

Spotting: As the drills become more advanced, or as the athlete tires, at least one spotter should be presenting case of a mishap. Athletes should correct spotting techniques when equipment such as boxes and barriers are used.

Equipment Safety

Barriers: Caution should be used when selecting plyometric barriers. A few unusual and potentially dangerous implements sometimes used by coaches as barriers include hurdles, tackling dummies, benches, rakes, shovels, even a rope tied between two goal posts. These barriers challenge the athlete, but are often unforgiving in a collision. Foam pads 1/2 inch thick and several feet long, "scored" down the center then folded to create a "peak," provide an extremely safe alternative to the traditional hurdle barrier. The height of the foam pads can vary from 6 to 36 inches. The foam pads compress (flatten out) if fallen on by the athlete.

Boxes: Box height can vary, depending upon the intensity of the drill and the ability of the athlete. Boxes range in height from 6 to 36 inches. They should be sturdy and padded (low nap carpet works best). The covering should be securely attached and not provide too much friction. The athlete must be free to pivot, glide and jump on a surface that protects against severe impact, but allows freedom of movement.

Footwear: Shoes should always be worn. The shoe should provide a high degree of lateral stability, arch support, heel cushion and a non-slip sole.

Medicine Balls: Rubber-type medicine balls which bounce or rebound work best for plyometric training. The rubber gives the athlete more control. Weights ranging from two to 15 pounds will accommodate all ability levels.

Plyometric Guidelines

Warm-up/Cool Down: A comprehensive warm-up, flexibility and cool-down session is highly recommended before and after a plyometric workout.

High Intensity Execution: Each repetition is performed with maximum effort. Maximum force and minimum time.

Fatigue Factor: Do not exercise beyond the point of moderate fatigue. Proper technique must be maintained to achieve maximal gain and decrease the risk of injury. A significant rest period between sets will allow best full recovery. Approaching a plyometric session "fresh" will provide best results. Even though a comprehensive weight training program should accompany plyometric training, the plyometric workout should precede the weight workout.

Workouts and Repetitions: A two- or three-day rest (48 hour minimum) between sessions will allow full recovery of the musculoskeletal system and further enhance adaptation. The number or repetitions and sets vary depending upon the intensity of the drill. As a rule, a low intensity exercise requires more repetitions. An exercise with a higher degree of difficulty requires fewer repetitions. The athlete should not perform more than six "high- impact" exercises during any one plyometric workout.

Exercise Difficulty: The beginning plyometrics enthusiast should "ease" into a program. Because many of the drills may seem easy or effortless, the athlete may overextend him or herself. It is not until the next morning, when that person rollsout of bed, that he/she realizes the price paid for ignorance. Plyometrics are demanding and stressful and a progression from beginning to advanced exercises should be followed. As a rule, the beginner builds a base by performing flat-surfaced, double leg and low-impact drills. As a strength base is developed, more demanding exercises such as single leg work, barriers and depth drops can be incorporated.

Evaluation: Every program that includes plyometrics should have a series of field tests. Such tests will establish a current baseline of athleticism and can be used to assess quantitative changes, both positive (tangible increases as a result of training) or negative (decrements which may be the result of an injury). The nature of this testing allows the coach and athlete to draw conclusions concerning the effectiveness of one's training regimen. The test results also indicate individual strengths and weaknesses, providing a focus where training objectives are realized.

Click here for examples of plyometrics used in volleyball training.