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Hi all

Now the off season has started, a friend of mine (20 year old girl) asks me how she can improve her vertical. She's a volleyball player, and a setter,  so her main priority is improving blocking skills, so vertical without runup.

She's certainly not fat, I believe like 62 kg or so for 5'4 (this is a guess, she never told me how much she weighs, lol ), and her overall fitness level isn't that bad either: after all, she plays vball four times a week in season. But I think she misses a lot of jumping efficiency right now: her vertical (SVJ as wel as RVJ) is REALLY low, like 12-15 inches or so. You can barely see she is jumping, actually. Probably she also needs some strength.

How can I help her improving her vertical? She doesn't have acces to a gym, but I don't know if that is necessary, right from the beginning. Should I let her do a lot of simple, light plyo's, and a bit of bodyweight strengthening? I'd like to hear your opinion on this. Thanks!

Lukas

yeah getting to a gym or buying weights and strength training is your best option...but if not try getting the vertical jump bible and doing the body weight routine...or look into and make your own body weight strength routine

Quote from: DamienZ on May 21, 2011, 03:23:50 pm

no plyos, just basic strength training! Build her a t-handle and buy some cheap used weightplates and let her do deadlifts, sumo-deadlifts, swings & one legged squats, king deadlifts and other bodyweight exercises. Also various "core" stabilization exercises like planks could be very beneficial.

Again, no plyos! Just strength training + volleyball training will be far enough for at least 1 year or much longer, depending on how fast she gets stronger

Exactly. Make some sandbags. Buy a cheap weight set (she won't need a lot of weight). She needs to get to a body weight squat as a first goal.

No plyos until she is stronger. The only movement efficiency type training I suggest she gets is maybe hill sprinting (steep hills) in off season when she isn't playing 4 times a week. Always on hills to protect the hammies and reduce shock to weak tendons.

It's off season now, I believe she plays one time a week max and maybe sometimes a bit of beachvolleyball. So that's ok. About hill sprinting: we don't really have hills nearby, so that's a bit difficult..

Quote from: Mick82 on May 23, 2011, 08:45:05 pm

Quote from: DamienZ on May 21, 2011, 03:23:50 pm

no plyos, just basic strength training! Build her a t-handle and buy some cheap used weightplates and let her do deadlifts, sumo-deadlifts, swings & one legged squats, king deadlifts and other bodyweight exercises. Also various "core" stabilization exercises like planks could be very beneficial.

Again, no plyos! Just strength training + volleyball training will be far enough for at least 1 year or much longer, depending on how fast she gets stronger

Exactly. Make some sandbags. Buy a cheap weight set (she won't need a lot of weight). She needs to get to a body weight squat as a first goal.

No plyos until she is stronger. The only movement efficiency type training I suggest she gets is maybe hill sprinting (steep hills) in off season when she isn't playing 4 times a week. Always on hills to protect the hammies and reduce shock to weak tendons.

It's off season now, I believe she plays one time a week max and maybe sometimes a bit of beachvolleyball. So that's ok. About hill sprinting: we don't really have hills nearby, so that's a bit difficult..

Even a 5-10 step hill would be good, but if you don't find one get an old tire, attach a chain or rope to it and make some kind of harness or belt and let her do short "sprints" and heavy pulls/pushes