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Feature: How to Increase Your Vertical Jump

If you're looking to jump higher on the court or on the beach, look no further.

Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series of strength training articles written specifically for volleyball players.  Ryan Jobs B.H.K. of Coastal Fitness prepared this series with his staff and we will be posting new articles regularly.  This article is written by Johann Windt (CSCS B.H.K, PN-1) and focuses on jumping.  You can contact Ryan directly on the Coastal Fitness website, or send us a message on our contact page.

As a strength coach for a large number of volleyball athletes, the most common question I get is: “How can I jump higher?” This article breaks down the answer I give when that question is put forward, and aims to explain the reasons behind the different components of the answer.

Jump Properly then Jump Often

The first thing a person must learn to do in order to jump to their maximum capability is to learn to jump properly. If you are incapable of effectively making an overhand serve, it would be silly to immediately start working on your jump serve. One comes before the other. In the same way, trying to do effective vertical jump training must come after learning how to effectively jump and land. This alludes to the second article in this series, in that you need to learn to move well before you move often. The basic principles that must be present in a proper jump and landing include:

Knee tracking

The knees must remain in alignment with the ankles and hips. An inward collapse on the jump or the landing predisposes an athlete to knee injuries, and will cause issues if done repeatedly. Similarly, it is troublesome if the knees travel too far forward beyond the toe in jumping or landing.

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featureRyan Jobsgym, jumping, training
Feature: Durability
Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of strength training articles written specifically for volleyball players.  Ryan Jobs B.H.K. of Coastal Fitness prepared this series with his staff and we will be posting new articles regularly.  This article is written by Johann Windt (CSCS B.H.K, PN-1) and focuses on body durability.  You can contact Ryan directly on the Coastal Fitness website, or send us a message on our contact page.

To help your team, you need to be on the court. Every coach in the world would choose a healthy role player over an injured all-star, simply because a player needs to be playing to lead a team to victory. Thus, a player’s durability is, in some ways, more important than skill level. Bluntly put, stronger athletes who move well are less likely to get hurt than their weaker teammates who move poorly. Thankfully, durability also happens to a trait that can be dramatically impacted by effort off the court, for a number of reasons.

 

Relative Strength is Functional Strength

Even though “functional strength” is an overused term in the fitness industry, it is true in a number of ways that gaining strength is legitimately functional, especially when an athlete improves their relative strength.
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featureRyan Jobsconditioning, durability, strength, training
Feature: Move Well before you Move Often
Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of strength training articles written specifically for volleyball players.  Ryan Jobs B.H.K. of Coastal Fitness prepared this series with his staff and we will be posting new articles regularly.  This article is written by Johann Windt (CSCS B.H.K, PN-1) and focuses on body movement.  You can contact Ryan directly on the Coastal Fitness website, or send us a message on our contact page.

The human body as a unit, made up of its bones, joints, and muscles and constituent parts, is designed to move in a specific way. We all know this. The knee, classified as a “hinge joint”, flexes and extends. This is why we all cringe together as we see a knee buckle inwards as the ACL gives way. It was not designed to move in that way. The shoulder, as a “ball-in-socket joint”, obviously moves in a different way than the knee or elbow joints. However, this idea extends further than just the injury risk during unnatural movement, and includes efficient and effective movement. For example, a player who can effectively coordinate an explosive triple extension with a well-timed arm swing will jump higher than a similar athlete that cannot coordinate these movements as effectively. Not only is the body designed to move specifically, but effective movement throughout the body produces the best performance. The ability of strength training in this context is paramount, as properly coached exercises emphasize efficient, strong, and powerful movements. In particular, there are a few movements that can be learned and reinforced in the weight room that have a direct carryover to volleyball performance.

Hip Hinging

Hips hinged backward on landing

One of the most foundational movements in the weight room and on the court is commonly referred to as the “hip hinge”. In its most basic form, the hinge takes place when the hips move backwards, with the spine staying in its neutral position. The core remains in a stable position while the hamstrings are slightly stretched. This position effectively loads the glutes and the hamstrings, prepares a player for explosive movement, and minimizes stress on the knees. On the court, a proper hinge appears in the ready position, jumping, and landing. In the weight room, various deadlift variations, kettlebell swings, Olympic lifts, and most bent-over exercises reinforce the proper execution of this movement. 

Knee Tracking

Simply put, the knee is safest when it is in alignment with the foot. Deviation of the knee inwardly or outwardly puts a large amount of unwanted force on the knee and can create an array of knee issues. This can be especially problematic in females, as their naturally wider hips predispose the knee to drifting inward, contributing to the substantially higher rates of knee injuries among female athletes. Properly designed resistance training exercises emphasize proper movement of the knee, which can reinforce healthy knee position while jumping, landing, and moving on the court.

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featureRyan Jobsconditioning, injury, movement, power, strength, training
Volleyball Players: Why Strength Train?
Mariah Bruinsma and Rosie Schlagintweit of The UBC Thunderbirds
Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of strength training articles written specifically for volleyball players.  Ryan Jobs B.H.K. of Coastal Fitness prepared this series with his staff and we will be posting new articles every week starting in the new year.  Ryan has worked with and developed programs for volleyball players in both the CIS and CCAA.  Let us know what yout think of the articles.  You can contact Ryan directly on the Coastal Fitness website, or send us a message on our contact page.

When you think of a strong athlete, what comes to mind? On many occasions, strength training 
in sports is associated with bodybuilders and strength-based athletes, such as a shot putters, 
weightlifters, or football players. What you are probably not envisioning is a 6’9’’ elite volleyball player 
just breaking 200 pounds. After all, “tree trunk” thighs and “pythons” for biceps are not benefitting any 
volleyball player, as demonstrated by how ineffective Arnold Schwarzenegger would be as right side 
hitters. As a result, for those who may not have a full understanding of strength training and its effects, 
benefits, and role in sport, this may beg the question of why volleyball players should even bother 
venturing into the weight room at all. This article introduces three key reasons why volleyball players 
should not just consider it, but make it a priority to commit themselves to resistance training.
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featureRyan Jobsconditioning, injury, power, strength, training
Demyanenko and Maar Turn Down The NCAA

Stephen Maar (left) and Danny Demyanenko (right) after a practice earlier this week at McMaster University. Photo: Jeff Tam

The McMaster Marauders took aim at the stars this past year, and for a time, it seemed that the program would be forced back to earth.

Head Coach Dave Preston embarked on a recruiting drive nearly a year ago with the stated mission of chasing down the very best.

The only problem: the best rarely stay north of the 49th parallel.

“I told our players that we were going after some blue chip guys this year,” explains Preston. “I warned them what that could mean.”

The “blue chip” class in question was headlined by Danny Demyanenko and Stephen Maar, two leading members of the vaunted Toronto Crush club team that successfully toured the United States before winning yet another national club title in May.

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cis, feature, indoor, mens, ncaaFraser Caldwelldemyanenko, hamilton, hawaii, maar, marauders, mcmaster, ncaa, preston, ucla
CCAA Player Profile: Keith Marier

Photo courtesy of Mike Marier
It’s been a breakout year for La Cité Collégiale Coyotes leftside, Keith Marier. The first-year respitory therapy student has been turning heads all year long with some impressive numbers, and is now the proud owner of two OCAA Men’s Volleyball records.

The Ottawa native surpassed records for both kills and points in a single season, previously held by Kanitha Boranprasit, who set the record for points with 304 in 2001, and Jason Hernandez, who set the record for kills in 2011 with 257. What’s more impressive is that Marier did this with five games remaining in the season.

Marier broke both the records in a 3-1 loss (19-25, 18-25, 25-20, 21-25) at Durham on Saturday night. He overcame the records with 20 kills, and one stuff block to bring his totals to 277 and 305 for kills and points respectively.

He then added 25 kills and 27 points to bring his totals to 289 and 332 in another 3-1 loss (23-25, 37-35, 22-25, 25-27) against Loyalist on Sunday afternoon.

For most, Marier has appeared out of nowhere. His 5.1 points and 4.5 kills per set are both good for second in the OCAA, sitting behind the offensive powerhouse of Terrel Bramwell, who’s sitting at 5.7 and 7.0 for kills and points. He also sits sixth in the CCAA in kills. But those who him well, know otherwise.

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ccaa, feature, mensEverett Delormeccaa, coyotes, marier, mavericks, thunder
Home Court Advantage: McMaster University's Burridge Gym

Home Court Advantage is a recurring series that focuses on the court, environment and playing conditions on men's and women's volleyball courts around the country.  In this, the second post of the series, we will be focusing on the McMaster Marauders’ Burridge Gym.

The McMaster Marauders' Home Court.

The men’s and women’s teams for McMaster University play at the Burridge Gymnasium. It is located on the main campus of McMaster, toward the north east corner. McMaster is in Hamilton, specifically at 1280 Main St. W. It’s a short distance from the Main St. exits off Highway 403 (for those coming from east of Hamilton, it’s the QEW, which eventually becomes the 403).

More after the jump.

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cis, feature, homecourtalex redekopburridge, canada, mcmaster