Volleyball Weight Training

Testing Muscular Strength and Power

An important step in creating a volleyball weight training program is peforming assessment tests.

Not only is assessent important at the beginning of a workout program, but strength needs to be tested throughout training to evaluate progress and see if you are on track to achieve your volleyball weight training goals.

Testing Muscular Power
In volleyball, a good vertical jump will greatly enhance your offense and defense when making plays at the net.

The long jump and vertical jump measure linear and vertical power which can be helpful in determining appropriate program design for volleyball weight training.

Standing Long Jump Test

Athlete begins with both feet approximately shoulder width apart and on the starting line. Arms should be used to assist the jump. The athlete is allowed to use a countermovement (bending the hips and knees prior to jumping) for accessing elastic strength to assist in the jump. This downward countermovement prior to upward propulsion is the eccentric phase of the stretch-shortening cycle which contributes to a maximum height of the jump. The athlete should try to leap as far forward as possible in a linear direction. Distance traveled should be measured to the nearest half inch at the heal of the back foot. The best of 3 trials is recorded.

Standing Vertical Jump Test
Increasing a volleyball players vertical jump should be one of the goals of volleyball weight training.
Procedure for using a wall:
Chalk fingertips of athlete’s right hand. Athlete’s should stand with right side of their body next to the wall. Reach as high as possible with feet flat and make a chalk mark. Jump off both feet and at the highest point make a second chalk mark. Measure the distance between the two chalk marks. Distance should be measured to the nearest half inch. The best of 3 trials is recorded.
Procedure for using a Vertec:
The tester adjusts the height of the vertical column to be low enough for an athlete to register a standing touch height. The athlete should stand so that, when the dominant hand reaches straight upward, it is directly below the center of the vanes. The highest vane that can be reached and pushed while standing flat footed is the standing touch reach. The vertical column is then raised to measure the distance that accommodates the jumping ability of the athlete. Without steps, the athlete bends the knees and hips while swinging the arms back and jumps up using a countermovement action. The best of 3 trials is recorded.

Testing Agility
Agility Tests are important in determining the design of a volleyball weight training program.

Volleyball players need the ability to rapidly stop, start, and explosively change direction in order to make spectacular plays.

Agility tests can be valuable in determining a volleyball players eccentric leg strength, which is an important component of volleyball weight training.

Lateral Change of Direction Test

Three cones set 5 meters apart on a straight line. Athlete starts at the middle cone. Coach gives signal and points in specific direction, right or left. Athlete moves to and touches the first cone then returns past the middle cone to the far cone and touches that one. Coach starts timing immediately after giving the “go” signal. The best of two trials in each starting direction, right and left, are recorded and each direction is used for recording.

Along with muscular power and agility, developing maximum muscular strength is an important component of a well designed volleyball weight training program.

Testing Maximum Muscular Strength
Maximal strength is the maximum amount of weight an athlete can lift at any one time.

Determining the maximal strength of an exercise such as the barbell squat is useful for volleyball weight training.

Common methods of testing muscular strength involve determining 1 Repetition Maximums (1RM).

1 Rep Max Tests mainly consist of multi-joint exercises using large muscle groups.

Power exercises such as a power clean are used in volleyball weight training to increase strength and explosive power.

The power clean is very technique demanding and the 1RM is commonly estimated by performing multiple repetition tests.

Two athletes with the same capacity for muscular power can have significantly different test scores in their power clean 1RM tests because of the differences in technique.

These technique differences may reduce the value of 1RM power clean test results, therefore, it may be best to estimate the 1RM with multiple-RM tests.

1RM Testing
1RM tests should be selected depending on the athlete’s training background.

1RM testing requires an adequate training status and lifting experience as the assessment of maximal strength places significant stress on the involved muscles, connective tissues, and joints (1).

Assisted exercises or any exercise that causes loss of proper technique due to fatigue shouldn’t be selected for 1RM testing. An exercise shouldn’t be chosen for 1RM testing if it doesn’t provide valid and reliable data.

For example, you may decide you want to include the bent-over row exercise into your volleyball weight training program. However, performing a 1RM test may not be appropriate for this exercise.

Even though the athlete may be able to tolerate the heavy load used, if would be very difficult to maintain correct body position throughout testing.

Testing to estimate the 1RM may be a better option for this type of exercise.

1RM Testing Protocol Instruct the athlete to warm up with a light resistance that easily allows 5-10 repetitions. Provide a 1 minute rest period. Estimate a warm–up load that will allow the athlete to complete 3-5 repetitions by adding 10-20 lb (4-9kg) or 5-10% for upper-body exercise or 30-40 lb (14-18kg) or 10-20% for lower-body exercise Provide a 2-min rest period. Estimate a conservative, near-maximum load that will allow the athlete to complete 2-3 repetitions by adding 10-20 lb (4-9kg) or 5-10% for upper-body exercise or 30-40 lb (14-18kg) or 10-20% for lower-body exercise Provide a 2- to 4-min rest period. Make a load increase 10-20 lb (4-9kg) or 5-10% for upper-body exercise or 30-40 lb (14-18kg) or 10-20% for lower-body exercise Instruct the athlete to attempt a 1RM. If the athlete was successful, provide a 2 to 4 min rest peorid and go back to step 7. If the athlete failed, provide a 2 to 4 min rest period, decrease the load by subtracting 5-10 lb (2-4kg) or 2.5-5% for upper-body exercise or 15-20 lb (7-9kg) or 5-10% for lower-body exercise AND then go back to step 8. Continue increasing or decreasing the load until the athlete can complete one repetition with proper exercise technique. Ideally, the athlete’s 1RM will be measured within five testing sets.

From Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning (2000)

The maximal lifts of power exercises are estimated using multiple RM tests because such exercises can't be tested with a maximum load.

Using 1RM tests in designing volleyball weight training programs may not be appropriate for younger or less trained athletes because of stress put on the muscles and joints.

The table below is intended to be used as a guide until the athlete has developed the neuromuscular attributes that will allow testing with heavier loads more safe and effective (2).

To estimate a 1RM,

first, find the tested 10RM load.

Then, read across the row to the max reps (RM) to discover
the athletes projected 1RM.

For example, if the athlete’s 10RM is 210 lb, the estimated 1RM is 280 lb.

Try not to become too "number bound" when referencing this table. Remember, you should just use this table as a guide for designing your volleyball weight training workouts.

Estimating 1RM and Training Loads
Max reps (RM)
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	12	15
%1RM	100	95	93	90	87	85	83	80	77	75	67	65
Load	10	10	9	9	9	9	8	8	8	8	7	7
(lb or	20	19	19	18	17	17	17	16	15	15	13	13
kg)	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	20	20
	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	27	26
	50	48	47	45	44	43	42	40	39	38	34	33
	60	57	56	54	52	51	50	48	46	45	40	39
	70	67	65	63	61	60	58	56	54	53	47	46
	80	76	74	72	70	68	66	64	62	60	54	52
	90	86	84	81	78	77	75	72	69	68	60	59
	100	95	93	90	87	85	83	80	77	75	67	65
	110	105	102	00	96	94	91	88	85	83	74	72
	120	114	112	108	104	102	100	96	92	90	80	78
	130	124	121	117	113	111	108	104	100	98	87	85
	140	133	130	126	122	119	116	112	108	105	94	91
	150	143	140	135	131	128	125	120	116	113	101	98
RM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	12	15
%	100	95	93	90	87	85	83	80	77	75	67	65
	160	152	149	144	139	136	133	128	123	120	107	104
	170	162	158	153	148	145	141	136	131	128	114	111
	180	171	167	162	157	153	149	144	139	135	121	117
	190	181	177	171	165	162	158	152	146	143	127	124
	200	190	186	180	174	170	166	160	154	150	134	130
	210	200	195	189	183	179	174	160	162	158	141	137
	220	209	205	198	191	187	183	176	169	165	147	143
	230	219	214	207	200	196	191	184	177	173	154	150
	240	228	223	216	209	204	199	192	185	180	161	156
	250	238	233	225	218	213	208	200	193	188	168	163
	260	247	242	234	226	221	206	208	200	195	174	169
	270	257	251	243	235	230	224	216	208	203	181	176
	280	266	260	252	244	238	232	224	216	210	188	182
	290	276	270	261	252	247	241	232	223	218	194	189
RM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	12	15
%	100	95	93	90	87	85	83	80	77	75	67	65
	300	285	279	270	261	255	249	240	231	225	201	195
	310	295	288	279	270	264	257	248	239	233	208	202
	320	304	298	288	278	272	266	256	246	240	214	208
	330	314	307	297	287	281	274	264	254	248	221	215
	340	323	316	306	296	289	282	272	262	255	228	221
	350	333	326	315	305	298	291	280	270	263	235	228
	360	342	335	324	313	306	299	288	277	270	241	234
	370	352	344	333	322	315	307	296	285	278	248	241
	380	361	353	342	331	323	315	304	293	285	255	247
	390	371	363	351	339	332	324	312	300	293	261	254
	400	380	372	360	348	340	332	320	308	300	268	260

From Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning (2000)

Estimating the 1RM by using multiple-RM loads. Multiple-RM tests can be valuable when you know how many repetitions an athlete will be performing during a volleyball weight training phase.

For example, lets say you are going to perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions of the back squat through a 3 week volleyball weight training cycle.

Not only would testing your 8RM be useful in determining a baseline, you may also use it in evaluating your progress you've made from volleyball weight training.

Testing with multiple-RM loads may also be helpful in determining the overall effectiveness of your weight training for volleyball program.

References
1) Fleck, S.J., and W.J. Kraemer. Designing Resistance Training Programs, 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 1997.
2) Baechle, T.B. & Earle, R.E. (2000). Essentials of strength and conditioning. Human Kinetics, Champaign. IL.

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