Volleyball Squat 155/25

Comment

Comment by Alan Bishop on April 25, 2012 at 1:38pm

Nick - Maybe I'm confused, but are you suggesting that back squats don't benefit a volleyball player or are you suggesting that goblets and fronts are better than back squats for a volleyball player? I'd be really interested in hearing your philosophy on that. Don't get me wrong, I front squat and goblet squat my girls, but I wouldn't consider them a better replacement movement than a back squat and I wouldn't tell another coach to use them in place of back squats based off of a 1 minute look inside their program.

Comment by Alan Bishop on April 25, 2012 at 1:28pm

Great effort by your athlete. I agree with Nick. The role of a strength coach includes motivating the competitor within the athlete during the offseason "lull." Good luck keeping adherence to a program with no competition amongst a group of extremely competitive people. Hitting a "plus" set, such as the video above (10+ reps to failure) or hitting a "finisher" competition at the end of a training session, like a weighted plank hold ( 50 pounds on the back, last one to drop wins) is a great way to keep the entire training session at a high energy level, and to get kids digging deeper to find a way to win when they aren't playing their sport. 

Comment by Nick Honzik on April 25, 2012 at 11:02am

Where is there a better place to develop mental toughness, focus and solid work ethic?  If you don't believe that what we do has a greater impact on the person as a whole than just the body, then you are selling the whole field short.  Seems like everyone is taking the clip out of context and trying to read more into it:  is that a proper load or training stimulus; what was her coach thinking; what about the rest of the workout; is that the best technique; what's the point?  I honestly believe this coach posted the video, not fo himself but, to celebrate a solid effort from an athlete.  Why not let this be what it was intended to be; a small accolade for an athlete's hard work and dedication.  And, as for her squat technique, have you looked at the length of her femur?!  Her ratios are not the same of a 5'9" power lifter and her squat technique will never be text book.  The real question is whether she was she in a safe zone for range of motion and, as Coach Harris noted, her upper back posture was pretty good, knees didn't dip in too bad/often, and hips didn't really seem to be rising before the shoulders.  We cannot coach in a vacuum.

Comment by Sean Parini on April 25, 2012 at 10:34am

Always good to see an athlete fight for extra reps and push themselves!

Comment by Andrew Williams on April 24, 2012 at 4:26pm

She has to lay over or lean because of her height its not a technique flaw. Also this is the best way to activate the posterior chain and build up the low back.

Comment by Lauren Harris on April 24, 2012 at 3:34pm

No reason to attack anyone for doing a max reps set.  Did anyone read the description on the video?  Said they were aiming for 5-10 reps but weren't going to stop her for going for 25 on a last set burnout (meaning that previous sets and reps were likely nowhere near 25, or even 15 reps).  Technique wasn't awesome, but it was really more of a lateral shift than anything (that left hip shooting up and to the side).  That indicates a few different things, but mainly that her right leg is being used more than the left.  She did a pretty dadgum good job of maintaining upper back position, which means she's probably not doing weight that she's going to hurt herself with.  I'm not saying this should be an every workout occurrence, but letting a kid fight through a set every now and then isn't the end of the world.

Comment by Joe Pacelli on April 24, 2012 at 12:32pm

The last comment was my opinion on tech, but I have to agree with last two comments why 25 reps of bad tech on squats, she is a volleyball player she can do front squat or goblet squats, that would help her in the respected sport.

Comment by Joe Pacelli on April 24, 2012 at 12:28pm

The bar is too high and she is leaning forward too much on the way down and up. Lighten the weight and fix the tech.

Comment by Corey Gray on April 24, 2012 at 10:29am

Coach,

 

Can you further explain your method/reasoning for training this athlete as indicated in the video?Feel free to message me. Thanks.

Comment by ted rendinell on April 23, 2012 at 9:57pm

I just heard of a HS who had a football athlete do a rep test of 225lbs for 60 reps!! No doubt a strong young man......but why even bother.....???????

Mental "toughness" can be measured in other ways.....and is the weightroom a place that should be used for "mental toughness "drills"???