By Scott Mackar
See the issue: October 2009

Volleyball requires mass explosion, which is why Stanford University’s assistant S&C coach Devan McConnell works the nationally ranked Cardinal team with plyometrics.

“The ability to create force [into the ground] sets apart the great from the good,” he says. “Plyometrics are a great tool to increase that ability, because it teaches the body to rapidly put force into the ground, resulting in a quicker, more powerful movement, whether that be vertical, lateral, forward or backward.”

Here’s McDonnell’s plyo advice to have you exploding into the starting lineup.

Do

• Plyos four days a week in the off-season
• Develop stability and learn proper jumping and landing mechanics first
• Plyo work after your warm-up, before strength training
• Three sets of five reps of each exercise
• Upper body exercises for active rest between sets lasting two to three minutes
• Complement your plyo work with strength training

Don’t

• Train with plyos during the season
• Use more than one plyo exercise per session
• Use a high volume of sets and reps
• Perform a set until you’re fully recovered
• Rush through your reps
• Perform plyos to condition

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