• General Information
  
  Strength and Conditioning are crucial elements of athletic success. Strength allows you to perform at a high level of ability and helps prevent injuries. Conditioning helps you maintain that ability over time without a drop in performance. This means you can play more intensely for a longer time. One of the first benefits of a Strength and Conditioning program is a reduction in the aches and pains sometimes associated with intense athletic activity. Trauma is an injury caused by external forces. Any other pain is usually a breakdown in your Strength and Conditioning Program.
  
  Strength and Conditioning take time, so don't expect to "get in shape" the week before tryouts. The body responds best to GRADUAL and consistent change. This means you should gradually increase the demands (weight and repetition) on a muscle. The muscle responds by growing and strengthening so it can handle the added work. The more times you ask a muscle to carry out a specific task, the more conditioned it becomes.
  
  The first step is to build a solid base of cardiovascular fitness. Of all training phases, this is the most important. Aerobic exercise is long in duration yet low in intensity. Think of Aerobic exercise as any uninterrupted physical activity maintained for 20 - 40 minutes. Aerobic exercise should be fun, and includes jogging, running, biking, ice skating, rollerblading, rowing, swimming, cross-county skiing, working on a stair climber, or aerobic dance. After about 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, the body needs to use its stored fat reserves as fuel. You will begin to derive positive benefits in three to four weeks. The idea is to slowly change your body's response to work. Remember that time is more important than distance. You should be able to carry on a short conversation while doing aerobic exercise. If you are gasping for air while talking, you are probably working anaerobically. Aerobic training should be done three times each week. If you choose running, avoid hard surfaces.
  
  The athletic skills most needed for volleyball are agility, jumping, and anaerobic capacity. Agility includes sudden changes of directions and eye-hand coordination. Jumping, both vertically and horizontally, is an integral part of volleyball. Anaerobic capacity, which affects acceleration, is critical because volleyball requires brief, explosive bursts of speed. Anaerobic activity is short in duration and high in intensity. It involves short bursts of exertion followed by periods of rest. Bodies develop stronger muscles as the result of anaerobic exercise. Although anaerobic exercise does not burn fat, its muscle-building results complement aerobic exercise because bigger muscles burn more calories. Examples of anaerobic exercise include push-ups, stomach crunches, pull-ups, racquetball, downhill skiing, weight lifting, and sprinting.
  
  Anaerobic capacity allows you to play both as long and as hard as possible without hitting your anaerobic threshold, where your muscles fill with lactic acid and begin to weaken. To increase this threshold, you must repeatedly work your muscles to this failure point, increasing the amount of lactic acid they can tolerate. Unlike aerobics, which contribute to overall endurance, anaerobic exercises trains specific muscles to work harder during short bursts.
  
  Warm-up/Cool Down is an important part of Strength and Conditioning. A warm muscle (higher temperature means more blood flow in the muscle tissue) will stretch more effectively than a cold one. A warm muscle reacts and contracts faster and with more force than a cold one. Jog four or five minutes to gradually warm up your muscles before any physical activity. After aerobic training, cool down by walking until your heart rate returns to normal.
  
  Another important aspect of a Strength and Conditioning program is Stretching. Begin by stretching hamstrings, quads, calves, back, and shoulders. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds. Gradually add stretches and work up to holding each one 60 seconds. You should stretch every day.
  
  
• Kirkwood High School Volleyball Jump Rope Program

  Volleyball requires speed, agility, and explosive power. Genetics have a lot to do with your jumping ability, but jump training can improve your leaping capabilities. Here are some basic guidelines.
  
  Lift your feet off floor just high enough for the rope to pass quickly.
  Land softly.
  Keep shoulders relaxed and turn the rope with wrists.
  Have patience. Start slow, then gradually increase speed.
  Make sure to land on the padded portion or balls of the feet to avoid knee injuries.
  This is an impact sport, so use caution with regard to your knees and ankles.
  
  What is the correct size?
  
  Under 5ft. tall = 7ft. Jump Rope
  5ft. to 5ft.6in. tall = 8ft. Jump Rope
  5ft.6in. to 6ft. tall = 9ft. Jump Rope
  Over 6ft. tall = 10ft. Jump Rope
  
  

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