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The VBSC Podcast

In-Season Training & Tournament Day Nutrition: How to Peak When It Matters"

June 3 · 30 min · Episode 12 · 29.4 MB
0:00-30:36

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Topics Covered:

In-Season Training

  • How to define "in-season" when you play year-round or only tournament-to-tournament
  • Using your most important tournament as the anchor for your periodization
  • The VBSC in-season training structure: Full body recovery day + heavy lifting day + prep day (~2.5x/week)
  • What the pre-competition prep day looks like: mobility, low-impact explosive work (kettlebell swings, med ball throws, pogo hops), core, and stretching
  • Why partial range of motion is preferred for heavy lifts during the season
  • How Dion structured his 9-month professional indoor season (3x/week upper/lower/full)
  • Two-day full body programming for athletes with longer or more demanding seasons
  • Coach Sarah's approach to high school athletes who are still growing and playing 4x/week on court
  • The importance of cycling between weight room focus and volleyball focus throughout the year

Tournament Day Nutrition

  • Why protein during competition is largely unnecessary
  • Best foods for tournament day: bananas, rice cakes with peanut butter and honey, oatmeal, trail mix, fruit, candy/candy bars
  • Greg's #1 hack: keep honey in your bag at all times for a quick energy boost
  • Gerry's strategy: front-loading carbs (sourdough toast, rice) and leaning on bananas throughout the day (6–10 on a tournament day)
  • Caloric demands of a beach doubles tournament: up to 7,000 calories
  • The golden rule: No new foods, drinks, supplements, or exercises during tournament week
  • How Greg discovered agave negatively affected his mood/temperament during play

Hydration

  • Keeping water and electrolytes in separate containers
  • Hydrate more than you think you need to — if you're thirsty, you're already behind
  • Greg's go-to electrolyte brands: LMNT, ReLYTE by Redmond Real Salt, LYTES by ATH Sport
  • Pickle juice as an emergency cramping remedy

Surviving Multi-Day Tournaments

  • Nothing replaces playing consecutive multi-day tournaments to physically prepare your body
  • Recovery between days: nutrition, hydration, sleep, and ice baths/ice packs for inflammation management
  • Ice as a short-term tool to reduce swelling and get through the next day
  • Smart energy management: save your swings in pool play when the outcome doesn't matter
  • Prioritizing high-quality sleep over nighttime social activities

Find the Coaches:

- Greg Herceg: @TheVolleyballStrengthCoach (Instagram & YouTube) | @VBStrengthCoach (TikTok)

  • Gerry: @GerryPlaysBeach (Instagram)
  • Dion: @DionLala (Instagram)
  • Sarah: @VolleyballCoachSarah (Instagram)

Subscribe & Support: If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review — it means the world to us. Watch the full video on YouTube and follow us on social media for more volleyball strength and conditioning content.

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