The Ultimate In-Season Training Guide For Volleyball

I
THE ULTIMATE IN-SEASON TRAINING GUIDE FOR VOLLEYBALL
© Copyrights, 2019 by Craig Edwards. All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this manual may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including fax, photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use. This manual may not be reproduced
in any form without the express written permission of Craig Edwards, except in the case of a reviewer
who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine,
newspaper, or journal – and these cases require written approval from Craig Edwards prior to
publication.
CRAIG EDWARDS II
For more information, Please Contact:
46 Auburn St., Exeter, NH 03833 (603) 772-2216
cedwards2178@gmail.com www.EdwardsTrainingSystems.com
@craig__edwards @CraigMEdwards
@EdwardsTrainingSystems
CRAIG EDWARDS III

The information in this book is offered for educational purposes only; the reader should be cautioned
that there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any form of physical activity. With that in
mind, those participating in strength and conditioning programs should check with their physician prior
to initiating such activities. Anyone participating in these activities should understand that such training
initiatives may be dangerous if performed incorrectly. The author assumes no liability for injury; this is
purely an educational manual to guide those already proficient with the demands of such programming.
CRAIG EDWARDS IV
About Craig ................................................................................................................ 1
About This Program .................................................................................................. 3
Key Terms .................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 6
Program Philosophy .................................................................................................. 7
Performance Enhancement Program Overview ..................................................... 9
Strength Phases ...................................................................................................... 13
Pieces of the Program............................................................................................. 14
Beginner Program ................................................................................................... 17
Advanced Program.................................................................................................. 47
Nuts & Bolts Program ............................................................................................. 77
Exercise Descriptions ............................................................................................. 79
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ....................................................................... 84
Final Comments from Craig.................................................................................... 93
CRAIG EDWARDS V
Craig Edwards was named the assistant strength and conditioning

coach in August 2014 at the University of New Hampshire. In his role at
New Hampshire, Craig currently oversees the strength and conditioning
program for Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Women’s Hockey, and
Women’s Volleyball.
Along with his role at New Hampshire, Craig is a strength and

conditioning coach at MaxWay Performance in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire. In addition, Craig was recently being named the Director of
Strength and Conditioning for Premier Hockey in Manchester, NH, all
while owning and operating Edwards Performance Systems.
In these roles, Craig supervises, directs and trains athletes, student-athletes and general population
clientele in regards to exercise and lifting techniques. Craig has also worked as a coordinator for Healthy
UNH, specifically as the instructor for the faculty/staff strength and conditioning. Healthy UNH’s mission
is to promote a campus-wide initiative that encourages faculty, staff and students to improve their
health while decreasing health care costs.
Edwards started as a strength and conditioning intern at New Hampshire in September 2012. He helped
develop and oversee a comprehensive training program for men’s and women’s track and field,
focusing on sprints and jumps. Craig also worked with men’s basketball, volleyball, field hockey,
women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse and swimming and diving in an assisting role.
Prior to joining the Wildcats in 2012, Craig worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Mike Boyle
Strength & Conditioning (MBSC) in Woburn, MA under world renowned strength coach Michael Boyle.
There, he implemented strength and conditioning programs for athletes of various ages.
CRAIG EDWARDS 1
Edwards holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified
(SCCC) from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa), holds both the
Level 1 & 2 Functional Movement Screening certification from the Functional Movement Systems (FMS),
a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine
(NASM) and is CPR certified by the American Red Cross.
Craig earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Merrimack College in 2007 and his Master of
Science degree in Exercise Science from California University in California, Pa., in 2013, with aspirations
of enrolling in a PhD program at some point down the road.
Craig currently resides in Exeter, New Hampshire where he spends a great deal of time coaching,
reading, and focusing on his own health and fitness, spending as much time as he can outside and
enjoying the beautiful New England seacoast.
CRAIG EDWARDS 2
My primary goal for this program is to offer a well thought out and progressive strength and conditioning
program specifically designed with the volleyball athlete in mind. The program is designed for all
volleyball athletes, whether the athlete is new to training or has spent numerous years following a
strength and conditioning program. With hopes of helping as many volleyball athletes as possible, there
will be both a beginner and advanced program for each phase of this book.
Before we dive deep into the program, I want to make it clear that this program is designed to not only
help improve volleyball athletic performance, but to also keep the volleyball player healthy throughout
the course of a long competitive season.
Whatever our role within a volleyball program, be that a player, on the coaching staff, or on the sports
performance staff, I think we could all agree that it doesn’t matter how high an athlete jumps, how fast
and powerful they are, and how much strength they have gained if they are unable to stay healthy.
“The best ability and athlete can have is availability.”
With this in mind, due to the unique demands that the sport of volleyball places on the athlete, there
may be some exercises that aren’t included in the program that you may be used to seeing in most
athletic performance programs.
The program is broken down into five different three week blocks. Each block builds upon the one
before it. I highly recommend you implement the program from the beginning, laying the foundation
first, and progressing to the later phases as they are laid out.
CRAIG EDWARDS 3
Throughout this book there are a lot of terms that are used. Knowing that many people reading this
aren’t strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, or general fitness junkies, I thought it was
important to add this section to the book.
It should be noted that this was put together to be a comprehensive list of terms that are used in the
world of strength and conditioning. Because of that, most of these terms can be found numerous times
throughout the book while others may not be used at all.
KB Kettlebell
DB Dumbbell
This is what the following strength and conditioning program is based up.
Progressive overload is simply the gradual increase of stress placed upon the
PROGRESSIVE
body during training. This generally involves progressively increasing some
OVERLOAD
lifting parameter over time, traditionally by increasing the amount of weight
used, sets performed, or repetitions performed
ROM Range of motion
Rate of perceived exertion, which is a measure of how difficult a particular set

RPE was on a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being extremely hard (or completely failure)
and 1 being extremely easy
TEMPO The speed at which the lift occurs.
CRAIG EDWARDS 4
The lowering aspect of the lift. For example, the eccentric portion of the Goblet
ECCENTRIC
Squat is performed as you lower yourself down
The contracting aspect of the lift. Using the previous example, the concentric
CONCENTRIC
portion of the Goblet Squat would be upward portion of the lift
Total amount of work performed (sets X reps X weight used). For example, 3
sets of 5 reps on the Goblet Squat with 50lbs would equal an load of 750. If we
VOLUME
were to simply increase the reps to 8 and now be performing 3 sets of 8 reps
with the same 50lbs, our overall load would now be 1,200.
FREQUENCY How often you are performing strength training
As many reps as possible (with good form). Often performed as a test to

AMRAP
determine max strength
PRIMARY Main heavy compound movements that involve a large muscle mass. These are
EXERCISE our ‘Big Rock’ exercises.
Compound exercises which involve less muscle mass. These are important
SECONDARY
exercises in the training program, but not necessarily our ‘Big Rock’
EXERCISE
movements.
Isolation movements involving only one joint and primarily targeting a single
TERTIARY muscle – these are usually used to isolate a specific, smaller muscle. In the
EXERCISE program to follow, most of the rehab/prehab shoulder specific work would fall
into this category.
PERIODIZATION The organization of training over time
CRAIG EDWARDS 5
For the last five years, five years that I have thoroughly enjoyed, I have had the incredible opportunity
to be the strength and conditioning coach for the University of New Hampshire women’s volleyball
program. In this time, not only have I met and worked with some phenomenal athletes, but I have come
to enjoy a sport that I was never exposed to as a youth.
Another issue that has become clear over those five years, which is what has encouraged me to write
this book, is the lack of quality information in regards to training the volleyball athlete. When I started
working with the sport there weren’t a many resources readily available that were dedicated to the
volleyball athlete. Sure, there is some quality information out there that is specific to volleyball, but no
where near the volume of content that one can find on the sport of baseball, hockey, basketball, and of
course football.
My goal is to change that with this short book and give people a resource to help them throughout the
in-season period.
Will this book be the end all be all on volleyball training? No, there is so much that goes into both an In-
Season and Off-Season volleyball program, but I do hope to provide enough quality information so that
sport coaches and strength coaches will have the base level knowledge to implement a sound,
progressive, and safe strength and conditioning program that will give you a competitive advantage this
season.
CRAIG EDWARDS 6
The thought process that goes into this entire strength and conditioning program revolves around two
major thoughts;
1. Do no harm
2. Minimal effective dose
“Do no harm” is the mantra that I live by as a strength coach. As a strength coach, our job is to do three
important things; prevent injuries in the weight room, reduce sport related injuries, and enhance
athletic performance. The unfortunate part is that most coaches focus on and understand the last two
points, but they either don’t focus on and understand or don’t care to focus on and understand the first
and most important of the three – prevent injuries in the weight room!
With the exposition in popularity of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc) more
and more coaches are actively putting out more content. A lot of this content is incredible – content
that I consume on a daily basis, learn from and implement with the athletes that I work with. On the
other hand, there is also a great deal of not-so-great (I’m being kind) content that is being produced
with terrible form, too much weight, and very little supervision from a professional coach.
I say that to say this – injuries that happen in the weight room or as a result of the weight room are
100% the fault of the strength coach. A 300lb squat is great, but it’s not so great if that athlete isn’t
playing their sport because they have a stress fracture and/or a herniated disc. We all love that big
bench press, but that big bench press isn’t helping an athlete that is sitting on the end of the bench in
street clothes because of a shoulder injury.
CRAIG EDWARDS 7
Along with the “do no harm” mantra, I also live by the “minimal effective dose” mantra. The “minimal
effective dose” mantra simply asks us this: what is the least amount of work that we need to do in order
to get the maximal benefit from a training standpoint?
The easiest way to think about this is to relate it back to medicine. When you have a headache many of
us will go grab a bottle of aspirin. From there we look at the back of the bottle to find out how many pills
we need to take and how often. For arguments sake, let’s say the bottle said to take two pills every 6
hours. That’s the minimal effective dose to alleviate your headache. Taking more won’t help more or do
more to help you lose your headache.
These are two extremely simple concepts. We need to always keep the athletes health
as our number one priority. We need to be programming the least amount of work we can to get the
maximum results, and I would argue that it is less then most coaches think it is. As a professional coach
we have to keep these concepts in mind when we are selecting exercises, rep ranges, and everything
else that goes into the strength and conditioning program.
CRAIG EDWARDS 8
Our strength and conditioning program follows the same structured set up each time the athlete comes
into the weight room. This structure not only allows for a systematic approach to developing better
performing athletes, but develops a standard approach that the athlete becomes familiar with. Once
the athlete has become familiar with the structured approach the training flows seamlessly, with coach
and athlete on the same page.
Our systematic approach looks like this each time we step into the weight room;
 Foam Roll/Tissue Quality
 Static Stretching
 Mobility
 Activation
 Dynamic Warm Up
 Speed Development, Bodyweight (plyometrics) & Light Implement Power (medicine ball work)
 Weight Room Power and Strength
 Conditioning
***it should be noted that plyometrics and conditioning are dropped from the program In-Season due
to the volume of jumping and practice that takes place In-Season***
CRAIG EDWARDS 9
Here is a quick explanation of each of these components.
Foam rolling has become an extremely popular and time efficient way to improve tissue quality. Though
having athlete see a massage therapist would be more beneficial in keep muscle tissue healthy, it just
isn’t practical. Foam rollers are just the poor man’s way of improving tissue quality, one that’s extremely
easy to implement in the team setting.
If you aren’t foam rolling on a daily basis with your group, I highly recommend implement it into your
pre-practice and pre-lift routine.
Once tissue quality has been handled with foam rolling we move to static stretching to address tissue
length. Though static stretching has been beaten up a lot recently, we still perform a few static stretches
prior to each lift. It is the opinion of the author that performing simple static stretching is a necessity for
long-term injury prevention. We’ll typically spend 3-5 minutes stretching areas like the adductors
(groin), hip flexors, hamstrings, and hip rotators in hopes of bringing length back to areas that are
generally tight.
Once we have addressed tissue quality and tissue length, we attack mobility. You will be hard pressed
to find an athlete that doesn’t need mobility in some area, probably more then one. The areas that we
address on a consistent basis are Thoracic Spine (T-Spine) mobility, Ankle mobility, Hip Mobility (in
various planes), and Big Toe mobility.
CRAIG EDWARDS 10
The good thing about mobility is you can perform it often and you will be hard pressed to find someone
that has too much mobility in these joints. Though it is possible to have too much mobility, it isn’t a
problem you’ll often come across.
Like static stretching, activation has been taking a beating over the last few years, but we still perform
some activation. Our primary goal with these drills is to ‘wake’ up or strengthen muscles or muscle
groups that tend to need a little coaxing to work optimally. We allocate no more then 3-6 minutes
performing these activation exercises, targeting the Glute Med (side butt) and Glute Max (back butt),
psoas (hip flexor), and the smaller muscles surrounding the scapula and upper back.
Once we have addressed tissue quality, tissue length, performed some static stretching, mobility
activation drills, we have the athletes get up and get moving a little. Though this seems like a lot, the
previous work takes no more then 15-20 minutes to accomplish.
We switch our Dynamic Warm Up between Linear focused and Lateral focused days. In both cases, we
start slow and eventually get moving faster, preparing the body for the training session that is about to
come. The goal here is to get athletes moving through full ranges of motion as well as elevating the
heart rate and muscle temperature.
This is where the fun begins. The athletes are up, warm and moving. For the sake of time and efficiency,
we pair our speed work, plyometric work, and medicine ball work. As I previously mentioned, we drop
plyometric work In-Season due to the volume of jumping performed in competition and practice.
Therefore, In-Season our volleyball athletes will perform a speed development exercises (acceleration
CRAIG EDWARDS 11
based) along with two medicine ball exercises (typically a rotational exercise and a non-rotational
exercise).
At this point we are slowing things down a little and working on heavy implement power (cleans,
kettlebell swings, jump squats) along with traditional strength work. As you’ll see in the following pages,
we perform a great deal of supersets and tri-sets to make our training session more efficient, pairing
non-competing exercises with one another as well as adding in the majority of our core work with as
‘fillers’ between sets.
In a typically Off-Season we would perform 10-15 minutes of conditioning each day following the
training session. However, we rarely perform any type of conditioning In-Season due to the high
metabolic demands placed on the athlete during competition and practice.
CRAIG EDWARDS 12
Spending time and growing up as a strength coach at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC) and
being a follower of Coach Boyle had led me to using the same three-week phases that are used at MBSC.
The phases that I use with the teams and athletes I train and what will follow in this book have been
implemented with thousands of athletes with a great deal of success.
The phases alternate between higher volume with lighter loads (i.e. 3 sets of 8 reps) and lower volume
with heavier loads (i.e. 3 sets of 5 reps), allowing us to vary the intensity every three weeks, continually
asking the athlete to adapt to a slightly different stimulus. It should be noted that in both phases as well
as the overall volume is lower then many would think.
Don’t over think this stuff – its not rocket science.
CRAIG EDWARDS 13
The program itself is made up of what I would consider the movement patterns that all athletes should
be performing, not just volleyball athletes. Throughout the course of our training week we will try to
perform an exercise from each category, though it is extremely hard to incorporate each pattern into a
two-day In-Season strength program. On the other hand, when strength training 3-4 times per week in
the Off-Season, it is very easy to incorporate all the movement patterns due to more time spent in the
weight room.
Bodyweight Explosive Power Both 1 and 2 leg plyometrics and variations
Light Implement Explosive Power Medicine Ball throws, slams, tosses, and other variations
Hang Clean, Kettlebell Swings, Jump Squats, Landmine Split

Heavy Implement Explosive Power
Jerk, etc.
Trap Bar Dead Lift, Romanian Dead Lift, Goblet Squat, 2-

Bilateral (2-leg) Lower Body
Kettlebell Front Squat, etc.
Uni-lateral (1-leg) Hip Dominant Straight Leg Dead Lift and variations, Sled Marching, etc.
1-Leg Shoulder Elevated Hip Lift, Slideboard Leg Curl and

Bridging
variations, Barbell Bridge, etc.
Uni-lateral (1-leg) Knee Dominant Split Squat, 1-Leg Squat, Lateral Squat, etc.
Push Ups, Standing Landmine Press, 1-Dumbbell Bench Press,

Horizontal Presses
etc.
CRAIG EDWARDS 14
Dumbbell Row, Bat Wings, Ring Row and variations, Partner
Horizontal Pulls
Towel Row, etc.
½ Kneeling Kettlebell Bottoms Up Press, ½ Kneeling Landmine

Vertical Presses
Press, etc.
Chin Up, Neutral Grip Chin Up, X-Pulldown and variations (we
Vertical Pulls rarely perform vertical pulling in our program because of
potential injury concerns and/or lack of the needed equipment)
Core Anti-extension, Anti-rotation, Anti-lateral flexion, etc.
Loaded Carries (could be placed in

Suitcase, Farmers, Goblet, Kettlebell Bottoms Up, etc.
the core category)
Crawling (could be placed in the

Bear, Reverse Bear, Lateral, Lateral Bear, etc.
core category)
Our first phase of the year begins when the athletes return to campus for pre-season following a long
and extended off-season of strength training and conditioning.
The difficult part of this part of the year is balancing work in the weight room with the increased
demands placed on the athlete through the sport. Generally, volleyball players take a huge leap from
not participating in any team practices to participating in 1-2 practices a day for a total of anywhere
between 2-4 hours of practice a day – which means you are dealing with a lot of tired, sore athletes.
This is a huge increase in training volume and if not balanced carefully can lead to excessive fatigue,
overtraining, overuse injuries, and a handful of other negative outcomes.
Because of this, our volume of strength training drastically decreases at this point in the year. Leading
into this period it is common for the athlete to be performing 3-4 strength training sessions a week
along with another 3-4 conditioning sessions over the course of the week. During the Pre-Season phase
CRAIG EDWARDS 15
of our program, we drop to two 30-45 minute strength training sessions a week and program zero
additional conditioning. Practice is conditioning throughout the entire Pre-Season and In-Season
period.
Though the overall load and volume placed on the athlete is still greater at this time of the year then
they are accustomed to with the decreases made in the strength and conditioning program, it should
still be noted that the load placed on the athlete is still greater then it was previously. Less is always
more…if the group needs a day off, a larger decrease in strength training by either dropping a set or
dropping an exercise that places a high demand on the nervous system completely for the day is
recommended. As Tony Holler is known to say, “don’t let today ruin tomorrow.”
In the following pages I will be including both our Preparation & Movement and Strength Training from
our Pre-Season training block even though it isn’t necessary “In-Season” training.
Many will look at this as a very simple and basic block of training – because it is. This would be
considered our Block Zero phase. The goal during this time period is to perform quality work in the
weight room, maintain the performance gains from the Off-Season period, fix issues with exercise form
that may have developed over the summer, teach incoming athletes the basics of our program, all in
hopes of readying athletes for the training that will come in following phases of the In-Season period.
This simple and basic block also helps to keep the athlete as fresh as possible knowing the demands
placed on them through the spike in practice time.
It should also be noted that our Preparation and Movement is broken up into Linear Focused days (Day
1) and Lateral Focused days (Day Two) and is appropriate for both beginners and for advanced athletes.
The only difference between beginners and advanced athletes in the program comes in the
implementation of strength work.
CRAIG EDWARDS 16
 90/90 Wall Diaphragmatic Breathing x60 seconds
 Glutes & Hip Rotators x30 seconds each
 Hamstrings x30 seconds each
 Calves x30 seconds each
 Upper Back x30 seconds
 Posterior Shoulder x30 seconds each
 Quads x30 seconds each
 Adductors x30 seconds each
 Toe Sit x5 Breaths
 Heel Sit x5 Breaths
 90/90 Hip ER/IR x5 Breaths per side/position
 Spiderman x5 Breaths per side
 Adductor Rock x5 each side
 ½ Kneel Ankle Rocks x8 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 17
 V-Stance T-Spine x5 Breaths per side
 Floor Slides x5 Breaths
 1-Leg Cook Hip Lift x5 Breaths each
 Band Supported Leg Lower x5 Breaths each
 Band Supine Hip Flexor x5 Breaths each
 Lateral Band Walk (band below knee) x10 Steps each
 Knee Hug x10 Yards
 Leg Cradle x10 Yards
 Quad Stretch x10 Yards
 Reverse SLDL x10 Yards
 2-Leg Linear Pogo Hop x10 Yards
 Linear Skip (A Skip) x10 Yards
 High Knee Run x10 Yards
 Straight Leg Walk x10 Yards
 Straight Leg Skip x10 Yards
 Backpedal x10 Yards
 Backward Run x10 Yards
 3 Rounds, Circuit Style
Sprint:  Timed 10’s
Throw:  Tall Kneel Overhead Throw x10
Throw:  ½ Kneel Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Farmers Carry x20 Steps
CRAIG EDWARDS 18
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A2 3 X 20 Seconds 3 X 25 Seconds 3 X 30 Seconds
A3 3 X 12 each with 2.5 lbs
8e X 8e X 8e X
B1 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8X 8X 8X
B2 8X 8X 8X
8X 8X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C1 8e X 8e X 8e X
*Use a light Med Ball or Plate*
8e X 8e X
8X 8X 8X
C2 8X 8X 8X
8X 8X
C3 3 X 10 sec. each 3 X 15 sec. each 3 X 20 sec. each
CRAIG EDWARDS 19
 Alternating Spiderman x5 each
 Wall Dynamic Quad x5 Breaths each
 1/2 Kneel Shoulder CARs x10 Full Circles each
 1/2 Kneel Wall T-Spine Rotation w/ Mini Roller x8 each.
 1/2 Kneel Wall Hip Flexor x5 Breaths each
 Mini Band ER x5 each
 Mini Band Squat x5 (band below knee)
 1-Leg Mini Band Hold x10 seconds each
CRAIG EDWARDS 20
 2-Leg Lateral Pogo Hop x10 Yards each way
 Lateral Skip x10 Yards each way
 Lateral Shuffle x10 Yards each way
 Carioca x10 Yards each way
3 Rounds, Circuit Style
Sprint:  Shuffle to Sprint x1 each way
Throw:  Tall Kneeling Overhead Slam x10
Throw:  Tall Kneel Chest Pass x10
Carry:  Suitcase Carry x20 Steps each side
CRAIG EDWARDS 21
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A3 3 X 5 in each spot
8X 8X 8X
B1 8X 8X 8X
*Heels elevated*
8X 8X
8e X 8e X 8e X
B2 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C1 8e X 8e X 8e X
*1-Leg*
8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C2
8e X 8e X 8e X
C3 3 X 20 seconds 3 X 25 seconds 3 X 30 seconds
CRAIG EDWARDS 22
 1/2 Kneel Ankle Rocks x8 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 23
Throw:  Standing Overhead Throw x10
Throw:  Standing Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Kettlebell Bottoms Up Carry x20 Steps each
CRAIG EDWARDS 24
A1 3x5 3x5 3x5
A3 3 X 8 with 2.5 lbs
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8X 10 X 12 X
B2 8X 10 X 12 X
8X 10 X 12 X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8X 10 X 12 X
C2
8X 10 X 12 X
CRAIG EDWARDS 25
 Bodyweight Split Squat x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 26
 Bodyweight Lateral Squat x5 each
 Bodyweight Rotational Squat x5 each
 Bodyweight SLDL x5 each
Sprint:  ½ Kneeling Side Starts x1 each
Throw:  Standing Overhead Slam x10
Throw:  ½ Kneeling Chest Pass x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 27
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A3 3 X 20 seconds each arm
5X 5X 5X
B1 5X 5X 5X
*Heels elevated*
5X 5X 5X
B2 3 X 5 each 3 X 5 each 3 X 5 each
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
8e X 10e X 12e X
C1 8e X 10e X 12e X
*1-Leg & Add Weight if Needed*
8e X 10e X 12e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C2
5e X 5e X 5e X
C3 3 X 4 each 3 X 5 each 3 X 6 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 28
CRAIG EDWARDS 29
Throw:  Stepping Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Stepping Side Toss x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 30
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
*3 seconds down*
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B2 5e X 5e X 5e X
*5 seconds each way
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
*Eccentric Only*
5e X 5e X 5e X
5X 5X 5X
C2
5X 5X 5X
CRAIG EDWARDS 31
CRAIG EDWARDS 32
 Sled Sprint
Sprint:
Throw:  Rainbow Overhead Slam x5 each
Throw:  Standing Chest Pass x10
CRAIG EDWARDS 33
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A2 3 x 20 Seconds 3 x 25 Seconds 3 x 30 Seconds
A3 3 x 5 in each spot
8X 8X 8X
B1 8X 8X 8X
8X 8X 8X
B2 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
10e X 10e X 10e X
C1 10e X 10e X 10e X
10e X 10e X 10e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C2
8e X 8e X 8e X
CRAIG EDWARDS 34
CRAIG EDWARDS 35
Throw:  Crow Hop Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Shuffle Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Kettlbell Bottoms Up Carry x20 Steps each
CRAIG EDWARDS 36
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
*Continuous*
5X 5X 5X
A3 3 x 8 with 2.5 lbs
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5X 5X 5X
B2 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
6X 8X 10 X
C1 6X 8X 10 X
6X 8X 10 X
5X 5X 5X
C2
5X 5X 5X
CRAIG EDWARDS 37
CRAIG EDWARDS 38
Sprint:  Sled Sprint
Throw:  Double Clutch Overhead Slam x5
Throw:  Stepping Chest Pass x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 39
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
*Stick each Landing*
5X 5X 5X
A2 3 X 20 sec. each 3 X 25 sec. each 3 X 30 sec. each
A3 3 X 20 seconds each arm
5X 5X 5X
B1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
B2 3x5 3x5 3x5
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
8e X 8e X 8e X
C1 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C2
5e X 5e X 5e X
CRAIG EDWARDS 40
CRAIG EDWARDS 41
Throw:  2 Step Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Cross Behind Side Toss x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 42
3X 3X 3X
A1 3X 3X 3X
*Continuous*
3X 3X 3X
A2 3 X 3 out & back 3 X 4 out & back 3 X 5 out & back
3e X 3e X 3e X
B1 3e X 3e X 3e X
3e X 3e X 3e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B2 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
4e X 4e X 4e X
C1 4e X 4e X 4e X
*1 out, 2 in*
4e X 4e X 4e X
5X 5X 5X
C2
5X 5X 5X
C3 3 x 3 walks each 3 x 4 walks each 3 x 5 walks each
CRAIG EDWARDS 43
CRAIG EDWARDS 44
Throw:  Overhead Slam x10
Throw:  Sprinter Start Chest Pass x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 45
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
*Stick each Landing*
5X 5X 5X
A2 3 X 20 sec. each 3 X 25 sec. each 3 X 30 sec. each
5X 5X 5X
B1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
B2 3 x 5 each 3 x 5 each 3 x 5 each
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
10e X 10e X 10e X
C1 10e X 10e X 10e X
10e X 10e X 10e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C2
5e X 5e X 5e X
C3 3 X each spot 3 X each spot 3 X each spot
CRAIG EDWARDS 46
 ½ Kneel Ankle Rocks x8 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 47
Throw:  Tall Kneeling Overhead Throw x10
Throw:  ½ Kneeling Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Suitcase Carry x20 Steps each
CRAIG EDWARDS 48
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
*Reset each rep*
5X 5X 5X
A2 3X8 3 X 10 3 X 12
A3 3 X 12 each with 2.5 lbs
8e X 8e X 8e X
B1 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8X 8X 8X
B2 8X 8X 8X
8X 8X 8X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C1 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8X 8X 8X
C2
8X 8X 8X
CRAIG EDWARDS 49
CRAIG EDWARDS 50
Sprint:  Shuffle to Sprint x1 each way
Throw:  Overhead Slam x10
Throw:  Tall Kneel Chest Pass x10
CRAIG EDWARDS 51
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
8X 8X 8X
B1 8X 8X 8X
*Heels elevated*
8X 8X
8e X 8e X 8e X
B2 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C1 8e X 8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C2
8e X 8e X 8e X
C3 3 X 20 seconds 3 X 25 seconds 3 X 30 seconds
CRAIG EDWARDS 52
CRAIG EDWARDS 53
Throw:  Standing Overhead Throw x10
Throw:  Standing Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Kettlebell Bottoms Up Carry x20 Steps each
CRAIG EDWARDS 54
3e X 3e X 3e X
A1 3e X 3e X 3e X
3e X 3e X 3e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8X 10 X 12 X
B2 8X 10 X 12 X
8X 10 X 12 X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8X 10 X 12 X
C2
8X 10 X 12 X
CRAIG EDWARDS 55
CRAIG EDWARDS 56
Sprint:  ½ Kneeling Side Starts x1 each way
Throw:  Standing Overhead Slam x10
CRAIG EDWARDS 57
3X 3X 3X
A1 3X 3X 3X
3X 3X 3X
A3 3 X 5 breaths each arm
5X 5X 5X
B1 5X 5X 5X
*Heels elevated*
5X 5X 5X
B2 4 X 5 each 4 X 5 each 4 X 5 each
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
10e X 10e X 10e X
C1 10e X 10e X 10e X
10e X 10e X 10e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C2
5e X 5e X 5e X
CRAIG EDWARDS 58
CRAIG EDWARDS 59
Throw:  Stepping Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Stepping Side Toss x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 60
5e X 5e X 5e X
A1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B2 5e X 5e X 5e X
*5 seconds each way
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e
C2
5e X 5e
CRAIG EDWARDS 61
CRAIG EDWARDS 62
Sprint:  Sled Sprint
Throw:  Rainbow Overhead Slam x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 63
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A3 3 x 5 in each spot
5X 5X 5X
B1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
B2 4 x 4 each 4 x 4 each 4 x 4 each
B3 3x8 3 x 10 3 x 12
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C2
*!/2 Kneeling* 8e X 8e X 8e X
CRAIG EDWARDS 64
CRAIG EDWARDS 65
Throw:  Crow Hop Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Shuffle Side Toss x5 each
Carry:  Suitcase Carry x20 Steps each
CRAIG EDWARDS 66
5X 5X 5X
A1 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
A2 3 x 4 each 3 x 5 each 3 x 6 each
5e X 5e X 5e X
B1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5X 5X 5X
B2 5X 5X 5X
5X 5X 5X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
8e X 8e X 8e X
C2
8e X 8e X 8e X
C3 3 x 3 each way 3 x 3 each way 3 x 3 each way
CRAIG EDWARDS 67
CRAIG EDWARDS 68
***Due to the complex training in Day 2 of our strength training, we do not throw medicine balls or
do speed work on this day any longer***
CRAIG EDWARDS 69
3X 3X 3X
A1 3X 3X 3X
3X 3X 3X
A2 3 X 4 each 3 X 5 each 3 X 6 each
A3 3 X 5 breaths each arm
3x3 3x3 3x3

*Complexed with*
B1
x5 after each set of Trap Bar Dead Lift (30 seconds of
rest max)
3x5 3x5 3x5

*Complexed with*
B2
x10 after each set of Strap Row (30 seconds rest
max)
B3 3x6 3x8 3 x 10
3 x 5 each 3 x 5 each 3 x 5 each

*Complexed with*
C1
x5 each after each set of Sled March (30 seconds rest
max)
5X 5X 5X
*Complexed with* 5X 5X 5X
C2
x5 each after each set of Push Up (30 seconds rest
max)
CRAIG EDWARDS 70
CRAIG EDWARDS 71
 Timed 10’s
Sprint:
Throw:  2 Step Overhead Throw x5 each
Throw:  Cross Behind Side Toss x5 each
CRAIG EDWARDS 72
8X 8X 8X
A1 8X 8X 8X
8X 8X 8X
A2 3 X each spot 3 X each spot 3 X each spot
3e X 3e X 3e X
B1 3e X 3e X 3e X
3e X 3e X 3e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
B2
*Alternating* 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
C1 5e X 5e X 5e X
5e X 5e X 5e X
5X 5X 5X
C2
5X 5X 5X
C3 3 X 3 each leg 3 X 4 each leg 3 X 5 each leg
CRAIG EDWARDS 73
CRAIG EDWARDS 74
CRAIG EDWARDS 75
2X 2X 2X
A1 2X 2X 2X
2X 2X 2X
A2 3 X 4 each 3 X 5 each 3 X 6 each
3X 3X 3X
3X 3X 3X
B1 3X 3X 3X
x5 after each set of Trap Bar Dead Lift (30 seconds

*Complexed with* rest max)
3x5 3x5 3x5

*Complexed with*
B2
x10 after each set of Strap Row (30 seconds rest
max)
B3 3x6 3x8 3 x 10
3 x 10 Yards 3 x 10 Yards 3 x 10 Yards

*Complexed with*
C1
x5 each after each set of Sled March (30 seconds rest
max)
5X 5X 5X
*Complexed with* 5X 5X 5X
C2
x5 each after each set of Push Up (30 seconds rest
max)
CRAIG EDWARDS 76
Due to the fact that many of the coaches or athletes that are reading this do not have access to a state-
of-the-art weight room or even an average weight room, I have added what I am calling this basic
program to help these people.
The program is as simple as this;
A1. Power A1. Power
A2. Anti-Extension Core A2. Anti-Extension Core
A3. Shoulder Health A3. Shoulder Health
B1. Bilateral Lower Body B1. Uni-lateral Knee Dominant
B2. Horizontal Pull B2. Horizontal Pull
B3. Anti-Rotation Core B3. Crawling Variation
C1. Uni-lateral Hip Dominant C1. Uni-lateral Hip Dominant
C2. Vertical Push C2. Horizontal Push
C3. Loaded Carry C3. Anti-Lateral Flexion
CRAIG EDWARDS 77
If we were to plug in simple exercises that can be performed in almost any weight room, it would look
something like this;
A1. 2 DB Jump Squat A1. Landmine Split Jerk
A2. Front Plank A2. Stability Ball Rollout
A3. Prone Trap Raise A3. Seated External Rotation
B1. Goblet Squat B1. Goblet Split Squat
B2. Ring Row B2. Dumbbell Row
B3. Standing Belly Press B3. Lateral Crawl
C1. 1-Leg Shoulder Elev. Hip Lift C1. 1DB 1-Leg RDL
C2. Standing Landmine Press C2. Push Up
C3. Suitcase Carry C3. Side Plank
Logically, the next step would be add sets and reps. For the sake of simplicity, I would recommend
performing three sets of each exercise and alternating between sets of 8 and sets of 5 every three
weeks.
As I’ve said, don’t over-think this stuff. A program as simple as this will work extremely well if performed
with intent.
CRAIG EDWARDS 78
The following section has a great deal of the exercises that were previously presented in the program.
However, due to the large amounts of exercises found in the program, it is not a complete list. A quick
search of YouTube should do the trick!
 V-Stance T-Spine Rotation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ96fH9pg3U
 Bench T-Spine Extension https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tRBcskBJ1o
 ½ Kneeling Wall T-Spine Rotation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sp6hYHagDY
with Mini Roller
 Seated External Rotation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fclFQSwCdQ
 Prone Trap Raise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqXQ2l_5gfA
 3-Way Shoulder Circuit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITYchb6sUr4
 Overhead Slam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0dMkTqSYNw
 ½ Kneeling Shot Put https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE_EsSTMVgk
CRAIG EDWARDS 79
 Standing Shot Put https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjmSaokg1TA
 Stepping Shot Put https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm6klP6yOfA
 Cross Behind Shot Put https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyVvbDW6VMU
 Shuffle Shot Put https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVk7eUwBDh4
 Standing Chest Pass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFFtfVtmqa8
 Standing Scoop Toss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJn8545pl_Q
 Box Jump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F07X9ATE8Pk
 2 Dumbbell Jump Squat with Stick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrpHsTRxWcc
 Continuous 2 Dumbbell Jump Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4rPXkGQ03I
 Kettlebell Swing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ntnQtP9_0
 ½ Kneeling Kettlebell Bottoms Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrsvm-OVZTQ
Press
 Standing Landmine Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM1tv60OeWw
 Push Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BWnPwnjy3s
 Ring Row https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGUkqkusDGo
 Dumbbell Row https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7W_D-cfcc
 Bat Wings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQ9HkM3qzE
CRAIG EDWARDS 80
 Goblet Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2H3b2TIMZ8
 2 Kettlebell Front Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3epMdMW5i0
 Goblet Split Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVjizMlWJ68
 2 Dumbbell Split Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SMlXpeDatg
 Goblet Lateral Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAQp0SCPlzY
 1-Leg Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKd6V85wSao
 1 Dumbbell 1-Leg RDL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVrKmMFVzSU
 2 Dumbbell 1-Leg RDL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQXzwdb-ItE
 1-Leg Shoulder Elevated Hip Lift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWBif0KWoDQ
 Glute Bridge Walkout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs76UiqbiPU
 Eccentric Only Slideboard Leg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjdDTbMrNME
Curl
 Slideboard Leg Curl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0l2YXCA3KU
 1-Leg Eccentric Only Slideboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5p3AIPQJk
Leg Curl
 Sled March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08hPs_MKNTc
CRAIG EDWARDS 81
 Front Plank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCOa4u-cFzg
 Stability Ball Rollout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZmA6DvZagk
 Ring Fallout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbHg3PHy2is
 Body Saw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktrOBMWGQ9Y
 Superman Front Plank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_f_zlePGAg
 Stability Ball Stir the Pot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxGfux9tVTk
 Tall Kneel Anti-Rotation Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcw6HX9-K8w
 ½ Kneeling Anti-Rotation Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2pvu8pbGNg
 Anti-Rotation Walkout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT4Q2FVaK8E
 Anti-Rotation March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmX0R4K--5U
 Anti-Rotation Stir the Pot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKE9j3UM1nY
 Side Plank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XaXiwiwFeQ
 Weighted Feet Elevated Side

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI_KAN7YlkM
Plank
 Plate Hug Side Plank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb9WZZB-1sc
 Push Up Taps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns4gE6bCUO8
 DB Plank Row https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI752Rz8Nbc
CRAIG EDWARDS 82
 Bear Crawl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9I_Eyrzvak
 Lateral Bear Crawl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhwyj6s9l_I
 Suitcase Carry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=argJUiIQZBs
 Farmers Carry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXCka_3bQ2M
CRAIG EDWARDS 83
The following is a collection of questions that I am typically asked in regards to our strength and
conditioning program with volleyball. Though I tried to touch on most of the most common questions,
this is not a comprehensive list. If you still have questions after going through this section, please email
me at cedwards2178@gmail.com and I’d be more then happy to answer any further questions.
Q.
A. This is a question that I get very frequently and one that we get a lot at MaxWay
Performance. In the opinion of the author and team at MaxWay Performance, the
appropriate age for an athlete to start strength training is when they are emotionally
mature enough to take training seriously and be coached in a group setting. I have
worked with 8 year old that were ready for training and also worked with 13 year olds
that probably need more time to mature.
CRAIG EDWARDS 84
Q.
A. “If breathing isn’t normalized no other movement

pattern will be.”
Attack the low hanging fruit.
Diaphragmatic breathing is probably the simplest thing we can perform in the weight
room yet is constantly overlooked when it comes to changing and improving movement
and performance.
Respiration leads to better posture. Better posture leads to an athlete that is more
resilient to injury and to better performance. More resilient + better performance =
better athlete. If you aren’t coaching breathing you are missing the boat.
Some of the documented benefits of diaphragmatic breathing;
a window into the autonomic nervous system to help promote a more para-sympathetic
state
✓ Decreases heart rate
✓ Decreases blood pressure
✓ Decreases anxiety
✓ Changes in insulin sensitivity
✓ An important spinal stabilizer
We simply cue an athlete to breathe in through the nose (3-4 seconds) and out through
their mouth (6-8 seconds). Though it may seem like a small detail, breathing in through
the nose and subsequently out through the mouth is critical as it stimulates the vagus
nerve.
CRAIG EDWARDS 85
Q.
A. This is a training concept that is very popular, one that you will find in many different
programs from many different coaches. This set up, with a strength based session on
Day 1 and a Compelx/Power session on Day 2 is something that Anthony Donskov
(expert strength and conditioning coach based in Columbus, Ohio and owner of
Donskov Strength and Conditioning) has popularized.
The thought process goes like this;
 Day 1 = Strength Focused Day: heavier weights, slower speed of movement
 Day 2 = Power Focused Day: lighter weight, faster speed of movement
Though this may be a very simplistic way of looking at things, we essentially try to ‘peak’
each week throughout the season with this set up. Though we touch on all ends of the
force-velocity curve in each lift, the strength demand goes down slightly over the course
of the week while the power demands slowly start to increase as the week moves
forward.
Q.
A. As you can see by the program, In-season our Day Two (Wednesday in our case) lift has
included a heavy dose of contrast/complex training.
Complex training is essentially pairing a biomechanically similar strength exercise (we

go with 3-5 reps) with a power exercise (we go with 5-8 reps depending on the exercise)
to improve power development, which you can do for both upper and lower body.
Since power is the name of the game in volleyball (along with some other athletic
qualities), we do everything we can to improve power even In-Season. In addition, the
last thing we want to see is an athlete that is losing strength and power – we want to be
CRAIG EDWARDS 86
jumping as high and hitting as hard at the end of the season as we were day one of the
pre-season.
Q.
A.
“Core training is about motion prevention, not
motion creation.”
“During most activities, the primary role of the

abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support
and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk.”
“Rather then considering the abdominals as

flexors and rotators of the trunk – for which they
certainly have the capacity – their function might
CRAIG EDWARDS 87
be better viewed as anti-rotators and anti-lateral

flexors of the trunk.”
If those three quotes, one from a world famous strength coach and two from a world
renowned physical therapist, don’t make you think a little, I don’t know what will?
As you can see, our core work aims to accomplish a handful of different goals with the
two biggest being;
1. Stabilize the body
2. Resist, not create movement
When you think about what an athlete does in their given sport (and life for that matter),
the role of the core is to isometrically stabilize, not create movement. And your core
training program should reflect that. Training movements like sit ups, crunches,
Russian twists, leg raise, etc may help to develop a better 6-pack, but they do very little
in the way of improving athletic performance. Movements like this create movement,
not prevent it.
With those two main goals in mind, we ‘bucket’ our core training into one of four
different categories. The categories are as follows;
1. Anti-Extension – movements where the purpose is to resist extension of the

spine
2. Anti-Lateral Flexion – movements where the purpose is to resist sideways

bending (lateral flexion) of the spine
3. Anti-Rotation – movements where the purpose is to resist rotation of the

lumbar spine
4. Loaded Carries – movements that train the postural stabilizers to stabilize
CRAIG EDWARDS 88
Taking it another step further, here are some examples of exercises that would fall
under each category;
1. Examples of Anti-Extension: Front Plank, SB Rollout, Body Saw, Dead Bugs, etc
2. Examples of Anti-Lateral Flexion: Side Plank, DB Plank Row, etc
3. Examples of Anti-Rotation: Anti-Rotation Press, Push:Pull, Clock Plank, etc
4. Examples of Loaded Carries – Suitcase Carry, Farmers Carry, Kettlebell

Bottoms Up Carry, etc
That’s how our core training works!
There is no isolation work anywhere in the program besides some specific shoulder health exercises.
Why?
“If you train patterns you won’t miss muscles, but if you train
muscles you will miss patterns.”
When designing programs ask yourself this very important question: Am I training athletes to be better
at their sport or am I training powerlifters/Olympic weightlifters/bodybuilders?
The answer is obvious when you think about it that way – always think movements and movement
patterns, not muscles. Look to squat on one and two legs. Hinge on one and two legs. Perform bridging.
Push and pull things, both vertically and horizontally for the upper body.
CRAIG EDWARDS 89
If you do all that, you’ll be getting everything you need. Don’t forget, the cornerstone of any well thought
out strength and conditioning program, no matter the sport, revolve around fundamental and basic
movement patterns.
Why is there so little volume? Don’t athletes need more to gain strength and explosiveness?
This is an extremely common misconception, one that has probably worked it’s way into the sports
performance community from the bodybuilding community.
“Everything is a poison, nothing is a poison, it all depends on

the dosage.”
One of the greatest killers of the Central Nervous System (CNS) is volume. Nothing will tank and athletes
motivation, physiology and overall well-being more then a poorly designed, high volume strength
program – especially In-Season!
Tony Holler is famous for saying ‘don’t let today ruin tomorrow’, which is why we rarely perform more
then three sets for an exercise, with the only exception being a slightly greater pull to push ratio with
our upper body work.
Less is more all year, but it’s even more important during the competitive season. Be fresh for when it
matters – match day!
CRAIG EDWARDS 90
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Chin Ups. We actually perform them from time to time in the
Off-Season, though not often these days. However, during the In-Season period we stay away from
them.
Why? Because they place a lot of stress on the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL).
The UCL is the ligament on the inside of the elbow and is designed to decelerate the arm after throwing
a baseball or hitting a volleyball. It is often injured in sports that require overhead movements
(throwing) like baseball, javelin, and volleyball, and typically injured due to overuse (repeatedly
throwing a baseball or hitting a volleyball).
The injury itself is more commonly known as Tommy John Surgery, with a typical recovery time of 9 –
12 months.
That’s why we don’t perform many Chin Ups.
Sled Marching has become one of my go-to lower body exercises, not just for volleyball players, but for
all athletes. Though we perform the movement in the Off-Season, I think the movement is as good as
it gets for lower body training during the In-Season period.
Why?
One, most people, athlete or not, need more hip extension. The Sled March can be thought of as a
loaded hip extension machine.
Two, there is no eccentric stress. Eccentric stress is generally what causes soreness. Sled Marching
gives us a strength exercise with a much lower potential for soreness the days following. Seems like a
no-brainer, right? This is why we always place it on our last lift of the week heading into our weekend
of games.
CRAIG EDWARDS 91
Three, it allows us to train strength horizontally. If you look at almost all strength exercises for the lower
body, they are vertical. Getting an athlete stronger in other planes will develop a more well-rounded
athlete and a more robust athlete.
Four, its uni-lateral horizontal strength which is critical for athletic performance.
Five, there is zero spinal loading. Though there is nothing wrong with spinal loading, many athletes don’t
handle spinal loading very well.
I’ll stop there, but I could probably come up with some other really good reasons to include Sled
Marching in your program if you forced me to.
A volleyball athlete spends on the court practices throughout the course of the competitive season.
With that comes a LOT of jumping and landing, and performing more in the weight room will probably
doing nothing but increase the likelihood of an over-use injury. Remember, do no harm!
As Coach Michael Boyle is known to say, “fill the empty buckets”…and jumping and/or landing is not a
bucket that needs to be filled, its already overflowing.
CRAIG EDWARDS 92
For continued customer support please email:
cedwards2178@gmail.com
As much as I love connecting on social media (which is a lot), I am not able to consistently respond to
the questions I receive across platforms due to ongoing work loads, no matter how hard I try. Please
direct any questions to the email above.
Please allow 3-5 business days for an email reply.
Thank you so much for your support and good luck with the training!
CRAIG EDWARDS 93
46 Auburn St., Exeter, NH 03833 (603) 772-2216
cedwards2178@gmail.com www.EdwardsTrainingSystems.com
@craig__edwards @CraigMEdwards
@EdwardsTrainingSystems
CRAIG EDWARDS 94

The Ultimate In-Season Training Guide For Volleyball

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I

THE ULTIMATE IN-SEASON TRAINING GUIDE FOR VOLLEYBALL

© Copyrights, 2019 by Craig Edwards. All Rights Reserved.

For more information, Please Contact:

46 Auburn St., Exeter, NH 03833 (603) 772-2216

CRAIG EDWARDS III

About Craig ................................................................................................................ 1

About This Program .................................................................................................. 3

Key Terms .................................................................................................................. 4

Program Philosophy .................................................................................................. 7

Performance Enhancement Program Overview ..................................................... 9

Strength Phases ...................................................................................................... 13

Pieces of the Program............................................................................................. 14

Beginner Program ................................................................................................... 17

Nuts & Bolts Program ............................................................................................. 77

Exercise Descriptions ............................................................................................. 79

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ....................................................................... 84

Final Comments from Craig.................................................................................... 93

Craig Edwards was named the assistant strength and conditioning

Along with his role at New Hampshire, Craig is a strength and

“The best ability and athlete can have is availability.”

ROM Range of motion

Rate of perceived exertion, which is a measure of how difficult a particular set

TEMPO The speed at which the lift occurs.

FREQUENCY How often you are performing strength training

As many reps as possible (with good form). Often performed as a test to

PERIODIZATION The organization of training over time

2. Minimal effective dose

 Foam Roll/Tissue Quality

 Weight Room Power and Strength

Don’t over think this stuff – its not rocket science.

Bodyweight Explosive Power Both 1 and 2 leg plyometrics and variations

Hang Clean, Kettlebell Swings, Jump Squats, Landmine Split

Trap Bar Dead Lift, Romanian Dead Lift, Goblet Squat, 2-

1-Leg Shoulder Elevated Hip Lift, Slideboard Leg Curl and

Push Ups, Standing Landmine Press, 1-Dumbbell Bench Press,

½ Kneeling Kettlebell Bottoms Up Press, ½ Kneeling Landmine

Core Anti-extension, Anti-rotation, Anti-lateral flexion, etc.

Loaded Carries (could be placed in

Crawling (could be placed in the

 90/90 Wall Diaphragmatic Breathing x60 seconds

 Glutes & Hip Rotators x30 seconds each

 Hamstrings x30 seconds each

 Calves x30 seconds each

 Upper Back x30 seconds

 Posterior Shoulder x30 seconds each

 Quads x30 seconds each

 Adductors x30 seconds each

 Toe Sit x5 Breaths

 Heel Sit x5 Breaths

 90/90 Hip ER/IR x5 Breaths per side/position

 Spiderman x5 Breaths per side

 Adductor Rock x5 each side

 ½ Kneel Ankle Rocks x8 each

 V-Stance T-Spine x5 Breaths per side

 Floor Slides x5 Breaths

 1-Leg Cook Hip Lift x5 Breaths each

 Band Supported Leg Lower x5 Breaths each

 Band Supine Hip Flexor x5 Breaths each

 Lateral Band Walk (band below knee) x10 Steps each

 Knee Hug x10 Yards

 Leg Cradle x10 Yards

 Quad Stretch x10 Yards