In this episode of the VBSC Podcast, host Greg Herceg (The Volleyball Strength Coach) is joined by his full coaching staff — Coach Dion, Coach CeCe, Coach Gerry, and Coach Sarah — for a deep dive into the biggest myths in volleyball strength and conditioning. Each coach shares a myth they personally believed earlier in their career and the moment they realized they were wrong. Topics covered: Dion tackles the myth that volleyball players need to stay lean to perform at a high level — and why gaining muscle the right way can actually improve your game CeCe breaks down why "don't lift in-season" is misguided, and how smart, periodized in-season training keeps athletes healthy and performing through the end of the year Gerry challenges the "train hard every day" mentality and makes the case for zone two cardio as an underrated tool for volleyball performance Sarah explains why more volleyball volume doesn't automatically make you a better player — and how strength and conditioning off the court fills the gaps Greg covers two of his own myth evolutions: training core exclusively in braced positions, and holding athletes to arbitrary range-of-motion standards borrowed from powerlifting Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or a volleyball parent, this episode will challenge some of the assumptions you've been training under — and give you practical takeaways to train smarter
Welcome back to the VBSC Podcast! This week, Greg brings together the entire coaching staff for a conversation about the strength and conditioning myths they each believed early in their careers — and what changed their minds.
Coaches featured in this episode:
Myths covered in this episode:
🏐 Myth #1 — You have to be skinny to be a top-tier volleyball player (Dion) Dion shares how TJ DeFalco's infamous bulk and Darlan de Souza's dominance changed the way he thinks about body composition and performance.
🏐 Myth #2 — Athletes shouldn't lift in-season (CeCe) CeCe breaks down the difference between off-season and in-season training, why periodization matters, and how maintaining strength through the season reduces injury and keeps performance high at crunch time.
🏐 Myth #3 — You have to practice super hard so games feel easy (Gerry) Gerry makes the case for zone two cardio and aerobic base building — and why going all-out every practice is a recipe for burnout, not improvement.
🏐 Myth #4 — More volleyball volume equals better volleyball (Sarah) Sarah shares how returning from injury with a focused S&C program made her a better player than simply logging more court time ever did.
🏐 Myth #5 — Core training must be done in braced positions (Greg) Greg explains why rotational and multi-planar core work belongs in every volleyball athlete's program — not just anti-rotation exercises.
🏐 Myth #6 — Exercises must meet a specific range of motion standard to count (Greg) Greg challenges the idea of applying powerlifting movement standards to volleyball athletes, and why a smarter approach to range of motion can reduce injury risk without sacrificing results.
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