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

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)

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Resources & Links:

• VBSC Coaching Application (Link to apply for personalized volleyball coaching)

Connect with Coaches:

• Greg - YouTube | Instagram