If the good momentum for getting in shape after the new year is starting to run out, maybe knowing that there is only 10 weeks until the our Skill Boost camp in Vienna & 12 weeks until we kick off our 1st full camp in Poreč, which this year has an XL version (8 days) and short and sweet version (5 days).

 

 

Obviously it is never too late to work on that beach bod, for those of you asking what is a Beach Bod is, here is a short definition from The Online Slang Dictionary.

 

 

 

 

So here at TimeOut, we have decided to make two 6-week programmes to start building the foundations and then to get your „bod“ beach camp ready. The good news is, it’s a generally accepted fact from sports science that training plans over as short as 4-6 weeks can have positive results in sporting and athletic performance.

 

 

Disclaimer: Despite the title of the blog my goal with this training plan is not to make you look like you belong in an episode of Baywatch, whether it is the new version of 2017 with The Rock and Zac Efron (see left pic below) or the older classic of David Hasselhoff (see right pic below). I will leave it up to you which is better.

 

 

 

 

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But do you really want to look like that anyway? Read what Zac Efron had to say about it, after filming was done here. It’s a lot of work to get in that kind of shape and even more to keep it. Plus the worst of it for us, who want to get better at beach volleyball, maybe you look great, but there is a reason why beach volleyball players are not built like body builders.

 

 

In last week’s blog Don’t forget the weeklies we spoke about how your weaknesses should be pretty high on your list of things to improve. As only increasing your strengths will eventually bring problems. For example when you come up against equally talented or more talented players than yourself, you have no other possibilities. I know many players that if plan A doesn’t work, there is no plan B.

 

 

And that brings me way back to How to build your system, we spoke about being honest of where you are currently in your ability. This can be extended to your strengths and weakness. So, if you are like me. Not being a professional athlete and not having the luxury of a strength coach telling you what to do. I can probably take a guess the majority of us are limited by our physicality and athleticism. So this is where our journey starts.

 

 

Phase I: Building the Foundation

 

 

The goal here is to get your bodies ready for a high concentration of trainings in a condensed period of time. Achieving this will allow you to take advantage of the training environment and the great things you will hear from our coaches. Do not underestimate this! The majority of physiotherapist in professional sporting teams will attest to the fact that missed training days have a massive correlation with inconsistent performance and lack of improvement in players. 

 

 

We do this by getting the muscles used to time under tension (TUT). Your body works on what is called a stress/response cycle. You create a stimulus and you body adapts. This is why most trainings have to change over time as the exercises become easier as you get stronger. Basically the bodies equivalent to the mental side of the difficulty cure of learning from how to get in the zone and often referred to as progress overload.

 

 

There are 3 types of muscle contractions

 

 

1. Isometric (Contraction without movement)
2. Eccentric (Contraction while getting longer)
3. Concentric (Contraction while getting shorter)

 

 

Each has their positives and negatives, for us on our building phase weeks 1-2 of the programme are based around isometric contractions to get the most out of TUT, without going crazy with the amount of load (Trainingsbelastung) from the training plan.

 

 

In weeks 3-4 I will release the Bi-lateral movement workout focusing more on eccentric movements that will take over from the Isometric workout. Followed by an uni-lateral movement workout focusing on concentric movements for for weeks 5-6. After Phase I is complete in the 6 weeks then we get to move into the more functional Phase II (also a 6 week plan) which, will focus on improving Agility and Mobility for Beach Volleyball.

 

 

 

BUT

 

 

We cannot forget that explosion and speed are big elements of volleyball so we combine the Isometric plan with a short sprint plan no more than 20 meters ran as quickly as possible with 2 minute break between runs. The sprint plan will be used throughout the 6 weeks of Phase I.

 

 

As a rough plan I would advise going for 3 times a week, with a rest day between each. Although 2 times on Tuesday/Thursday would also work if you want to start with less intensity. 

 

 

 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Isometric + Sprint	Rest	Isometric + Sprint	Rest	Isometric + Sprint	Rest	Rest

 

 

 

 

Click on the above „Herunterladen“ button to get the 2 week – PDF plan that have videos to show the exercises.

 

 

Last but not least there is a message from Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson who has talked about the concept of people not being able to delay gratification, so doing things to be happy and to have fun in the current moment. In this modern age of fast fun and everything fighting for you limited attention, our ability to delay gratification for later is becoming harder and harder to do. However, I would really encourage you all to go push back the wanting of reward and gratification, potentially there will be exercises you find boring, or too difficult or that you give up and get distracted easily. The training plan will progress and by not getting disillusioned and stopping because you don’t see or feel a result will be worth it in the end.

 

 

So enjoy the workout and tune in for next weeks TimeOut Beach Blog where I will be interviewing a very special guest coach.