Team, First off—thank you. This community started as a place to share free, honest, no-BS volleyball performance content… and because of you, it’s grown to 135 committed athletes, parents, and coaches who actually care about doing things the right way. As we head into 2026, I’m making an upgrade that will bring more structure, more value, and better results for everyone inside. 🔥 What’s Changing in 2026 Starting in January, Volleyball Strength Coach will become a structured performance community with monthly programming, including: - ⚡ Speed Training - 🟢 Vertical Jump Development - 🔁 Agility & Change of Direction - 🏋️ Strength Training - ❓ Monthly Q&A + Coaching Feedback This allows me to: - Deliver clear, organized training instead of random posts - Answer questions in depth (and publicly) so everyone learns - Show you how I actually coach, not just what I believe 💚 What This Means for You Because you’re already here… 👉 You are 100% grandfathered in.👉 You will NEVER pay the $20/month fee.👉 You’ll receive the same workouts, education, and Q&A as future paid members. New members joining in 2026 will pay $10/month, but this group will always recognize the people who supported it early. 🎯 Why This Matters This community will now serve as: - A training hub for volleyball athletes - A place to ask real questions and get real answers - A way for athletes & parents to see what higher-level coaching actually looks like - A bridge for those who eventually want more personalized 1:1 online coaching Nothing is being taken away—everything is being upgraded. I’m excited to take this to the next level with you. If you’re here, you’re early—and that matters. Let’s get to work 💪— Jim Swift

@Viktor Warkentin asked a great question: "I’ve been reading a lot about benefits of the eccentric training and would like to know if you use it and how?" Eccentric training focuses on the lowering or lengthening phase of a movement—when a muscle is producing force while it’s being stretched. - Lowering into a squat - Controlling the bar as it comes down in a bench press - Compared to lifting the weight up (concentric): - Muscles can handle more load eccentrically - It places higher mechanical tension on the muscle and tendon - It creates greater adaptation (if dosed correctly) - This is why eccentrics are powerful—but must be programmed intelligently, especially with youth athletes. Benefits: Speed, Jump, and Change-of-Direction Performance - Athletes must absorb force before reapplying it - Better eccentric strength = better elastic rebound - Improves braking efficiency → faster re-acceleration 3. Muscle Growth & Strength - High tension stimulus for hypertrophy - Builds structural strength that supports heavier and faster concentric work later. HOW I PRIMARILY USE IT: -In weight training. It's a great tool first to use when learning how to better control the weight going down to up. -As you build competency in strength training and more work capacity, you would then want to start using over 70-75% of your 1RM and 5 reps or less. -Then get really intentional with a specific amount of time on the lower phase like 3-5 Seconds slowly down each rep targeted. -I'd say it is then a more INTENTIONAL focus for about 4 weeks or so, maybe 2 weeks if you have a shorter time like training in the summer before fall season camps start up. But the foundation must be there or you'll eventually not get the most out of it. In Plyometrics it is great to help landing mechanics which not only has joint/tendon health benefits, but also learning how to transition back up in a jump. At some point though, you don't over focus on how slow you can lower the weight or you body in Plyometrics. We must keep in mind that we want to also practice moving more rapidly in these movements. With weights, it'll be much less weight if you are working at moving faster each direction under control. With Plyometrics, you'll also want to use it when jumping up onto higher boxes or broad jumping for distance.

🏐 Welcome to the Swift Performance Training Community! 🏐** Hey everyone! 👋 I’m thrilled to have you here. This space is dedicated to all things **Strength, Power, Speed, Nutrition, and beyond** for volleyball athletes who are committed to leveling up their game. Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or just looking to learn more about high-performance training in volleyball, this community is here to support you! Here, you’ll find: - **Weekly training insights** and tips to boost your power, speed, and endurance on the court. - **Nutrition guidance** to help fuel your performance. - **Q&A sessions** to tackle your specific training challenges. - A place to **connect** with like-minded athletes and share your wins, struggles, and progress! Feel free to introduce yourself below and let us know what you're looking forward to gaining from this community. Excited to have you all here as we grow, learn, and achieve together! **Let’s get stronger, faster, and more powerful – together!** Watch this video please 👇🏻 https://youtu.be/wrYdvwsWzGQ?si=zwfyAB2uykMVm4Xt