More work doesn’t always mean better results.

When training volume keeps climbing but performance drops, something is off.

Welcome to Oak Performance Radio, which explores what high-level performance actually demands. The show looks at training, preparation, and decision-making through the lens of real athletes, real coaches, and real environments on the field and beyond it.

Episode Highlights

In this episode, Adam Lane breaks down why athlete health must come before excessive training volume. We focus on overexposure in club volleyball, the physical and mental toll of constant competition, and why short, high-intensity training paired with consistent measurement leads to better outcomes. Adam explains how tracking performance data can reveal fatigue early and help coaches protect athletes from burnout.

Episode Outline

• Why athlete health should come before being “in shape.”

• Overexposure and fatigue in club volleyball environments.

• Gaps in high school strength and conditioning structure.

• Why does more training volume often lead to worse performance?

• The role of force plates, laser timers, and weekly testing.

• How quality-focused sessions outperform long practices.

• Mental health factors that impact physical performance.

• Using data trends to catch fatigue and performance decline.

• Coaching responsibility in preventing athlete burnout.

• When and why practices should be shortened or stopped.

• Reinforcing quality over quantity as the guiding principle
  

Episode Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:34 The Importance of Health and Balance in Athlete Development

01:09 Challenges in Club Volleyball and High School Sports

09:33 The Problem with Over-Training and Fatigue

09:47 The Role of Technology in Athlete Development

12:35 The Importance of Quality Over Quantity in Training

14:08 The Impact of Mental and Physical Health on Performance

14:22 The Importance of Regular Testing and Measurement

24:45 The Role of Coaches in Preventing Burnout

28:13 The Importance of Purposeful Training

28:30 The Bottom Line: Quality Over Quantity

Action Taken

• Schedule strength sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays (30–45 minutes, heavy and moved fast)

• Measure approach, touches, verticals, and sprint times weekly on Sundays

• Limit max-effort jumps to 2–4 per athlete per week

• Use contrast training for more developed athletes

• Track performance data in the USR system and share dashboards with parents and coaches

• Add short speed or jump-focused sessions with basic running cues

• Monitor readiness daily and reduce volume or end sessions early when fatigue appears
  

Conclusion

High performance is not built through constant volume or endless reps. It comes from knowing when to push, when to pull back, and how to read what the athlete is showing, physically and mentally. Training that prioritizes quality, recovery, and honest measurement keeps athletes healthy, engaged, and capable of performing when it actually counts.

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Thanks for listening. Hope you enjoyed this episode and found it useful.