Volleyball sensation April Ross has the ultimate beach-ready body.
The professional beach volleyball player was named 2013’s USA Volleyball Female Beach Athlete of the Year. Now, she’s heading into the 2014 season opener of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) with a new partner. She’s paired with another star of the sand, Kerri Walsh Jennings and she’s re-hauled her entire nutrition and training plan.
“I changed everything as far as my team goes. I have a new partner, Kerri. I have a new coach. I have a new strength coach. I’m learning tons of new things. I feel like I’m starting a completely new chapter,” April reveals to Healthy Hollywood.
April credits her strength coach with helping her become super lean and strong.
“He has me eating more protein then I ever thought I had to. I aim to eat 150 grams a day and that cuts out a lot of carbs and sugars and stuff I shouldn’t be eating. I can’t remember the last time I had dessert. And, one of my hard fast rules is never to eat after 8 pm,” adds the London Olympics silver medalist.
With a new diet and training program, which includes a 3 to 4 hour weight training program, April says her game has never been better, noting, “It just helps me be more explosive. You jump higher. You’re faster. Eating all that protein has helped me lean out a lot.”
April and Kerri’s first tournament for this season’s AVP begins on May 29 in St. Petersburg, Fla. And, April reveals she takes the competing very seriously, adding, “I don’t go into it thinking I’m going to have fun at this tournament. I want to compete and I want to win. So, I get pretty serious leading up to the match. I don’t chat a lot. I keep to myself and I try to stay focused. I visualize. I drink a lot of water. I make sure I don’t eat too close to competing and I make sure I am awake two hours before my match. And, hopefully, if all that works, you’re focused and determined and ready to play.”
For more on the 2014 AVP tour, check out www.avp.com.
— Terri MacLeod
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