Right-Side Back Row Spiking
The Key to Pulling Your Own Weight
Kaushik Chatterjee
Weight training is a common form of strength training which develops the strength of your muscles. It also enhances your metabolism, increases your balance, and boost your energy levels. It is a core part of any sport which requires extensive physical movement. Weight training is an essential part to improving as a volleyball player. Whether you’re out on the court or the beach, you’ll be hitting harder and playing longer. Weight training could be the key to many players (especially juniors) for taking their game to the next level. There are different types of weight training, so ensure you choose the program best tailored for your needs and goals.
For volleyball the 4 primary types are: strength training; power training; hypertrophy training; muscular endurance training. In strength training, the overall intensity of the exercises is quite high, but the repetitions are quite low. As strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com puts it, “strength training consists of performing at near maximal effort with full recovery between exercises”. In power training, the workload is lighter in comparison to strength training, ensuring the athlete can complete the repetitions with max speed. Muscular endurance comprises of low intensity but high volume: training should be lighter loads with significant repetition. Rest periods are also relatively short. Finally, we have hypertrophy training (i.e. increasing muscle size) consists of a high number of repetitions with a moderate load. Rest periods are also shorter, as it is important to being the next set before you fully recover.Hypertrophy training should not be a priority for volleyball players.
You should also complete multi-joint exercises and closed kinetic chain exercises in conjunction with weight training. Multi-joint exercises work on two or more core joints; they directly improve volleyball-specific strength. Multi-joint exercises include: squats; bench press; deadlifts. Closed kinetic chain exercises are exercises where the hand or foot remain in one place; the terminal joint is met with significant resistance. These include: push-ups; pull-ups; lunges. Here is the recommended ordering when weight-training for volleyball: power exercises; multi-joint exercises; assistance exercises. (exercises which focus on a smaller muscle group or isolating a specific muscle).
It is important to develop functional strength(i.e. strength which benefits you on-court). To prepare yourself for the demands of volleyball, volleyball-specific programs should emphasize balance, core stability, and landing drills will improve areas required for volleyball. AVCA states “[e]xercises that mimic common movements in practice are also effective ways to strengthen muscles outside the field of play.” The University of California, Los Angeles has a great volleyball program which will improve any player’s game. The full program can be found at https://www.stack.com/a/ucla-volleyball-strength-training. All strength training exercises for sports work towards not only improving your strength, but your stability, flexibility, and injury prevention. You can find a myriad of volleyball-specific programs online, for players of all ages and skill levels.
Strength training could be what takes your game to the next level. It not only helps in developing strength and power, but can lead to quicker movements, more explosive jumps, and smoother power transformations. You’ll find yourself hitting harder, moving faster, and feeling less tired on-court. The Art of Coaching Volleyball has some great exercises with video demonstrations, along with an explanation of the benefits of each exercise. There are many resources on strength training and volleyball, and an assortment of programs to choose from. Strength training should become a part of your workout routine, regardless of your age or skill level. The next time you step foot on the court, you’ll see just how much difference your training has made.
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