How to Build and Maintain a Volleyball Player’s Body

Volleyball is a physical game. It will be a whole-body workout, affecting every part of your body. Because of this, it’s important to work on building your strength and endurance.

Thankfully, there are several things that you can do to improve your fitness and build your body. When done right, you should be able to maintain these physical abilities for years to come. Keep reading to learn some of the best ways to prepare your body for volleyball.

Improve Lower Body Strength

One of the most important things to do is work on improving strength in your lower body. During the game, these areas will get an intense workout. You will be required to run from one side of the court to the other regularly. You’ll also need to use explosive force to jump high enough for your shots to clear the net.

The good news is that there are plenty of exercises that you can do to help you with this aspect, including:

• Squats. These are some of the best ways to build muscle in the legs. As you grow more skilled at this exercise, you can increase the resistance. Do this by increasing the weight in the squat, using chains, or dumbbells.
• Glute kick bridges. This places a lot of pressure on the legs and glutes. It also works out your core and upper body. This video shows you what you should be doing.
• Deadlift. This will work plenty of muscle groups, though it will require plenty of lower body strength to lift the bar. Remember, you can always increase the resistance by adding more weight to the bar.
• Box jumps. These are a great way to hone your ability to perform explosive jumps.

Increasing Hitting Power

Another important attribute of a volleyball player’s body is their upper body strength. They have strong shoulders and toned arm muscles. This is because they need to access plenty of power to hit the ball over the net. Click here for Improve Your Game by Training in the Volleyball Off-Season

There are a few ways that you can enhance this element. Some of the exercises that you can try include:

• Kettlebell swings. When you are doing this, your aim is to have controlled swings. This should increase the amount of effort for your muscles.
• Overhead barbell press. This exercise remains one of the most effective ways for you to build upper body strength. As long as you are using the right weights, it shouldn’t require too many reps to be effective. You should aim for three sets, each with 15 reps.
• Pullups. These are a good way of working your biceps. Usually, you will be using your own body weight as resistance. Though you can add weights to increase the challenge.

Enhancing Core Strength

Another important aspect for volleyball players to consider is how they are going to build core strength. This will give you more control when jumping. It also makes it easier to deliver a more powerful hit, giving you a better chance of scoring a point. Click here for Why Volleyball Players Should Do Yoga

The good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can work on your core strength. Some exercise ideas include:

• Russian twists
• Mountain climbers
• Leg raises
• Declined crunches

Building Endurance

Volleyball games will also test your endurance. You will need to have the stamina to keep pushing your body throughout the whole game. This is where a good workout will be important. In this area, it’s best to focus on an aerobic workout. This is designed to increase the amount of oxygen in your blood.

During these sessions, you want to focus on raising your heartbeat. Then, keep it elevated for an extended period. There are plenty of ways that you can do this. Some of the options you can explore include:

• Running or jogging. This is one of the most common ways of building your stamina. Try to increase the distance of the track or the difficulty of the terrain over time.
• Swimming. This can be a good approach to recover after a big game. It doesn’t place a lot of pressure on your muscles and joints, but you will still be improving your cardio.
• Climbing stairs. This is a good way of building strength in your lower body while increasing your stamina and cardio.
• Dancing. Who said that building endurance had to be boring?  Dancing to your favorite beats will get your heart pumping and provide a whole-body workout.

Use a Whole Body HIIT Workout

It’s important to think about the type of workout that you will be completing.  In most cases, it’s a good idea to use a whole-body workout. Try to get something that uses High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), this is best for developing explosive movements. In this process, you want to have an intense session where you push yourself hard, then take a small break.

It’s usually best to use an approach that will target every part of your body. You can also add a few more exercises to target specific areas that you want to improve.

Incorporate Rest Period

Once you have gone through the training to build your volleyball body, you want to keep it for as long as possible. This is why rest is so important. Playing a game of volleyball places a lot of force on your joints and muscles. Because of this, you need to give your body a little time to recover.

How often you need to have a rest day will depend on your training routine. Usually, though, it’s best to try to give yourself one to two days of rest each week. It’s always a good idea to consult with your coach, so you can get personalized advice.

You should always have rest periods. But they are even more important in the wake of an injury. While no one likes to sit on the sidelines, if you try to get back on the court before your injuries have healed, you risk developing more serious injuries in the future. Talk to your doctors to find out how long you will need to sit out.

Just because you are injured, though, doesn’t mean that you need to stop training entirely. It just means that you need to be more selective about the types of activities you are doing. Here are some of the things you can do; just be sure to always consult with your doctor or physiotherapist.

• Swimming. This is known for having a minimal impact on your joints, so it can be a good way to work on your cardio while you recover.
• Walking. This is another good way of building endurance without putting too much pressure on your joints.
• Yoga. This is a low-impact way of improving your flexibility.

If you are recovering from an injury, it’s always a good idea to consult with a doctor before you start doing the activity. The last you want is to be aggravating your injuries.

Think About Your Nutrition

The final element to consider is your diet. It’s important to make sure that you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to continue functioning and producing muscle. Click here for Eating out after your game: the best postgame snacks

Usually, volleyballers are characterized by their lean frames. So, it’s a good idea to try and stick to low-fat foods. But you want something that will have plenty of protein, so you will be able to grow muscle. It’s also a good idea to eat some complex carbs. Your body will use these as an energy source. Click here for Best Snacks for a Volleyball Tournament

Final Thoughts

Volleyball players put a lot of effort into training.  This allows them to create a lean, powerful physique, which is equipped to cope with the demanding world of volleyball. The good news is that you can always improve your body, so you will perform better on game day. Hopefully, these tips will allow you to do this.