Why Volleyball Players Should Work on Strength and Conditioning

There has been a lot of talk about the importance of strength and conditioning for volleyball players. It’s worth noting that volleyball players choose to add strength and conditioning workouts to their training programs for a number of reasons.

Generally speaking, strength and conditioning has a huge positive impact on volleyball player’s physical capabilities and performance on the court. Actually, that’s the number one reason why strength and conditioning workouts have to be a part of volleyball player’s program. Should volleyball players do strength and conditioning workouts or not is a never ending debate. Today, we are going to help you find the right answer to this important question.

In this blog, we’ll explain to readers why volleyball players need to focus on doing strength and conditioning exercises. Additionally, we’ll give volleyball players tips to help them get the most out of their strength and conditioning training programs.

Doing Strength and Conditioning Workouts Helps Athletes Build Strength and Power

It’s no surprise that strength and power is incredibly important for every volleyball player. If a volleyball player does strength and conditioning workouts on a consistent basis then he/she will be able to strengthen volleyball-specific muscles, tendons as well as ligaments surrounding joints over time. As a result, athletes will be able to carry out powerful attack hits. Doing strength and conditioning workouts will also help volleyball players jump higher, serve forcefully, dig balls and block opponent’s attacks successfully. Without a doubt, volleyball players need to do strength and conditioning workouts regularly if they would like to reach their maximum performance potential.

Strength and Conditioning Improves Volleyball Player’s Vertical Jump

Having a high vertical jump is incredibly important for every volleyball player. Doing strength and conditioning workouts is something that helps athletes build their explosive power and improve performance on the court dramatically. It’s crucial for athletes to focus on doing exercises that strengthen hip and leg muscles. That’s why deadlifts as well as squats have to be a key part of volleyball player’s workout program. It also makes sense for volleyball players to do exercises with the box jump. Doing this type of strength and conditioning workouts will allow volleyball players to build explosive power and jump much higher. In addition, the box jump will give volleyball players the perfect opportunity to master safe jumping and landing techniques. And of course, the ability to jump higher will greatly contribute to a volleyball player’s performance on the court.

Strength and Conditioning Improves Volleyball Player’s Endurance

A volleyball player has to be strong, powerful and skilled. It’s also important for you to know that the success of a volleyball player depends a lot on his/her endurance. Endurance is something that helps volleyball players to demonstrate excellent performance on the court over a long period of time. You’ll be able to achieve great results in the sport of volleyball only if you have a lot of endurance.

The best thing you can do to boost your endurance for volleyball is to focus on strength and conditioning. Those athletes who work hard in the weight room can minimize the stress on their joints and ligaments significantly. Doing strength and conditioning exercises also helps athletes keep their muscles well-balanced. All of this will have a big positive impact on volleyball player’s endurance and performance.

Strength and Conditioning Training Has a Positive Influence on Volleyball Player’s Agility

It goes without saying that every volleyball player has to be able to move quickly on the court. If can you move fast you’ll be able to contribute greatly to the success of your volleyball team. That’s the reason why athletes need to do everything they can to improve their foot speed. Exercises for strengthening leg and hip muscles as well as agility drills must be a part of a volleyball player’s strength and conditioning program. In addition, volleyball players need to work on lateral movements. With the right type of strength and conditioning training you’ll be able to improve your foot speed and agility dramatically.

Strength and Conditioning Leads to Greater Flexibility

While playing the game of volleyball an athlete has to jump, land, carry out attack hits and block the opposite team’s attacks. There is no doubt that improving full body flexibility has to be one of the top priorities for every volleyball player. Having a flexible body will make it much easier for athletes to cope with all of various important tasks during volleyball practices and matches. Strength and conditioning is something that helps volleyball players increase their body flexibility. It’s a great idea for athletes to do stretches and relax a body after strength and conditioning workouts as well.

Strength and Conditioning Improves Body Composition

Every athlete should aim to maintain muscle mass and build total body strength. On the other hand, volleyball players have to do everything they can to reduce body fat percentage. What is great about strength and conditioning is that this type of training helps athletes keep a low level of body fat without losing their performance. It’s worth noting that strength and conditioning does a better job with the proper nutrition. Finally, volleyball players will be able to maintain an optimum body composition and increase their strength as well as power significantly.

Strength and Conditioning is Recommended for Injury Prevention

Obviously, injuries negatively affect a volleyball player’s performance. Volleyball injuries can cause a huge damage to a volleyball player’s career. Among common volleyball injuries are: shoulder injuries (such as shoulder irritation and inflammation, rotator cuff tendonitis or tears and shoulder impingement syndrome), knee injuries (such as patellar tendonitis, tears of anterior cruciate ligament) as well as ankle sprains.

Volleyball injuries can be caused by such repetitive motions as jumping and landing. Injuries may also occur during spikes and serves. Oftentimes, injuries in volleyball players are caused by muscular imbalances.

Needless to say that every athlete has to do everything possible to prevent different types of injuries from happening. One of the best ways of preventing injuries in volleyball is to strengthen targeted muscles. It’s a great idea for volleyball players to focus on interval training and strength training.

Ladder drills, plyometrics exercises, shuffling as well as shuttle drills have to be included in a volleyball player’s interval training program. Exercises like bridges, lunges, planks, squats and tuck jumps have to be included in a volleyball player’s strength training program.

By doing these exercises, athletes will be able to strengthen their legs and core significantly. However, the most important thing is that interval and strength training helps volleyball players prevent different types of injuries during practices and matches.

Strength and conditioning training helps volleyball players resolve the problem of muscle imbalances. When doing strength and conditioning exercises athletes develop balanced strength that can help them avoid different types of injuries in the future.

Strength and Conditioning Has a Positive Impact on Team Culture

Another big advantage of strength and conditioning training is that it helps keep a volleyball team united. Communication plays a very important role in the success of a volleyball team. Teammates must rely on each other during volleyball matches. Work in the weight room will help volleyball players create great team environment and build a positive team culture. So, athletes will support each other during volleyball practices and matches.

When the entire volleyball team is working in the weight room athletes will be able to enjoy great competitive environment. Healthy competition in the weight room is something that drives volleyball players forward. In other words, this type of competition motivates athletes to work hard in the weight room and make a huge progress. Let’s imagine that one of volleyball players is doing great job when lifting heavy weights. If this is the case, this athlete will definitely be a good example for other members of the volleyball team. Thus, other volleyball players will do everything they can to repeat his/her success.

The bottom line is, strength and conditioning delivers multiple significant benefits to volleyball players. Strength and conditioning is something that makes athletes stronger, more powerful and more injury resistant. Among other important advantages of strength and conditioning are: faster arm swing, more powerful spike, better block, improved landing mechanism, greater core strength and more. That means that if you would like to succeed in the sport of volleyball then you should definitely spend some time in the weight room and do strength and conditioning workouts on a regular basis. The success will not keep you waiting for a long time. Finally, you’ll begin to demonstrate great results on the court. Good luck!