Over the decades, the way volleyball athletes have been training and conditioning has evolved. And at Venom Volleyball, we are constantly improving and refining our conditioning program to help our athletes maintain peak physical form while improving their skills and minimizing injury. Here are 3 areas of physical competency in particular that need to be focused on in the sport of volleyball.

Core Strength

Just about every activity in life needs a certain level of core strength. And when it comes to sports like volleyball, it becomes even more critical. Just about every movement in the sport demands strength from this important area of the body in order to carry out moves with great strength and effectiveness. For example, core strength plays a key role in creating torque when spiking, maintaining proper body posture when passing, and resisting force when blocking the ball.

The core area of the body is made up of the abs, obliques, and muscles of the lower back. Strengthening these areas can be done a number of ways, but one of the best ways is through maintaining a plank position throughout workouts. Whether the athlete is performing pushups, mountain climbers, or simply maintaining a static plank position, these movements can do wonders to strengthen the core.

Ankle Mobility

Many times the mobility and flexibility of the ankle is not given the amount of attention that it should. Many volleyball players experience difficulty maintaining a proper serve or playing defensively without adequate ankle strength. And considering how much jumping and landing is involved in the sport, it makes sense to place a certain level of focus on ankle mobility.

An effective way to improve this area is through a back-and-forth calf rocking movement. This exercise involves the athlete down on one knee with the other leg in a 90 degree angle. By rocking back and forth slowly, and keeping the whole foot on the ground (including the heel), players can effectively increase the range of motion at the ankle.

Landing Efficiency

One of the more common injuries that volleyball athletes experience is ACL injuries. The good news is, there are ways to help minimize the odds of athletes experiencing this type of injury. The aim of landing-specific exercises is to ensure the knee is kept in a straight line along the vertical, and the hips are kept straight along the horizontal.

There are a few exercises to help with landing efficiency, including the Skater exercise. With this move, athletes mimic the motions of a speed skater, jumping out onto one leg and allowing the opposite leg and arms to go out to that particular side. This motion is repeated on the other leg. The goal here is to stay on the same straight line with the knee and hips as body weight shifts.

At Venom Volleyball, we not only focus on building the skill set needed to succeed in this sport, we also focus on conditioning to minimize injury and boost performance. If you’re interested in signing your young volleyball athletes up with a professional club that is dedicated to improving every aspect of its athletes, visit VenomVolleyball.ca today!