Volleyball is a fast-paced sport that takes significant aerobic strength and muscular endurance. The muscular endurance has nothing to do with size or bulk. Instead, it relates to the ability to perform muscle contractions throughout an extended time frame. Every time you contract a muscle, a movement is being performed as well.
Functional Training
During a volleyball match, the body moves through multiple planes of motion to jump, spike, block, dive and volley. Having the ability to consistently meet these demands throughout the match is known as functional strength. This involves training multiple muscles through movements, as opposed to isolating muscles.
Main Muscles
During a match, you work a variety of muscles, especially in the lower body. These all act in unison through various movements. When it comes to jumping, for example, the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves all get recruited at the same time. The glutes get worked with a motion called hip extension. This takes place when you move your thigh backward. The quadriceps are worked when you perform hip flexion and knee extension. Hip flexion takes place when you move your thigh toward your stomach, and knee extension occurs when you straighten your lower leg. The calves, which consist of the gastrocnemius and soleus, are recruited when you perform plantar flexion. This motion occurs when you bend your ankle and point your foot downward.
Core Muscles
The core muscles need to be mentioned because they are crucial for all movements on the court. The main muscles of the core are the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis and erector spinae. The rectus abdominis is in the middle of the stomach, the obliques are on the sides of the stomach, the transverse abdominis is deep inside the stomach and the erector spinae runs down the center of the back. These muscles contract to stabilize the spine, produce force and balance the body throughout a match.
Training for Movement
Training muscles for size and aesthetics is an effective strategy if you are a bodybuilder, but this all changes when you play volleyball. The key is to train your body in a way that is familiar to a game-like atmosphere. This is known as sport specificity and it will improve your efficiency on the floor. An effective plan of attack is to incorporate plyometric, functional exercises that involve multiple movement patterns. Plyometrics are performed in an explosive fashion. A double-leg vertical jump, for example, is a common functional exercise that applies to volleyball. Perform this by lowering yourself into a deep squat, then jumping in the air as high as possible while reaching your arms overhead. This is a basic move performed often in a match. Other plyometric exercises like split squat jumps, double tuck jumps, butt kicks and ankle hops are also effective.
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