Ultimate 25-Minute Workout Guide for Volleyball Athletes

Whether your client is a volleyball player for fun or on a competitive team, you can help them improve their game. Some of the most important athletic abilities for excellent volleyball performance are:

• Speed

• Power

• Agility

• Balance

• Change of direction

These abilities require various types of training but can be improved through strength training exercises. Increasing strength helps with the rate of force development and power. Weight training can help athletes get off the bench and see a great increase in volleyball performance. 

Stamina is another major part of volleyball. Athletes who fatigue quickly experience a more severe decrease in performance level. It is important to utilize this volleyball workout to your advantage. Make sure to stay consistent with training and recover properly. 

Volleyball Training Workout

This type of training will include both strength and power exercises. Some can be performed without equipment and others will require equipment. The entire volleyball workout can be modified based on the athlete's fitness level. You will need 25 minutes to complete the entire workout.

The Warm-Up

Warm-ups are an integral part of each workout. According to Mayo Clinic, they get help prep the body for aerobic activity by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles. Warm-ups can help reduce muscle soreness and lower the risk of injury.

#1 Single-Leg Glute Bridges

Lay flat on your back with your hands to the side of your body. Keep your legs bent and knees up. Raise your left leg off the ground. Make sure that both upper legs are in line with each other. Maintain this position and lift your hips upwards. Squeeze your glutes and lower your hips back down to the ground. Perform 15 repetitions on each leg. 

#2 Sumo Squat

Place your feet wider than shoulder width and point your toes out 45 degrees. Bend at your hips and knees, squatting down as far as you can. Push your knees outward to maintain proper squat form and alignment. Perform 15 repetitions. 

#3 Standing Knee Drives

In a standing position, raise your right leg up towards your left elbow. The goal is to drive each knee up high enough to touch your opposite elbow. You should be able to do so without having to bend forward at the torso. Perform for 30 seconds. 

# 4 Jump Squats

Squat down by bending at your hips and knees. Explode back up pushing through the ground and jumping into the air. As you leave the ground, drive your arms down and behind your body. Land softly, absorb your body weight, and quickly repeat. Perform 15 repetitions. 

The Workout

It’s important to give max effort and perform each exercise as explosively as possible. You’re building strength and power for improved athletic performance.

# 1 Box Jump

In a standing position, place your arms straight out in front of your body or above your head. Bend at the hips and knees while bringing your arms down and back. Push through the ground, drive your hips forward and explode up into the air. Drive your arms forward and up to propel your body onto the box. Step down and repeat. Perform 5 sets of 3 repetitions. Rest for up to 2 minutes between sets. 

# 2 Deadlift to Hang Clean

Place your feet underneath the barbell and rest your shins against the bar. With your feet hip-width apart, grab onto the barbell with an overhand grip. Place your hands right outside of your legs. Squat down and keep your back flat. Drive through the ground and extend your hips forward. Stand in the upright position. Now, slightly lean forward, jump up, and pull the bar into the racked position. Perform 2 cleans for every 1 deadlift. Repeat 5 times and then rest for up to 2 minutes. Complete a total of 3 sets.

# 3 Push Press

Place the barbell in the racked position. Slightly bend at your knees and hips and then quickly extend them both as you push the barbell above your head. Flexing at the knees and hips, allows you to extend back up explosively. This sends the bar above your head as you also push with your upper body. Perform 4 sets of 5 reps. Rest for up to 2 minutes. 

# 4 Lateral Lunges

Start off with your feet wider than shoulder width. Push your hips back and shift your weight to the right side of the body. Your right leg must bend, and your left leg will stay straight. Drop your hips as low as possible. This helps engage muscles in the posterior chain. Push through the heel of your right foot to stand back up. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg. Rest for up to 1 minute in between sets.  

# 5 Single-Leg RDL

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Raise your right leg off the floor. With the weight in the right hand, begin hinging at your hips. Lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the ground. Keep your back flat and right leg as straight as possible. There should be a slight bend at the knee. Do not allow your leg to bend anymore while performing the movement. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg.  

The Cool Down

Just as you warmed up the body for exercise, now you want to cool it down. This helps the body return to its original heart rate and blood pressure levels.

#1 Squat and Hold Groin Stretch

Squat down as low as you can. Keep your heels down on the ground and place your elbows on the inside of your legs. Push your elbows outwards, stretching the inside of your legs. If needed, you can slightly raise your heels off the ground to achieve this position. Hold for 30 seconds. 

#2 Worlds Greatest Stretch

In a lunge position, drop your body down toward the front leg. Place one hand on the outside of the foot and one on the inside. Keep your back leg straight and up off the ground. To increase the stretch, rotate the arm on the inside of the leg upwards. Look up toward your hand and hold. Hold for 30 seconds on each side. 

#3 Toe Touch

Squat down and extend one leg out away from the body. With your heel on the ground and leg straight reach forward for your toes. Hold and stretch your hamstring for 30 seconds. Then switch to the opposite leg. 

Great work! You have completed the 25-minute volleyball workout!

Expand Your Education

Love putting together a volleyball drill and creating volleyball workouts for your clients or teams? Learn more about developing strength and power for your volleyball athlete. Check out these blogs: 

• Using Plyometrics for Power Development

• Exercises to Improve Power

• For Women Weightlifting is Essential, Here’s Why

Take your training up a notch by getting certified. If you enjoy training clients for athletic performance, become an ISSA Strength and Conditioning coach today!

References

The right way to warm up and cool down. Mayo Clinic. (2021). Retrieved 2 August 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045517.