Plyometric Exercises For Volleyball

To get a competitive edge on the volleyball court? Try plyometric exercises. In these exercises, players use the speed of different movements to obtain muscle power. Volleyball is played by jumping above the net. So, there is a need to increase the vertical jumps of volleyball players. You can improve your jump rate, speed, and agility by including these exercises in your plan. This article unveils a discreet and transformative regimen of plyometric exercises made especially for volleyball players.

The Essence of Plyometrics

Do you know why volleyball plyometric exercises are necessary? Volleyball is always played above the net. So, the main thing to focus on is enhancing the players’ vertical jumping. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, is an evolved exercise that uses stretch-shortening cycles of muscles to get ability. Higher jumps and lateral agility are the key features of integrating plyometric exercises in volleyball. Hence, these exercises increase the vertical jumping capacity of the players. Including these exercises in your volleyball training can elevate the essence of volleyball. Today, we will look at the eight most often-used plyometric exercises.

1. Depth Jumps

The holy grail of plyometric exercise is depth jumps. We use gravity to overload the eccentric portion of the jump. One thing to remember is not immediately bouncing off the ground as typical traditional depth jumps. Sometimes, players are asked to do depth jumps quickly with a bit of contact on the ground. It is not a good practice. We must do a regular tempo max vertical jump after hitting the ground. First, drop off an 8-24″ platform or box. Then, absorb the landing and explode upwards as you return to block or spike. Perform only 5-10 reps at a time.

2. Box Jumps

The main objective of depth drop is to drop off the box and absorb the landing forces immediately. Use a 12-48″ box for it. You have to bend your knees to absorb the force swiftly. Perform only 3-8 reps. The volume of the box jumps will depend upon the number of plyometric exercises at a time.

3. Underhand Med Ball Toss

Technically, this exercise is a power or speed-strength movement. But it is close to plyometric exercises. This exercise aims to launch a medical ball high in the air using your full body with power.

4. Lateral Hurdle Hops

As everyone knows, volleyball involves many lateral movements along the net, especially when blocking. Lateral high hops are an excellent way to create this lateral explosiveness. You can increase and decrease the difficulty of this movement by increasing and reducing the size of the hurdle.

5. Band Assisted Jumps

Band-assisted jumps are an adorable practice for vertical jumping. They are a perfect movement to include in your routine as we are looking to increase our jump. This plyometric exercise is low-impact and not too tough on your body. It is the safest way to condition the tendons and connective tissue for high-impact movements.

6. Extensive Knee Dominant Jumps

Are you looking for the best exercise to develop knee extension, which is often lacking in many players? Extensive Knee-dominant jumps are the best exercise for it. By keeping focus on extending your knees past your toes and performing sub-maximal jumps, we can train our quads to engage effectively during jumping. This is very helpful for high-standing jumps at the net during blocking.

7. ACL Lateral Hops

Suppose you are suffering from muscle imbalance as a volleyball player. Then, ACL lateral hops are perfect for you. Unilateral plyometrics are crucial for balancing any imbalanced muscles. It includes jumping from side to side on a single leg, a super taxing yet beneficial task. It is a great way to develop stability in each leg. But you should avoid more than 20 reps per leg during one workout.

8. Bounding

A challenging yet beneficial exercise! You have to focus on increasing the distance between each jump. Before committing to large horizontal distances, remember that your body can soak the landing force of continuous broad jumps efficiently. You should perform only two to three sets of three to six bounds at a time.

Summary

To conclude, plyometric exercises are known for explosive movements of the body. Since volleyball revolves around jumping around the volleyball net, a player’s vertical jumping rate should be efficient to be an efficient player. Plyometric exercises are used during volleyball training to enhance the stretching capacity of the body. There are different types of these exercises. Each exercise improves the body’s capacity to play volleyball differently. Incorporating these exercises into your plan can increase your on-court. But remember to start with lower-intensity exercises and then shift to high-intensity ones as your body develops habits.
Picture of About David Muse

About David Muse

Hi, I'm David Muse, the founder of Volleyball Spikes. My days are spent with workouts and article writing, mostly for Volleyball Spikes. With 15 years of expertise and a history of competing on an international scale... It's fair to say that my knowledge of volleyball is pretty good.