Volleyball Core Strength
Volleyball players must have complete training to maximize their performance. Often times athletes will just train the big muscles of their upper and lower body and forget all about their core. Core training is what puts all the body's tools together. Powerful legs need a strong core to transfer energy through the body for a more powerful spike, or optimal jump height for a block at the net. Volleyball players must take the time to train their core for peak performance.
Wide One Legged Bridge Volleyball Drill
This volleyball drill is called a Wide One Legged Bridge and will help volleyball players develop core strength which in turn will help them with their jump height spiking abilities as well as their lateral movements. The core is in charge of putting volleyball performance altogether. If a volleyball player has strong legs or a strong upper body but a weak core she will not be able to put all of the volleyball movements together to perform at her best. To optimize volleyball player’s strengths they must have a strong core. Use this volleyball drill to strengthen the core.
To perform this volleyball drill correctly volleyball players must be in the four-point bridge position. Volleyball players must have their feet wide and a flat back. Volleyball players must also be on their elbows with their head at the neutral or upright position. Do not let the head sag low. As volleyball players fatigue butts will have a tendency to go towards the ceiling and the body will look like a mountaintop. This is not what we want. Volleyball players must maintain a flat back. When a volleyball player's body becomes a little fatigued the butt will lower towards the floor with only about an inch gap. This hyperextension is bad for the back. Volleyball players must strengthen the core in a stable position with good spine alignment to see true benefits. Training a volleyball player’s body at odd angles will only create injuries. As the volleyball players maintain this position then have them lift one of their feet. Notice in the video above that some of the volleyball players are not quite strong enough to hold this position and shift over which moves the volleyball players core over. This is not what we want to do during this volleyball drill. When the volleyball player’s foot is raised the volleyball player must not move from side to side at all. It is important to maintain the middle position and use the core to hold the position. The volleyball player’s body will naturally want to shift to the foot that is still on the ground but coaches and trainers must make sure that volleyball players keep their body in the middle to complete the core drill as effective as possible.
Wide One Legged Bridge Bridge Sets and Hold Times
This volleyball drill should be completed in sets of 30 to 45 seconds or 45 seconds to a minute depending on the volleyball player’s level of fitness. Each time volleyball players raise the leg it should be held up for a 3 to 4 second count before alternating. Two modifications can come of this volleyball drill. Volleyball players can either hop from one foot to the other or they can simply set their foot down and then with the other. Volleyball players must be conscious of time duration and form. Form must be maintained throughout the entire volleyball drill. If the volleyball player’s form begins to fade then the set must stop. Volleyball players should complete this volleyball drill for 2 to 4 sets again depending on their level of fitness
The Athlete Performance Pack | Core Training Made Easy
Kbands training has a great way for volleyball players to work their core to step up their game performance. Our Athlete Performance Pack will help volleyball players dominate their opposition. There are 2 routines that are about 15 to 20 minutes that will strengthen each volleyball players core better than they have ever had before. These are college level and advanced level exercises that will enable volleyball players to reap amazing results. Volleyball players who train smarter will excel. Kbands Training Athlete Performance Pack is the way for volleyball players to be explosive on the court. This Athlete Performance Pack includes a set of lower resistance Kbands and speed, agility, core, flexibility and warm up, vertical training, and test out dvd's. These explosive exercises will work all the muscles in the body and offers a way to experience a professional camp at home or practice.