Injuries are always a possibility for youth athletes, but the risk of injury could be significantly higher with the return to training after spending the past couple of months outside of the gym. This is a workout designed to warm up and re-activate the muscles of the hips, ankles and shoulders, specifically the rotator cuff, to prepare athletes for a return to volleyball. You can implement this at home or as a warm-up before a clinic or practice.
Internal Rotation
With your band anchored above your head, face away with your arm at 90 degrees. Rotate your arm downward, back near zero degrees. You may not initially “feel” this one the way you do others, and that’s okay, but if you do you’ll feel it in between your shoulder blade and your rib cage. Only rotate, not lower, raise or push in, your upper arm. This isn’t so much a workout as it is an activation. Repeat on other side.
External Rotation
With your arm at your side, bend your elbow to bring your arm up to 90 degrees. The band is anchored at elbow level and on the opposite side of your body. Rotate your arm outward between 45-90 degrees focusing on the area over your shoulder blade. Only rotate your upper arm, don’t move your arm forward or backward.
Band Calf Stretch/Gas Pedal
While sitting with one of your legs outstretched, pull the band around the upper portion of your foot. Give the band enough tension to pull your foot back, and allow it to do so, and then push your foot back forward as if you were pressing down a gas pedal. Keep it a controlled and direct movement the entire time and then move on to the next motion.
Inversion/Eversion
With the band still around your foot, in the same spot, slightly increase the tension. Keep your foot neutral (your toes are pointed up). Now rotate your foot inward and outward as far as you can in both directions. Keep it controlled, and then after your reps, switch feet and start again with the Stretch/Gas Pedal.
Band Clamshell
Tie the band around your thighs above the knees and bend slightly at the hips. Rotate your thigh, pulling your knees apart and then control your leg back back in. Focus on the outer portion of your glutes (top leg). Control all of your reps and then roll over and do the opposite leg.
3-Directional Fire Hydrants
From a hands and knees position (starting with the first leg you did the clamshells with) open one of your legs straight out to the side five times. Next do five forward circles with the same leg, followed by five backward circles and then switch. Don’t really attempt to focus on any one muscle here, just make fluid and controlled motions.
Next, athletes can proceed to the traditional Dynamic Warm-Up. To view a sample workout calendar with videos click HERE.
This workout is brought to you by David Hardy, Personal Trainer and Sports Performance Specialist at Trademark Performance Corporation. For more workouts designed for volleyball athletes click here.
