Lower body weight training is very common among athletes who are looking to improve their performance on the court. When looking at collegiate and professional volleyball players, there’s no shortage of athletes that have a very developed lower body that not only has a good chance of staying healthy on the court, but also performing all of the skills needed for volleyball with a high level of intensity. When a lower body workout program is designed around the athletes personal goals and time of year, the benefits and health they will receive will be levels above those who are not involved in a workout program.
Here are 3 benefits a volleyball athlete will receive from a lower body strength training program:
Increased Lower Body Power
Strength training is well known for building muscles in the lower body, but it also is great for helping athletes gain ability to push harder into the ground and increase explosive power. Research shows an increase in squat strength has a strong correlation to increasing height of the vertical jump. Other forms of strength training such as deadlifting and lunging can help athletes be more explosive in lateral directions and off of one leg as well.
Injury Prevention
Lower body strength training is also important for building the strength of tendons and ligaments. Being able to build stronger and more stable joints will help volleyball players handle all of the quick moves, landings and long time spent on their feet. The best ability for an athlete is their availability, and being able to use strength training to build a more resilient lower body will go a long way for their athletic careers.
Increased Mobility
While some people like to say they want to avoid weight training because they “don’t want to get stiff,” I’m here to tell you if you train appropriately, the opposite will happen. Full range of motion training for the lower body through all planes of motion helps muscles learn to lengthen against outside force, which is a very important skill athletes need to have. Stretching is great, but to apply it to the game, having mobility applied against weight is a great way to assure a volleyball athlete can reach the deep ranged positions the game presents.
It can be hard to know what to do and when to do it, as lots of athletes tend to avoid lifting at the fear of getting injured or being sore for their practice and competition. However, the benefits of lower body strength training far outweigh any potential downsides and would be a great addition to any athlete that is trying to take their game to the next level.
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About the Author
Pete Christofferson is the head of athletic performance for volleyball at T3 Performance in Northeast Ohio. He oversees the strength and conditioning for all volleyball athletes as well as training various athletes from other sports for various goals, including speed, jumping, strength, conditioning development, and return to play. Prior to this role, Pete worked as the director of training for multiple volleyball clubs and facilities and trained athletes within the collegiate and high school settings.
