So I’m in my body design class at the YMCA and I’m feelin’ the burn. Squats, lunges, plies, box jumps, leap frogs, quick feet, jumping-jacks-turned-squats (how many leg exercises does this instructor know??). I. am. burnin’. But then I thought, “My vertical will thank me later for this.” And that’s all the motivation I needed to keep going.
We talk a lot about skills and tips and technique, but we’ve never really mentioned the importance of strength and conditioning. Back-to-back games all day long (typical in club volleyball tournaments) can be exhausting. There are tons of exercises you can do to stay in peak volleyball condition but, let’s talk about improving/maintaining your vertical.
A big vertical leap is not absolutely necessary in volleyball (like if you’re 6’9″ and you can reach right over the net). But for the rest of us, we gotta be able to jump! And don’t think that because you’re a back row player, you don’t need to vertical work. What about back row attacks? Jump serves? Plus, the leg workouts you do to increase your vertical can also contribute to diving, lunging and sprawling actions that rule the back row.
So… how important is a vertical in volleyball? It’s crucial.
How high can you jump? Or… more importantly, how high can you reach?
Click here for tips on how to increase your vertical.
Ok, Donnie’s right. That was a cheap shot. He doesn’t haaaave to jump, but the fact that he does (pretty well) makes him a force on the court.
Three cheers for tall people (with skillz)!
Ok…. so I take offense from you saying 6’9″ people don’t need to jump. I couldn’t disagree more. Have you ever seen a big, unathletic person playing any sport where common stereotypes say, “the taller you are, the better”? I can’t stand tall people who, without a better way to say it, are just… tall. It’s just not a good site to watch. It actually makes me mad when I watch tall people play sports who are just “tall”. I’d take a shorter, athletic player over a slow, tall person any day.
But! I pride myself on not only being tall, 6’9″… but being as athletic or more than any other player on the court. I also love being taller but also being able to jump higher than most people as well.
I pride myself on not only being a middle, but being able to set or even play back-row with the best of them. I did this as well when I played basketball. I was a tall guy who could shoot 3′s and play point guard. It’s all about being versatile and challenging yourself to play every position.
Oh… and if you want to jump higher…. jump! There’s nothing you can do more to improve your vertical more than jumping. Whether it’s playing more or doing plyo’s. Jump! Don’t do slow movement training(squats) and think you will jump higher.