From Complete Conditioning for Volleyball by Al Scates, Michael Linn
CONDITIONING DRILLS
CONE DRILL
Purpose: To develop change of direction and build anaerobic strength in a timed drill.
Procedure: Place one cone in the center of the court and eight cones around it in a circle with a diameter of 30 feet. A player starts at one of the outside cones, runs to touch the middle cone, then runs back to touch the next outside cone, back to touch the middle cone, and so on.
Key Points: Focus on changing direction as quickly and efficiently as possible. Two players can begin in opposite directions at the same time. The first person back to the origin is the winner.
Equipment and personnel: Nine cones; 2 to 12 players.
ELASTIC JUMP
Purpose: To incorporate plyometric exercises into a quick and easy warm-up.
Procedure: Tie a long elastic band to one of the poles and weave it through a line of approximately eight players standing along the net. The rest of the team jumps through the line, then waits at the end and returns after all the jumpers have reached the other side.
Key Points: Space players so that the jumping players can land and jump again immediately without having to reshuffle their feet.
Equipment and personnel: One 15-foot elastic band for every 12 players.
SETTING SIT-UPS
Purpose: To develop abdominal strength and setting skills.
Procedure: A player lies on his or her back, knees slightly bent and apart. This player is the setter. The tosser stands 10 feet from the setter and tosses the ball while the setter executes a sit-up and sets the ball back to the tosser. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, switch positions, and continue.
Key Points: The setter extends the arm and follows through to set a high ball back to the tosser. To increase difficulty, the setter should set balls farther away. A weighted volleyball can be used to help shoulder and hand strength, and the tosser can use two balls to speed up the drill.
Equipment and personnel: One ball for every 2 players; 2 to 24 players on one court.
SIT-UP CIRCLE
Purpose: To develop abdominal/oblique strength while working with teammates.
Procedure: The team forms a circle with each player approximately one arm’s distance apart. Then the players sit down with every other player’s feet facing inward, flat on the floor, knees at approximately 90 degrees and leaning back approximately 45 degrees. The other players lie on their backs with their feet facing the seated players. As the seated player rotates the torso to take a ball from the player who is executing a sit-up, that player then rotates and hands off to the player on the other side. One player is doing sit-ups and the other player is doing torso rotations. Two, three, or four balls can be used. Continue the drill for 45 to 60 seconds. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds and then rotate positions.
Key Points: Players doing sit-ups should be spaced far enough apart so that they must reach for the ball. Seated players should be leaning back to work the obliques during torso rotation. To make the drill more interesting, time how long it takes for the ball to travel around the entire circle, or execute the drill until the ball travels around the circle a designated number of times. Switch the direction of the ball during the exercise and use weighted balls for added resistance.
Equipment and personnel: Two to four medicine balls; 6 to 18 players.
AROUND THE WORLD SIT-UPS
Purpose: To develop abdominal and lower-body core strength.
Procedure: The team forms a circle, with approximately three feet between each player. Players lie on their backs along the line with knees bent at approximately 90 degrees. Each player has a ball and sends it clockwise around the circle while performing sit-ups. Perform 20 sit-ups, rest for 45 to 60 seconds, and repeat.
Key Points: Space the team to perform the type of sit-up that you require (crunch or full range).
Equipment and personnel: One ball for each player; six or more players.
TOUCH, REACT, SLIDE
Purpose: To develop lower body core strength and reactionary lateral quickness.
Procedure: Player A stands on a line facing a tosser, who is eight feet away and holding a ball. Two other players stand to the left and right of player A on the same line. The drill begins when player A runs to touch the ball and then backs up to the line. As soon as player A reaches the line, the tosser sends the ball to one of the side players, who sends it back to the tosser. Player A quickly reacts and slides to touch the knee of the player who caught the ball and then slides back to the center to continue the drill. After each return to the center, player A goes forward to touch the ball in the tosser’s hand. Continue the drill for 20 to 35 seconds. Rotate players and continue until each player performs a minimum of three sets.
Key Points: Player A should be balanced in a flexed knee position when returning to the line after the first touch, with feet shoulder-width apart. Slide players can be moved away from player A. Player A can then use a three-step crossover move to reach the side players. To place a much greater workload on the muscles, player A can touch the shoe of the tosser and side players.
Equipment and personnel: One ball for every four players.
LATERAL JUMPING
Purpose: To develop lower-body core strength while working on blocking technique.
Procedure: A player starts in a flexed knee position, with feet shoulder-width apart. Without a step, the player bounds to the left and, without stepping or reshuffling feet, bounds back to the right. Continue for 12 to 15 repetitions and rest for 30 to 40 seconds.
Key Points: The player’s feet should hit the floor simultaneously, approximately shoulder-width apart. The player should land balanced, gather, and bound back to the other side. Add a slide step and crossover steps at the net to hone footwork technique.
Equipment and personnel: One or more players at the net.
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