Volleyball Strength Training by Weights

Why weight training?

• With body weight exercises only, some day an athlete will run into a wall and is not able to develop anymore.

• Strength training by weights doesn’t take very much time: 30-60 minutes three times a week makes a difference.

• There is several different ways to train volleyball strength: for example kettle ball training or medicine ball training in addition to traditional weight lifting.

• Weight training is absolutely suitable for girls’ or women’s training also, it is not for males only. We play the same sport and female muscles work just like male muscles!! (strength + explosiveness = higher vertical and increased speed)

•  Squats, step ups, hang cleans, snatches are GREAT ways to increase the vertical: those movements work out the whole muscle chain, include a powerful hip extension and develop important core strength.

Volleyball Strength Training for Junior Athletes

VolleyballAdvisors strongly recommend weight training as part of volleyball conditioning, even for junior athletes.

Weight training can be introduced to 15-16 year olds, both males and females.  However, weight training at those younger ages needs to be done with lower loads and intensities.

At younger ages athletes should use medicine ball and kettle bell training or traditional weight lifting with lower loads (for example 0 – 30% of 1 RM, 1 RM=the maximum weight you can lift), just learning the techniques first and gradually increasing the loads.

17-18 year old athlete could be ready for traditional weight lifting with higher close to the maximum weights (85 – 100% of 1RM), if the techniques have learned and an athlete has minimum of 3 month extensive strength training behind (with 70-85% of 1 RM).

Volleyball Strength Training for Women

There is some controversy about importance of strength training for women.  For us the subject of women’s weight training and conditioning is very clear.  Women should be encouraged to do weight training also; the physical elements of women is not that much different from males.

There is no reason why weight lifting would not be beneficial to female volleyball players. Women’s muscles work just like male muscles; they are absolutely able to get stronger and lift an athlete higher, just like male muscles. 

We have heard often how women’s volleyball is different from men’s volleyball; women’s game focuses more on the speed and quickness while males play with the power.  That can be true to some extend, but we all still play the same sport, which means the training should be very similar. Female volleyball players - break the myths and start gaining power with weight training!!