Volleyball Conditioning

Looking for a fun way to prepare for volleyball skills and drills? Try engaging in these activities for 5 minutes each. They’re designed to help you build your strength, speed, and endurance so that you’re ready to hit the court! 

• Spiderman Lunge: Start a lunge with a diagonal step away from you. Get low to the ground, without causing your knee to bend beyond your leading foot. Now strike a pose just like Spiderman! Be sure to repeat with each leg.
   
• Stair Pyramid: Who doesn’t love to run up and down the stairs? Challenge yourself to step on to each level one at a time with quick feet. Once you get to the top of the stairs, go back down to the beginning and start again!
   
• Circle Time: Hold out both arms parallel to the floor. Move each direction in a circular pattern, then switch up the stretch by changing the circle size, direction, and speed!
   
• Pancake Flop: Pretend you’re flipping a pancake, but it gets out of control and flies out of your pan! You have to touch the ground where it’s going to fall in order to save it from the dirt. Be sure to practice your pancake flips in an area with plenty of room for you to sprawl out. 

• Frog Jump: Jump from lily-pad to lily-pad with some wild frog jumps. Start low with your knees bent before springing as high as you can!
   
• Everyday I’m Shuffling: Quick feet is the name of the game for this exercise. Find an area of your house, yard, or neighborhood that is the same length as a volleyball net (30-32 feet). Shuffle from one end of your makeshift court to the other for 5 minutes. Challenge yourself with different paces and stances.
   
• Butterfly Touches: Practice your setting technique and control with butterfly touches. Start by holding the volleyball above your head. Lightly push the ball as high as possible over your head with the tips of your fingers. Continue this motion for as long as you can! How many consecutive touches can you make without losing control or catching the ball?
   
• Bump: Work on your bumping control for 5 minutes. Keep your knees bent and arms straight to support your technique. Hit the ball high in the air so you can practice getting your whole body under the ball. 

• Wall Ball: Find a surface that is tall and strong (like your garage wall or the outside of your house). Ricochet the ball off your wall and practice setting, bumping, or even spiking. Try to maintain a continuous motion so that the ball never touches the ground. 
   
• Toss n’ Pass: Find a partner to help you practice your passing skills. Have your partner toss you the ball so that you can pass it back. Be sure to focus on your technique. 
   
• Bullseye: Practice your serve with this neat trick. Create a target area that is at least 8 feet high. Try to hit the same spot each time you serve the ball. Be sure to focus on your arm swing and technique!
   
• Combo: Bump-set-spike the ball – we can do it all! Grab a partner, or work along the wall, to coordinate the perfect offensive move.