A well-executed warm-up does far more than “loosening you up”. In fact, dynamic warm-ups have been shown to enhance athletic performance as well as reduce injury risk. A study conducted by McMillian et al. (2006) found that athletes who performed a structured dynamic warm-up saw significant improvements in sprint speed and agility compared to those 🤾🏻who did static stretching alone. Behm et al. (2016) also showed that dynamical routines can increase vertical jump heights and joint stability much better than static stretching could. Here are some tips for dynamic warm-up before your volleyball games:
🏃♂️Activating your lower body:
High-knee walk: (20m × 2 sets) 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5y2TF3IKVk
Lift your knee to 90° and swing the opposite arm. Alternate sides as you move forward. You can also incorporate resistance bands in your exercise for increased loading.
A-skips: (20m × 2 sets) 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcWsOM144xo
Pull your knee to your chest while walking. Remember to keep your back straight! Alternate sides as you move forward. This could stretch your glutes and lower back while improving hip mobility.
Lateral lunges: (12 reps/side × 2 sets) 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NlJdSzHeUg
Keep your torso upright during side lunges. In volleyball, this exercise is often used to mimic the footwork during blocking.
Butt kicks workout: (20m × 2 sets) 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMW59TKZvaI
Jog at a steady pace while gently kicking your heels up to touch your glutes. Keep your core engaged and posture upright! This could stretch the quadriceps and improve your knee joint mobility.
Spiderman crawl (20m × 2 sets) 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2sb3v00I40
Start in a push-up position: step one foot forward to the outside of your hand while keeping your hips low. Alternate sides as you move forward. This could stretch your hips and hamstrings while engaging your core.
🏋️ Upper Body Warm-up:
To activate your shoulders and prepare them for explosive movements, start with resistance band external rotations (15 reps × 2 sets) to engage the rotator cuff muscles and improve joint control. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07d6EYJH9lQ
Then, proceed with overhead ball throwing drills (2 sets × 10 reps) to improve coordination. Together, these could help prevent common overhead injuries and improve your performance in serving, spiking, and blocking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8I_Fb84LE
🤾🏻Volleyball-specific preparations:
Begin by practicing your 3-step approach jumping (6 reps × 3 sets). Focus on the final braking step to ensure proper force absorption. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7vbjJ2wQQQ
Follow this with a defensive stance drill: start with a low, stable, defensive posture, perform a lateral shuffle, and immediately follow with a forward dive to simulate in-game digging (8 reps per side). Focus on your footwork and your center-of-mass shift!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGfj8k9QjwI
🏐️ Roll-Specific Drills:
● Outside Hitters: Outside hitters should include approach jumps with a reach touch (5 reps × 3 sets) in their exercises, focusing on reaching heights and maximal arm extension. In addition, core stability is also essential to control your body alignment during mid-air turns and landings. This could include single-leg landing drills or low-stance lateral anti-rotation drills.
● Setters: Setters could benefit from fine motor activation and landing control. Begin with some finger drills to improve hand speed/precision during setting. Follow this with jump set stability training. Focus on maintaining balance and upper-body control when mid-air.
💡 Final Thoughts:
Whether you’re gearing up for a big game or just a regular practice, dynamic warm-ups can give you a real edge. Think of it as tuning your instrument before a concert: you’ll move sharper, react quicker, and feel more confident on court. So next time, don’t skip it - embrace it! Your joints, your teammates, and your game will thank you.
Work Cited:
Behm, D. G., Blazevich, A. J., Kay, A. D., & McHugh, M. (2015). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquee, Nutrition et Metabolisme, 41(1), 1–11. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235
McMillian, D. J., Moore, J. H., Hatler, B. S., & Taylor, D. C. (2006). Dynamic vs. Static-Stretching Warm Up: The Effect on Power and Agility Performance. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(3), 492. https://doi.org/10.1519/18205.1
