Volleyball
Conditioning
Program

 

Volleyball is a high-intensity sport that demands explosive jumping, quick directional changes, and repetitive overhead movements, all of which place significant stress on the shoulders, knees, and lower back. As a result, players are at elevated risk of both acute injuries and chronic overuse conditions that can compromise performance and longevity in the game.

Evidence-based conditioning programs are essential not only for enhancing strength, power, and agility, but also for reducing injury risk and promoting long-term athletic development. This article introduces a scientifically supported conditioning exercise protocol designed for volleyball players, providing athletes, physical therapists, and athletic trainers with practical strategies to optimize performance and safeguard health.

Volleyball

< Evidence-Based Practice >

  • Body conditioning exercise programs are crucial for volleyball players’ performance and injury prevention.
  • Systematic reviews demonstrate that combining strength and plyometric training consistently improves vertical jump height, acceleration, and overall physical conditioning (Hikmad Hakim et al., 2025; Jariono et al., 2024).
  • Plyometric training proves more effective than skill-based conditioning for enhancing sprinting, jumping, and throwing capacities in female volleyball players (Gjinovci et al., 2017).
  • Core stability programs significantly improve functional movement, balance, and reduce injury risk (Song et al., 2020).
  • Strength training programs enhance multiple physical attributes including speed, agility, endurance, and power (Vishnevskyi & Storozhenko, 2023).
  • Despite coaches and players recognizing strength and conditioning as important for volleyball performance and injury prevention, implementation faces barriers including lack of expertise, time, facilities, and equipment (Weldon et al., 2021).
  • Evidence supports integrated, individualized, and position-specific conditioning approaches for optimal volleyball performance (Rebelo et al., 2025).
Volleyball

< Exercises & Trainings >

        • Upper Body
          • Bench Press
          • Lateral Shoulder Raises
          • Pull Ups
          • Biceps Curls
          • Triceps Curls
          • Rotator Cuff: W
          • Kettlebell Press Ups

        • Lower Body
          • Back Squat
          • Deadlift
          • Bulgarian Split Squat
          • Single-Leg RDL
          • Monster Walk
          • Calf Raises

        • Core/Trunk
          • Russian Twist
          • Jack Knife
          • Woodchopper
          • Plank

< Reference >

  • Hakim, Hikmad, Sahabuddin Sahabuddin, and Andi Ridwan. “Physical Conditioning Programs in Volleyball: A Systematic Review of Methods, Outcomes, and Emerging Trends.” Journal of Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 5, no. 1 (2025): 29–38. https://doi.org/10.17509/jopes.v5i1.83597.
  • Jariono, Gatot, Nurhidayat, Pungki Indarto, Vera Septi Sistiasih, Haris Nugroho, and Uzizatun Maslikah. “Physical Activity Training Methods to Improve the Physical Condition of Volleyball Players: A Systematic Review.” Physical Education Theory and Methodology 24, no. 1 (2024): 118–29. https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2024.1.15.
  • Gjinovci, Bahri, Kemal Idrizovic, Ognjen Uljevic, and Damir Sekulic. “Plyometric Training Improves Sprinting, Jumping and Throwing Capacities of High Level Female Volleyball Players Better Than Skill-Based Conditioning.” Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 16, no. 4 (2017): 527–35.
  • Song, In-Yeong, Yeon-Soon Seo, and Yang-Hoon Kang. “Effects of 10-Week Body Stability Exercise Program on Functional Movement and Body Balance of Middle School Volleyball Players.” The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy 32, no. 4 (2020): 203–9. https://doi.org/10.18857/jkpt.2020.32.4.203.
  • Vishnevskyi, Mykola, and Andriy Storozhenko. “Increasing the Level of Physical Fitness of Players Men’s Student Volleyball Team.” Human and Nation’s Health 1, no. 1 (2023): 7–20. https://doi.org/10.31548/humanhealth.1.2023.7.
  • Weldon, Anthony, Jason T. S. Mak, Sing T. Wong, Michael J. Duncan, Neil D. Clarke, and Chris Bishop. “Strength and Conditioning Practices and Perspectives of Volleyball Coaches and Players.” Sports 9, no. 2 (2021): 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020028.
  • Rebelo, André, João Valente-dos-Santos, Inês G. Pires, Inês Arrais, João R. Pereira, and Anthony N. Turner. “Strength and Conditioning for Volleyball: A Review.” Strength & Conditioning Journal, ahead of print, March 13, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000895.