Jumping Exercises in the Sand - Preparation for Beach Volleyball Season

As a volleyball player, you might have had some beach volleyball plays in the past. And you know that playing beach volleyball is not as easy as it seems. People watch it in movies, videos, and sometimes even live. Volleyball players make it look easy, when it fact, it is not. Unlike indoor volleyball, you will find no stable ground to land on the sand. This makes it all the harder for the players to find their rhythm and their balance when playing.

Here’s the thing about beach volleyball: the sand is one of the many reasons that makes it great. The challenge of playing in an unstable sand is what makes it so exciting. If you are one of the many volleyball players who have tried playing beach volleyball but looking to improve your skills, then you are in for a treat, mate, because we’re listing down some fitness exercises to help you improve and hone your skills in the sand.

We have already tackled some exercises that you can do to boost your speed in the last article. In this article, we will focus on improving and turning your jumping skills into mad flying skills! Are you ready? Find a spot in the sand, go barefoot and crazy! Just kidding. Just go barefoot.

  • Get warmed up – before anything else, do 15 minutes of cardio to help your body get warmed up. Rest for a minute or so, and proceed to the next step.
  • Knee Tuck Jumps – First, stand with your feet and shoulder about a width apart, and jump straight up as hard as you can. Try it first. Fairly easy, right? There you go! Try it again, this time as soon as your feet leave the ground pull your knees as high up as you can and extend your legs out quickly to land. Then immediately jump again. Do this for 15 times. You have to be careful in landing, you don’t want to fall and get injured. Knee Tuck Jumps help you improve your strength and explosion speed. It’s great for developing a higher vertical jump and a faster sprint.
  • Kangaroo hops – Start by standing with your feet hip-shoulder width apart, and slightly bend in your knees. Use a big arm swing to gain momentum while you are loading into a deeper squat. Focus on keeping your knees in line with your hips. Do not allow them to buckle in towards each other or spread out wide. Bring your arms back behind your body and prepare to explode. Brace your core, throw your arms up and forward while firing your leg muscles to explode out of the squat into the air.
  • Mountain Climbers/Rabbit Chasers - Mountain Climbers, or rabbit chasers are a great exercise that does not only blasts your calories, it also helps tone your body as well. Start on your hands and toes, very much like in a push-up position, and then as you are holding this position, bring one knee up as far underneath your body and towards your chest as you can. Then push up the ground with both feet simultaneously. This is very much like running but you are in the same exact place and position. Continue alternating your legs without dropping out of the push up position until you finish doing 15 times.
  • Lateral Jumps – Stand up, get your feet together and your arms on your side. Then jump as far to the right as possible, landing only on the right foot, squatting slightly as you land. Then extend your left leg behind the right leg, hovering it low to the ground but do not let it touch the floor. After that, quickly push off with the right foot, and then do the same steps with your left leg. Lateral Jumps tone and strengthen your hips, butt, thighs and build support in the hip ankle and knee joints. This gives you more prevention and protection from contacting injuries.
  • Squat Jacks – Lower your body into a squat position, and keep your knees together and thighs parallel to the ground. Then hop your feet apart as wide as you can, or as wide as comfortable. Then quickly hop your feet back together all the while keeping your squat position. Do this for 15 times. This specific exercise gives you control over your lower body, and burns calories as you go.
  • Grab a bottle of water. Take a breath. Rest

Do each of these exercise for 15 reps, and if you want faster results to your performance, repeat the training 2-3 times through. You can do this training exercises twice or thrice a week, two months before beach volleyball season starts. And be sure to use some protective pads for your knees and ankles while you’re training.

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