VERTICAL CORE TRAINING
R.I.P. Sit Ups
Most would agree that a strong core is essential to volleyball and injury prevention. So, what is the core and how do we train it to maximize performance? Generally speaking, the core consists of the low back, the lateral trunk, the abdominals and the hips. Many just focus on the abdominals. For years, largely based on traditional anatomy and body building routines, athletes and coaches believed that endless variations of sit ups were the way to a “strong core.” As our knowledge of functional anatomy and sport performance has grown, we began to realize that training for performance often required a different approach. Hence, “functional” and “sport specific” training emerged. Simply stated, the more an exercise/movement looks and feels like the volleyball activity to be performed, the greater the carryover to that activity. We also realize that all forces must go through the core, whether they are generated from the top down or the bottom up. If the core is weak or inefficient, energy will be “leaked” and the end result is decreased performance and/ or injury from compensation.
When designing exercises to enhance performance, one must look at the activity or skill and ask, how does gravity, ground reaction forces and momentum effect the body and how do all the muscles and joints interact to complete the skill or movement? Let’s examine the sit up. One lies on their back and attempts to flex their spine and lift the shoulders off the ground, in essence only contracting the abdominal muscles. From a performance or function perspective we would ask, when in a volleyball game or practice would you be lying on your back doing this? I’m hoping your answer in never! Are the gravitational forces the same? Are the ground reaction forces the same? Is the momentum the same? Do all the body parts interact similar to a volleyball skill/movement? The answer is rarely, if at all. In volleyball, the body is primarily in a upright vertical position with various components of vertical, horizontal and rotational movement acting against gravity, producing and reducing ground reaction forces and momentum. Therefore, training the core in an upright position would be a better choice to facilitate better muscle, joint and balance receptor activity, ultimately leading to better carry over to the volleyball skill/activity. Not to mention saving your spine and discs the beating we now know they take from repetitive sit ups. The overall object is to enhance the athlete’s ability to load in order to more effectively explode.
If we examine the function of the abdominals (only one aspect of the core, but everyone’s favorite) they are designed to stabilize the spine in an upright position and control extension and rotation. They (and the entire core) connect the hips and the shoulders. Think of walking. When the left foot goes forward the opposite arm swings forward. This allows the abdominals to elongate into extension and rotation to then create a better contraction to assist in taking the next step and propelling you forward efficiently. The exact same mechanism is at work with hitting in volleyball, but to a greater extent and you’re in the air, not lying on your back! The muscles must be appropriately lengthened (wind up) to facilitate a more explosive contraction (hit). The lateral trunk muscles help stabilize and control lateral movement and the posterior trunk muscles assist in controlling forward movement of the trunk during passing and maintaining the down ready position. Our muscles maximize their ability to contract by being eccentrically (lengthened) elongated prior to concentrically (shortening) contracting, like a rubber band. Think of serving, the athlete extends and rotates their trunk as they reach back elongating all the musculature (loading) and then rapidly contracts forward (exploding) to forcefully hit the ball. The more efficiently the athlete can “load,” the more effective they will unload. This cannot be trained via the sit up. The legs, core and arms have to work and be trained in a coordinated fashion. Remember, we are training for go, not show!
Below are a few examples of vertical core exercises to enhance your volleyball training and assist in injury prevention. These are easily done using just a volleyball and can be progressed to using medicine balls or small hand weight. The speed of the movement can also be varied. Always ensure good control and avoid excessive back bending. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.
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| 2 Hand Overhead Posterior Reach |
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| 1 Arm Overhead Post. Rotation Reach |
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| 2 Arm Overhead Post. Rot. Reach |
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| 2 Arm Overhead Sidebend Reach |
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| Forward Lunge & Reach |
