If you aim for an athletic lower body and a volleyball booty add these exercises into your training routine.
A volleyball player must be able to jump high and have power to spike a ball at the same time. This requires plyometric training, which is characterized by explosive movements such as box jumps, jumping scissor lunges, power skips and bounding.
These plyometric movements create not only powerful glutes, but glutes that are full and round, from the development of fast twitch muscle fibers.
- Squat Hold: Squat as if you’re sitting back in a chair. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees behind your toes. All your weight should be on your heels. Go low enough for your hands to touch the ground. Hold. This move targets your thighs, hips, glutes, and quads.
- Use hip trainer to get firm and fit buttocks. This innovative device helps to squeeze the butts to maintain their shape and strengthen the buttock muscles. All you need to do is use this tool three times a week, and each workout should consist of 3-5 minutes. Make sure to concentrate on pelvic floor muscles to gain lower body strength. Simply lie down or stand, facing the exercise mat. Place the hip trainer below the buttocks, open legs to 40°, and impose pressure with inner thighs. Keep in mind to extend your arms while performing this workout.
- Monster Lunges: Lunge forward on a 45-degree diagonal to either side of your body. Use momentum from your legs, extend the arm of the same leg you stepped out with, then bring that arm to the floor like you’re going to save a low ball. You will feel a stretch deep in your hamstrings when you bring your forearm to the floor.
- Deadlift (Db): This exercise can be performed using either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. You can go real heavy on this exercise. Place dumbbells loaded with weights in front of you. Now grab the dumbbells using an underhand grip in both the hands. Remember to keep your back as straight as possible and contract your back and hamstrings. Now raise the Db from the ground using your hamstrings and glutes. You should keep your legs slightly bent, back straight and head looking up. The initial movement is to be provided by your heels and not toes or elbows. Raise it to the point where your body is erect. Do not hyper extend your body as the weight shifts to the lumbar spine. Hold the dumbbells for a moment at the top of the lift and remember to lock out. Complete the lift and do not go only half way through. Now lower the db slowly at a steady slow pace by bending at the hips first and then at the knees and let the weight touch the ground for a moment before you begin the next rep. Perform 3-5 sets of heavy deadlifts only once a week. Lower back muscles take long to recuperate and hence once a week heavy Deadlifts will do the job.
- Box Jumps: Make sure your landing spot is secure and solid. You can use a plyo box, strength bench or a sturdy bench at a park. Prepare for the jump by bending at the hips as well as the knees as you swing your arms back. The higher the box, the deeper your preparation should be. Take off with both feet at the same time. Get your knees up high while in the air. Land with both feet at the same time. Perform 12-15 jumps.
- Single Leg Glute Bridge: Lay on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet are under your knees. Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles. Raise your hips up to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders. Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine. Slowly raise and extend one leg while keeping your pelvis raised and level. If your hips sag or drop, place the leg back on the floor and do a double leg bridge until you become stronger. The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your extended leg and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Speed Skaters: The Speed Skater exercise will develop the muscles in the hip, groin, ankles and quadriceps. It will help to improve lateral quickness and agility. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees to lower your body 8-10 inches and lean forward until your shoulders are positioned above your knees. Remember, even though you are leaning over you should do so by bending at the waist while maintaining good posture in your upper back. Begin by lightly hopping sideways about 2 feet and landing on your right foot, then hop sideways back onto your left foot and repeat for the required repetitions. Each leg must perform all the repetitions of the set. So, if your workout calls for 8 repetitions each leg must jump 8 times for a total of 16 jumps! Land with your feet in a strong, full-foot position. Don’t just land on your toes! You can increase the lateral distance of your hopping from 2 feet to 6 feet as you become more powerful. You can also perform this exercise in a stationary fashion or in a linear fashion by moving forward slightly with each lateral jump. Your legs will look like a speed skater powerfully pushing from side to side.
- Single-Leg Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift: Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, and hold them at arm’s length in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Raise your right leg slightly off the floor behind you. Your right leg should stay in line with your body for the duration of the move. Without changing the bend in your knees, bend at your hips, and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Pause, then raise your torso back the the starting position. Complete 8 repetitions with the same leg, then do the same number on your other leg.
These moves will also help you build a killer bikini bottom.