Volleyball and basketball happen to be the two sports that require the most jumping. The approach in volleyball is one where you can go full out and nobody will step in your way so you can expect to jump your highest.
One of the best weighted exercises for jumping are squats. Don't think you can just do tons of squats and that you will be blocking balls with your armpits. Squats alone will really only get your legs stronger but not faster.
Doing small sub maximal repetitive jumps will only train your muscles to do exactly that, jump continually at a minimal heights. For volleyball training you need to focus on low reps in each set of jumps. If you are a blocker you need to focus on jump exercises that don't have an approach. Using a chair, do jumps from a seated position exploding up to jump onto a box at least 2 feet high. Do only 8 reps on a high enough box that the eighth rep is hard to finish.
So how exactly should you train to get the most of out of a plyometrics program? This is the question that has been studied by coaches and athletes for years. Working out improperly in the gym would just result in you doing a lot of work and getting very little results from it.
You should learn how to train smarter not harder when it comes to jumping. It may come as a surprise but there are workout programs that will increase your vert 2 inches in only 2 weeks.
This could make the difference of making a point or getting blocked. Imagine training for two months and adding 10 inches to your vertical! These results are not impossible. Remember to always check with a doctor before undergoing any excessive training and never train when you are sore.
Squats are a very good exercise to build the strength of the legs. Before you move on to plyos you need to be able to do ten squats in 10 seconds with your weight on the bar.
If you can do this then you are ready to start training for speed. Box jumps are a very good way to start. Find a box about 2 feet high and do sets of eight reps as fast as you can. Rest completely between sets!
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