Volleyball Conditioning - Quickness and Agility

Hi everyone! This is my second blog post regarding Complete Conditioning for Volleyball by Steve Oldenburg. This post will be focused on quickness and agility. The exercise I will mention today is called the "Crossover Step" and will help improve my quickness and agility in volleyball. Although this book centers on volleyball, you can use this exercise simply for yourself, or any sport you may do. The crossover step will help improve your lateral sprint acceleration while learning proper mechanics and posture (Oldenburg 149).


You will begin by standing in "Go" posture. This position allows you to be ready to move in any direction. (see figure d)


You will perform what is called a single crossover step to the right on the coach's demand and then sink back into go posture (Oldenburg 149).


When you start the movement, you want to "focus on pushing the inside of the left forefoot into the floor to propel the body to the right," (Oldenburg 150). As your body moves to the right, your right foot must also lift off the floor and take a step to the right, says Oldenburg (figure a).




Figure A

Next, you will "drive the left knee across the body to the right," seen in figure b (Oldenburg 151) .

Figure B

Then, "drive the left forefoot down into the floor just past the right foot," seen in figure c (Oldenburg 151).

Figure C

Lastly, square your hips back and slightly bend your knees back into go posture, seen in figure d(Oldenburg 151).

Figure D

Be sure to do the same and go to the left!

This exercise is helpful to me because it works on the same skills required while playing volleyball. When playing back row, it is very important to be able to react quickly and efficiently to the ball. I hope this post helps the volleyball players reading this and anyone whose sport requires quick acceleration and reflexes.

Oldenburg, Steve. "Quickness and Agility." Complete Conditioning for Volleyball. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2015. 149-51. Print.