How Does a Professional Volleyball Player Stay in Shape?

General Overview

A professional volleyball player is an athlete who participates in a variety of volleyball tournaments and competitions. In professionally competitive arenas, there are two classes of volleyball: regular volleyball and beach volleyball. Regular volleyball is played on an indoor court with a net that separates two teams of six players, while beach volleyball is played on a sandy floor with a net that separates two teams of two players. Both types are officially recognized by the Olympics Committee, with players able to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals.

Diet

Professional volleyball players are naturally very fit. They must be in great shape to be able to compete at a highly professional level. Volleyball players follow a very strict exercise and diet routine. A player's diet consists of lots of protein to help him build muscle, as well as carbohydrates for energy. A typical everyday diet will consist of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains like legumes and proteins like fish and chicken. Before a game, an athlete will "carbo-load," which entails consuming plenty of carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta, to have a lot of energy for the game.

Exercise

Professional volleyball players follow a very strict workout regimen at least 5 to 6 days out of a week. The players alternate different muscle groups on different days of the week. For example, one workout day will be spent focusing on the lower body, including the thighs, calves and glutes. Another workout day will find the athlete concentrating on the upper body, including the shoulders, biceps, triceps and chest. Finally, a significant amount of time will be devoted to cardio exercises, such as running, biking, swimming and jumping rope. For the lower and upper body, a professional volleyball player does intensive weight training, including bench pressing, doing squats and lunges with weight resistance, and doing situps or crunches with weights. Most of these workouts are very high-intensity--unlike yoga or Pilates--because athletes need to build especially high endurance to achieve peak performance during a competition game.