Best Glute Workouts to Jump Higher

If you are looking for volleyball workouts for jumping higher and moving faster, this article is going to surprise you with some crucial but completely overlooked exercises. If you’ve read our other posts on jumping workouts for volleyball, you know how important it is to first stabilize the joints and then strengthen the muscles. We’ve shown you how important it is to have a sturdy core which will stabilize the spine. A stable spine helps you move faster and jump higher because it prevents lags and reset times. Your body does not want to move fast or jump high when the spine gets out of line because it knows the danger that presents. 

What is the Gluteus Maximus? and Why is it needed in Volleyball?

That being said, we have some other areas that must be activated and stabilized in order to get a higher vertical jump. Your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body and is definitely your “go-to” muscle for jump training. The hamstrings, quads and calves are the other major muscle groups that produce the force needed for maximum power, height and speed, and if you're looking for a comprehensive program, take a look at our 60-day strength and conditioning program designed specifically for beach volleyball. We know that the glutes are the biggest, baddest muscles we have but a lot of people don’t get the most out of these muscles because their pathways are inhibited and unstable.

If you’ve ever been to a professional beach volleyball tournament at the AVP or FIVB level, you’ve undoubtedly seen every player warming up with small elastic circle bands. These circle bands or “booty bands” allow athletes to perform exercises that activate the muscles that support the hips, like the gluteus maximus. 

 In today's world, we spend a lot of time sitting, and those extended periods of time shut off our jumping muscles. People everywhere are suffering from glutes that don’t fire because they haven’t been intentionally activated with the right exercises. When your glutes are inhibited or even asleep, your body finds other pathways to help you jump but those pathways are secondary. When you can’t or don’t use the muscles that are designed for jumping and sprinting, you’ll never be as powerful and you’ll never reach your full jumping and running potential.

Exercises to Activate the Glutes to Jump Higher

There are lots of exercises that you can use to activate and strengthen the muscles around your hips. Some of them require a circle band and we recommend a lot of them because you can do these standing, squatting and staying on your feet. This allows you to train using similar movements that you would in volleyball or beach volleyball. If you only train your muscles to activate when you’re lying down, the optimal pathways for squatting, jumping and running won’t be created. 

In these videos, we show you some of our favorite glute activation exercises that will guarantee your jumping and running muscles fire so you can tap into your maximum ground speed and vertical leap. If you ignore these types of exercises you will never be able to maximize your ability to jump higher or spike harder in volleyball. Wake those glutes up along with the rest of the muscles around your hips and knees. These tiny movements might not seem like much you’ll start seeing a huge difference in your power in no time. 

What Workouts are the PROs Doing to Increase their Vertical?

To run through the list of the all-time greats in beach volleyball is to also run through some of the fittest individuals in the sport's history.

Karch Kiraly's sand workouts pre- and post-practice are the stuff of legend. They're also what led him to a 40-plus inch vertical and a career marked by more victories than anyone in beach volleyball. 

Brazilian beach volleyball gold medalist Emanuel Rego, perhaps the best player in the country's storied history, practically floated on the sand, so agile, limber and explosive was he. Ditto for Sinjin Smith and Mike Dodd, a pair of Hall of Famers. When looking at the current generation of beach volleyball players, the top is marked by much of the same characteristics. 

Anders Mol, the FIVB Player of the Year two years in a row, is an athletic marvel. Taylor Crabb, one of the best defenders in the world, is second to none when it comes to quickness and leaping. Troy Field flew up the AVP ranks behind an astounding jumping ability. 

All of the beach volleyball talents mentioned above are, of course, genetically gifted. But all of them put in extensive time in developing that explosiveness -- something you can develop through exercises shown in the video below.  

Mark Burik shuffles, jumps, and squats you through a 30-minute workout that will help you jump higher and fly through the sand. If you're looking for an extended workout program, our 60-day strength and conditioning program is an excellent way to get you as fit and explosive as ever. 

In the meantime, for the workout below, you'll need a kettlebell. No kettlebell? No problem. Scoop one up on Amazon: They're still delivering during Covid-19. 

Enjoy, and be sure to stretch properly afterwards!

You may also enjoy:

- Shoulder exercises to help every beach volleyball player hit harder

- Core exercises for beach volleyball players

- Mobility and stretches for beach volleyball players 

If you want to increase your vertical in beach volleyball to jump higher, hit harder, and win tournaments. All you have to do is sign up for our COMPLETE PLAYER PROGRAM.

We'll help you build a great foundation that lets you add strength without putting on unnecessary size. We'll also equip you with all of the fitness knowledge and programming you need for everything volleyball.

Once inside the membership, you’ll be able to unlock our 60 Day At-Home Max Vertical Jump Training Program along with 9 more skill courses.

Once you sign up, you'll be able to watch the in-depth tutorials, film your “before” videos, start and film your at-home drills and begin posting to our Private Facebook Group. Then, our coaches will break down your mechanics and positioning at our weekly online meetings. Yes, that means we look at YOUR videos and we coach YOU!


SIGN UP NOW AND LEARN HOW TO WIN FROM THE PROS.