When it comes to heavy bilateral lower body strength with volleyball, I am a much bigger fan of the Trap Bar then I am Back Squatting, for a handful of reasons.
- Lower barrier of entry because less joints are involved
- Zero spinal loading — volleyball players tend to have back issues, not loading the spine can help manage those issues better
- At the end of the day, strong is strong
- Athletes generally grasp the pattern much quicker
- Hip hinging = jumping, making it arguably more sport specific
- Volleyball players tend to have different amounts of shoulder external rotation and thus have a hard time getting both hands back and on the bar while keeping their low backs in a proper position when back squatting. Not in an issue with the Trap Bar
- Grip strength and shoulder health have a strong correlation. Gripping a heavy Trap Bar could potentially help with shoulder health
🤔 Probably some more, but that’s probably a decent amount of reasons.
By the way, if you are looking for additional volleyball strength & conditioning material, take a look at my Ultimate Off-Season Training Program for Volleyball.
The eBook gives a comprehensive look into everything we do, why we do it, as well as a full done for you off-season program.
You can grab a copy HERE!