Integrating calisthenics into volleyball training: effects on athletic performance and technical skills in adolescent athletes

Introduction This study aims to investigate the effects of a holistic training model, in which calisthenic exercises are synchronized with volleyball-specific techniques, on the athletic performance outcomes of adolescent athletes. Methods Eighteen volunteer female volleyball players (aged 12) from a sports club’s youth academy participated in the study. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n=9), in which calisthenic exercises were integrated into the main training process, and a control group (n=9), in which the same exercises were performed in isolation at the end of training. Before and after the 9-week intervention, anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests (sit-ups, medicine ball throw, vertical/horizontal jump, agility, balance, flexibility), and volleyball technical tests (serve, spike, forearm pass, overhead pass) were administered. Analysis of Covariance was used to analyze the data to adjust for the effects of pre-test scores. Results The results indicated that both groups showed similar improvements in physical fitness parameters (p>0.05). However, significant differences were found in technical performance in favor of the experimental group. Specifically, a significant increase with a large effect size was observed in serve (F(1,15)=5.224; pp 2 =0.326) and spike (F(1,15)=6.784; pp 2 =0.311) performances, which require high motor adaptation and explosive power. Discussion It was concluded that the holistic model, where calisthenic exercises are performed simultaneously with techniques, is more effective than isolated methods in directly transferring physical potential into technical efficiency.