Why You Should Incorporate Throws and How To Do It 

Various throws are a great way to add some movement to someone’s program.

There are numerous benefits to throwing, including building explosive strength, reactive strength, torso stability / strength, improved coordination, CNS priming, and even fat loss when done in a circuit or complex fashion.

While throwing is largely considered an upper body movement, there are quite a few variations that actually improve total body power and coordination; effectively linking the hips with an upper body effort.

Below are a few different throwing variations with medicine balls that are welcomed additions to any program.

Chest Pass Variations

1. Kneeling Hip Extension Chest Pass

Take a stance on two knees. Have the ball loaded to your chest. Hinge your hips back to your heels. Explode the hips forward, and chest pass the ball simultaneously. The hips should reach full extension, with the glutes engaged and the body in a tall posture, low back not hyper extended.

2. Reverse Lunge To Chest Pass

Take a tall stance on two feet. Have the ball loaded to your chest. Descend into a reverse lunge. As you come forward from the lunge extend the front leg hip explosively while simultaneously chest passing the ball.

3. Explosive Chest Pass with Jump.

Take a jump stance. Load the ball to your chest. Perform an explosive broad jump while simultaneously chest passing the ball. Land soft in an athletic position.

Hip Hinge Variations

1. Shovel Toss

Take a stance slightly wider than hip width. With straight arms bring the med between your legs and back towards your butt, not so much down. Hinge the hips, maintaining as vertical a shin angle as possible. Release the ball by exploding the hips into extension and underhand tossing the ball forward with straight arms. The movement is similar to a KB Swing.

2. Alternating Scoop Toss

Take a stance slightly wider than hip width. With relatively straight arms, load the ball to the outside of your left or right hip. In the same manner as the shovel toss, forcefully extend the hips while simultaneously releasing the ball forward with straight arms. The body should be standing upright upon finishing the throw. Catch the ball and quickly replicate the movement with the ball loaded to the opposite hip.

Rotational Variations

1. Shotput Toss

Take a stance just outside hip width. Your body will be perpendicular to the wall, or the intended path of the ball. The ball will be loaded to the back shoulder, with the back elbow up, and back hand opened directly behind the ball. The front hand will be placed lightly on the front of the ball to keep it up. Forcefully throw the back side hip forward, rotate the torso to bring the rib cage relatively square to the wall or intended ball path. Simultaneously push the back hand through the ball.

2. Rotational Scoop Toss

Everything is the same as the shot put toss from a stance and lower body standpoint. Load the ball with relatively straight arms to the back hip. As the back hip extends forward, release the ball forward with straight arms.

Overhead Variations

1. Overhead Slam

Take a jump stance. Bring the ball overhead while achieving extension of the hips, knees and ankle joints. You should be on your toes at the top portion. With straight arms forcefully slam the ball down just in front of your feet, while pushing the hips back and allowing the arms to swing past your legs and back toward your butt. Do not try and keep your arms in front of the legs to minimize any deceleration.

2. Overhead Slam with Jump

Exactly the same as the overhead slam, except you will leave the ground into a vertical jump when bringing the ball overhead. Land soft and allow the arms to swing past the legs towards your butt.

3. Overhead Recoil and Slam

The recoil slam is the same as the standard overhead slam, with one variation. The path of the ball to the overhead position will be different. Instead of going directly from the ground to over your head, take the ball out and around your outside leg in a big half circle to the overhead position.

Throws can be incorporated as the primary explosive movement on your upper body training days, or as many as three times a week on a full body split. A general guideline for repetitions is 2 – 10 sets of 1 – 5 reps.

Additionally med ball throws can be performed for time in a circuit sequence, for example:

1. Reverse Lunge Chest Pass 10s On / 30s Off

2. Shovel Pass 10s On / 30s Off

3. Shot Put Toss 10s On / 30s Off

4. Overhead Slam 10 s On / 90 – 120s Off

Continue for 4 – 6 rounds.

Lastly, med ball throws can also be programmed as a complex:

1. Reverse Lunge Chest Pass x 5/e

2. Alternating Scoop Toss x 5/e

3. Shot Put Toss x 5/e

4. Recoil and Slam x 5/e

Rest 60 – 90 seconds perform 4 – 6 sets.

Both the circuit and complex variations are great finishers, and effective for fat loss programming.

Throws are a versatile weapon in your training arsenal and should be included in a program looking to maintain / improve athleticism.

By Greg Robins