Explosive Medicine Ball Training for Speed and Power Development
By: John Cortese
Medicine ball throws are an excellent way to develop explosive power. I learned of these throws a few years ago from the late, world-renown speed coach, Charlie Francis; and world-famous Olympic sprint coach, Dan Pfaff.
Benefits:
- Great for teaching proper acceleration mechanics for novice and youth athletes.
- Can be done outdoors on grass or sand.
- Teaches triple extension of the foot, knee, and ankle in body positions specific to horizontal/vertical jumping and sprint starts.
- Teaching time is minimal- just throw the ball as fast and far/high as possible!
- Activates CNS prior to speed/strength training.
When To Do Them:
Because of the intense nature of these throws, they should be done on
days when you plan to incorporate some sprints and heavy lifting. I like
to do them in the warm-up to make sure the throws are done with maximal
effort. Doing them tired would be pointless if you’re after speed and
power development. Start with once a week, 5-10 throws per session, then
work your way up to twice a week with 10-20 throws per session.
Throws:
1.) OHB Throw
a. Start with a light (4-6 lb women, 8-12 lb men) medicine ball.
b. Arms straight, squat down and back and let chest go forward; you
should be in an athletic starting position.
c. Initiate movement by forcefully extending hips and throwing arms up
and back to throw the ball over and behind the head.
d. You should jump off of the ground if you do these correctly.
e. Aim to throw bar as far as possible. Shoot for 5-10 quality throws,
rest as needed between throws to ensure each throw is given maximal
effort.
2.) Squat Throw
a. Squat down and back.
b. Lean forward and begin to feel like you are falling forward.
c. Explode/jump OUT and push medicine ball away as fast and far as
possible.
d. Fall forward into push up position.
e. *Optional: Scramble up out of the push-up position and sprint 5-10
yards.
3.) Coil Throw (*Squat throw from knees)
a. This throw is almost identical to the squat throw, except it is done
from your knees instead of on your feet.
b. This version should be mastered first before moving onto the squat
throw to develop the strength and confidence to land in the push-up
position.
Wrap Up
These throws are fun and easy to do/teach. Remember the goal for these
is speed, so move that ball as fast and explosive as possible. To ensure
competiveness in your training and continued progress, measure the
distances on throws when you aren’t adding the sprint at the end. These
can be done on sand or grass and flat or hilly surfaces.
Do these for a while and say hello to your new-found speed and power!
