Throwing sports athletes, like shot-put, hammer and discus competitors, require developing strong upper bodies as they coordinate within the circle rapidly with technical precision! Athletes participating in these disciplines need to build up strength both physically and technically quickly!
Step one in developing this skill is using the fluid turn drill, which imitates up until the power position of a full throw.
Back Squats
Throwing the discus requires immense leg and core strength in order to generate and transfer power from your legs into its implement. Unfortunately, many athletes who excel at lifting weights but struggle with throwing over long distances often struggle with doing this properly – Special Strength helps bridge that gap by providing training programs specifically targeted to developing proper throwing technique.
One of the best exercises to help throwers drive off of their back foot and through to their finish is single leg squat. This drill helps develop their ability to rotate on balance while keeping shoulders squared forward – this helps ensure they don’t become stuck in “slow rotator” patterns that limit throw distance.
Bench press exercises are excellent ways to develop shoulder girdle strength. Incorporating bench pressing into their routine helps throwers build incredible stretch reflexes in their pecs that enable them to take the discus deep in their chest before quickly expending it outward, increasing distance with every throw. Furthermore, bench presses teach throwers how to push with all their body mass during explosive movements such as discus throwing.
Bench Press is an excellent way to strengthen biceps muscles, making it one of the best strength builders for discus throw. Biceps produce force to propel discus through air when elbow rotation occurs and bench press also strengthens triceps muscles which contribute heavily to its power.
Olympic lifts are great way to increase explosiveness, which is essential when throwing long distances. Snatches and clean and jerk are particularly beneficial, requiring explosiveness from legs, core, and arms as they build explosiveness between each movement. Furthermore, this exercise trains Type IIB fibers – fast twitch fibers specifically developed to produce short bursts of strength such as sprinting or throwing discus.
Bench Press
Bench pressing heavy weight is great, but failing to translate that strength into throwing an impressive discus throw is pointless. Plyometric exercises help athletes generate force quickly by activating IIB muscle fibers for power production quickly in a short period.
This drill is ideal for developing proper posture when throwing discus. Athletes begin by standing at the back of the ring with feet facing sector; once in balance position they start tapping their right foot on the ground and tap with left to begin pivot turn position – once achieved they step to middle of ring for one last step to finish in good posture with their dominant arm forward.
Another key benefit of this drill is helping athletes develop proper discus footwork. Many athletes struggle to master this aspect of discus throwing, so by honing proper footwork patterns through these drills they will be better positioned during progression and full throws.
If an athlete struggles with these drills and their progression, they will find it hard to move into correct throwing positions, which in turn limits their throwing distance. To assess if an athlete can perform these movements and hit all required positions successfully in competition is best.
Therefore, having a coaching staff with experience in discus throwing is paramount to ensure a healthy progression and avoid overtraining and injury. Athletes must work together with their coach in ensuring progress occurs at an acceptable rate, without overstraining and risk of injury.
Dead Hang Pull Ups
Dead Hang Pull Ups are an excellent exercise to increase grip strength and shoulder stability – two components essential to developing discus throwing techniques. Furthermore, they help increase overall shoulder and bicep strength which will contribute to generating power behind an implement. Too often a thrower with good technique lacks enough strength to push through to complete their spin phase without stopping prematurely; this leads to decreased distance and power.
Perform this drill using an overhead bar is ideal, however athletic trainers can implement it using any ladder or scaffolding bar in their gym. To perform it simply remove your feet from their respective step or bench and hang from the bar with arms fully extended – try starting out slowly but work up to 60 seconds or longer until safely jumping down or hopping back onto it again.
Great discus throwers possess not only powerful speed and acceleration, but also superior balance and footwork. By practicing the fluid turn drill you can develop your ability to transition smoothly from the back of the circle up into power position without pausing or stopping rotation of shoulders.
The fluid turn drill combines elements from each of the previous three drills and simulates up to the power position of a full throw. It requires slow, controlled movement that aims at practicing hitting correct spots before increasing speed.
Strong grip strength is of utmost importance in any form of explosive sport, including discus throwing. Dead Hang exercises provide an effective means to build shoulder, bicep and lat strength – commonly referred to as wings – as well as shoulder strength in general. Dead Hang can also aid in building the power required for powerful finishes of your spin phase and increased distance throws.
Side Medicine Ball Throws
The side medicine ball throw is an intricate movement requiring both lower and upper body force generation to achieve success. This exercise offers an alternative to overhead medicine ball passing that may be too demanding on shoulders and neck muscles. Furthermore, this drill emphasizes rotational power development necessary for improving throwing velocity and distance.
To perform this drill, a subject must stand two to four feet from a wall with both hands holding onto a medicine ball in both hands and with one arm extended in front of it. Once this has been done, swinging it back behind their body while twisting hips and torso twists increases summation of force generated. Next step? Encouraged to throw as far as possible.
This exercise targets shoulder and core musculature, including the rotator cuff muscles, transverse abdominis, erector spinae (iliocostalis, longissimus and spinalis) and multifidus primarily; however, its rotational movements also benefit the lumbar spine, quadriceps hamstrings triceps calves and glutes.
Kneeling medicine ball overhead passes place a greater strain on your core and hips than standing versions, so they should only be attempted under submaximal conditions. Furthermore, including falling forward as part of this movement adds another level of complexity that makes each pass even more strenuous on joints and muscles involved with force accumulation for every pass.
To perform this exercise, the subject starts in a squat position with their legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart, holding onto the medicine ball in both hands near their chest. They then push off with one of their opposite feet before driving their knee upward and throwing the medicine ball towards a spot just in front of their face before catching it with both arms – creating an explosive full-body exercise suitable for all skill levels and resistance loads.
