How many reps of the backward overhead throw should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Do 3 sets of 5 throws, resetting fully and resting close to a minute between them, since this is one of the highest-output med-ball drills and deserves full recovery each rep. Add a set before adding reps, and treat any throw that feels less than maximal as a sign to end the set.

What can you do instead of the backward overhead throw without a medicine ball?

A kettlebell swing trains a similar hip-hinge-to-extension pattern, though it releases nothing. Without any load, a bodyweight squat jump rehearses the same triple-extension timing you need for this throw.

What is the backward overhead throw good for?

It builds maximal total-body explosiveness through the hips and legs and is a common test of power output for coaches, since throwing blind removes the hesitation that comes from watching a target. It is a poor choice in any space with a low ceiling or overhead obstruction, and not the drill to start with if you have never trained a hip hinge under load.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Backward Overhead Throw

The backward overhead throw is one of the highest-output med-ball drills, chaining a deep hip load into a violent extension that sends the ball flying behind you. Because you cannot see the target, it frees you to give a truly uninhibited effort, which is why coaches use it to test and build total-body explosiveness. Throw it in an open space or against a back wall and treat every rep as maximal.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Glutes, Shoulder
Type: Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Stand tall with feet shoulder-width, holding the ball with both hands in front of the hips.
2
Hinge and squat down, letting the ball swing between the legs to load the hips.
3
Explode upward, extending the hips, knees, and ankles as fast as you can.
4
Let the arms whip overhead and release the ball up and behind you.
5
Allow the momentum to carry you onto the balls of the feet at the finish.
6
Retrieve the ball and reset fully before the next throw.

Tips

Keep the arms long and relaxed so the legs and hips, not the shoulders, generate the throw.
Brace the trunk and avoid overarching the low back as the ball travels overhead.
Make sure the space behind and above you is clear before you throw.

Variations

Common mistakes

The descent turns into a straight knee bend with almost no hip hinge, so the glutes and hamstrings never load and the whole throw ends up running off the quads.
The ball leaves the hands before the hips, knees, and ankles fully extend, capping the throw's power at its most explosive instant.
Fighting the momentum and staying flat-footed at the finish instead of rising onto the toes disconnects the throw's natural follow-through and can jar the knees.
Throwing near a doorway, light fixture, or low ceiling risks clipping something overhead, since the ball travels up and behind you at the top of the throw.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the backward overhead throw should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Do 3 sets of 5 throws, resetting fully and resting close to a minute between them, since this is one of the highest-output med-ball drills and deserves full recovery each rep. Add a set before adding reps, and treat any throw that feels less than maximal as a sign to end the set.
What can you do instead of the backward overhead throw without a medicine ball?: A kettlebell swing trains a similar hip-hinge-to-extension pattern, though it releases nothing. Without any load, a bodyweight squat jump rehearses the same triple-extension timing you need for this throw.
What is the backward overhead throw good for?: It builds maximal total-body explosiveness through the hips and legs and is a common test of power output for coaches, since throwing blind removes the hesitation that comes from watching a target. It is a poor choice in any space with a low ceiling or overhead obstruction, and not the drill to start with if you have never trained a hip hinge under load.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises