How many reps of the medicine ball scoop toss should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Work in sets of 4 to 6 low reps early in a session while fresh, resting long enough between reps that every toss stays close to full effort. Add reps only once every throw looks and feels the same; this is a power drill, not a conditioning one.

What can you do instead of the medicine ball scoop toss if you don't have a medicine ball?

A kettlebell swing trains a very similar hip-snap and triple-extension pattern if a kettlebell is available. With no equipment at all, a squat jump reaching both arms overhead at the top captures the same explosive extension.

What is the medicine ball scoop toss good for, and when should you skip it?

It trains total-body power without loading the spine, and it is measurable like a vertical jump. Skip it if you don't have a wall or open space to safely retrieve the ball, or if you want a conditioning tool, since chasing reps past full effort trains endurance rather than the power this drill is for.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Scoop Toss

The scoop toss teaches you to string a squat into an explosive triple extension and hand the force off into the ball, much like a vertical jump you can measure. The legs and hips do the driving while the arms simply guide the release, so it trains total-body power without loading the spine. Use it early in a session for low reps and full recovery, throwing for maximum height and distance each time.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Glutes, Quads
Type: Functional, Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Squat

How to do it

1
Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder-width and hold the ball low with both hands.
2
Sit the hips back into a squat, letting the ball travel down between the knees.
3
Reverse hard, extending the hips, knees, and ankles all at once.
4
Sweep the arms up and release the ball out in front of you at full extension.
5
Follow the ball with the eyes and hands as it leaves your grip.
6
Retrieve the ball, reset your stance, and repeat with full effort.

Tips

Drive the throw from the legs and hips, not by yanking with the arms and low back.
Time the release with full extension so the ball launches at peak speed.
Reset completely between reps so each toss stays a fresh maximal effort.

Variations

Common mistakes

The low back rounds at the bottom of the squat to reach the ball, when a neutral spine there is what lets the legs do the work instead of the back.
The wrists stay stiff through the release, so the fingers can't guide the ball's line and the flight path drifts rep to rep.
The next toss starts before the breath and stance fully reset, so a set meant to be maximal effort quietly turns into a fatigued conditioning drill.
The eyes drop to the floor right after release instead of tracking the ball, exactly when a bad throw needs to be seen and dodged.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the medicine ball scoop toss should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Work in sets of 4 to 6 low reps early in a session while fresh, resting long enough between reps that every toss stays close to full effort. Add reps only once every throw looks and feels the same; this is a power drill, not a conditioning one.
What can you do instead of the medicine ball scoop toss if you don't have a medicine ball?: A kettlebell swing trains a very similar hip-snap and triple-extension pattern if a kettlebell is available. With no equipment at all, a squat jump reaching both arms overhead at the top captures the same explosive extension.
What is the medicine ball scoop toss good for, and when should you skip it?: It trains total-body power without loading the spine, and it is measurable like a vertical jump. Skip it if you don't have a wall or open space to safely retrieve the ball, or if you want a conditioning tool, since chasing reps past full effort trains endurance rather than the power this drill is for.

Related exercises

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

All Glutes exercises