How many reps of the medicine ball shotput throw should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 3 sets of 5-6 controlled throws per side, resting 60-90 seconds between sets so every rep stays fast and clean. Because this is a power movement, fresh, crisp throws beat grinding out extra reps on tired form. Add a fourth set, or move to a slightly heavier ball, only once every rep looks and feels the same as the first.

What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the shotput throw?

A light sandbag, a filled backpack, or a band anchored at chest height for a rotational press builds the same rear-hip-to-arm sequence without a ball's rebound. If you have a ball but no wall to throw against, swap the wall for the same coil-and-drive motion into a band or cable press, since a real throw needs a rebound surface or a partner to catch it.

What is the medicine ball shotput throw good for, and who should skip it?

It builds explosive single-arm pressing power for throwing and striking athletes and helps even out left-to-right strength differences. Skip it, or keep the effort light, if you have an unrehabbed shoulder injury or acute low-back pain, since the rotation and impact of the catch both load those areas hard.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Shotput Throw

The shotput throw blends the pressing power of a chest pass with the rotation of a throw, so the pec, front delt, and triceps of one arm launch the ball while the hips and obliques feed it force from below. Working one side at a time exposes and evens out left-to-right power differences the two-handed drills can hide. It is a joint-friendly way to build explosive single-arm pushing strength for throwing and striking athletes.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Chest, Shoulder
Type: Functional, Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Horizontal Press, Rotation

How to do it

1
Stand side-on to a sturdy wall and cradle the ball against one shoulder with that hand behind it.
2
Set the feet shoulder-width with a slight bend in the knees and load the rear hip.
3
Rotate away from the wall to coil the trunk over the back leg.
4
Drive the rear hip forward and press the ball explosively off the shoulder toward the wall.
5
Extend the arm fully and let the trunk rotate to face the target on release.
6
Catch the rebound, reset the coil, and finish the set before switching arms.

Tips

Sequence the throw from the ground up: hip, then trunk, then arm.
Keep the wrist and elbow behind the ball so you push through it rather than slapping at it.
Give both arms equal reps to keep pressing power balanced side to side.

Variations

Common mistakes

The shoulders square up to the wall from the very start, which cancels the hip-to-trunk whip the throw depends on.
The back leg stays straight through the coil, leaving the rear hip nothing to drive off when the throw begins.
Catching the rebound with a locked elbow sends the impact straight into the shoulder instead of absorbing it through a soft bend.
A rebound spot too close to the wall rushes the catch and cuts the reset short before the next rep.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the medicine ball shotput throw should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 3 sets of 5-6 controlled throws per side, resting 60-90 seconds between sets so every rep stays fast and clean. Because this is a power movement, fresh, crisp throws beat grinding out extra reps on tired form. Add a fourth set, or move to a slightly heavier ball, only once every rep looks and feels the same as the first.
What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the shotput throw?: A light sandbag, a filled backpack, or a band anchored at chest height for a rotational press builds the same rear-hip-to-arm sequence without a ball's rebound. If you have a ball but no wall to throw against, swap the wall for the same coil-and-drive motion into a band or cable press, since a real throw needs a rebound surface or a partner to catch it.
What is the medicine ball shotput throw good for, and who should skip it?: It builds explosive single-arm pressing power for throwing and striking athletes and helps even out left-to-right strength differences. Skip it, or keep the effort light, if you have an unrehabbed shoulder injury or acute low-back pain, since the rotation and impact of the catch both load those areas hard.

Related exercises

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

All Chest exercises