Medicine Ball Backward Throw

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width in an open space with nothing behind you, holding a 4 to 8 kg medicine ball in both hands.
2. Hinge at the hips and let the ball swing down between your knees, keeping your back flat and chest up.
3. Load the hips and hamstrings like the bottom of a swing, arms long and relaxed.
4. Explode upward by driving the hips forward and extending the knees and ankles as hard as possible.
5. Let the momentum carry the ball up and over your head, releasing it behind you at the peak of your extension.
6. Follow through onto your toes and let the arms finish overhead, then walk back to retrieve the ball.
7. Perform 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 throws, resting fully so each rep is maximal.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the back at the bottom: Scooping with a rounded spine loads the lumbar discs. Hinge with a flat back and let the hips do the work.
• Throwing with the arms: Pulling the ball up with the arms instead of the hips kills power. Think of the arms as ropes and fire the hips.
• Releasing too early: Letting go in front of your face sends the ball forward or straight up. Release just past vertical, behind the head.
• Not checking your space: A misfired ball can hit someone. Always throw toward a clear wall or open turf.