Medicine Ball Overhead Throw
- Primary muscleTriceps
- EquipmentMedicine Ball
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypePlyometric · Throw
- Secondary muscles
- Delts, Pectorals, Serratus Anterior, Traps, Abs
- Body part
- Upper Arms
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Plyometrics
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Launching the ball up and forward on a rising arc makes this a total-body power drill measured in distance, not reps - the triceps and shoulders finish what a quick leg dip and hip drive start. Throw to a partner or against a high wall, and keep the ball light; power work stops working the moment the movement slows.
How to do the Medicine Ball Overhead Throw
- Stand tall with feet shoulder-width and hold the medicine ball at mid‑chest, elbows under the ball and wrists neutral.
- Brace your core and take a small dip by bending hips and knees while keeping the torso upright.
- Drive through the legs and extend the hips, then rapidly flex the shoulders and extend the elbows to launch the ball overhead and forward.
- Release the ball slightly above forehead level at a 30–45° angle while keeping the ribcage down to avoid low‑back arching.
- Finish tall on the toes with arms extended and eyes forward.
- Catch the return (or retrieve the ball) with soft knees and a neutral spine.
- Reset, inhale, and repeat powerful, crisp throws; exhale on each release.
Tip: Breathe out sharply on the release and throw the whole body into it, not just the arms.
Muscles worked
Common mistakes
- Throwing with the arms only — the throw starts with the legs and hips, then travels through the torso and out the arms; if the legs stay still, the power is gone.
- Folding at the waist — keep the back flat as you follow through and let the hips hinge so you do not fold at the waist.
- Rushing reps as conditioning — a throw is a power exercise, so reset between reps and throw each one hard.
- Wrong ball weight — a ball that is too heavy turns a throw into a push; use something light enough to move fast.
Where it fits in a workout
Throws go at the start of a session after the warm-up, before heavy lifting, while you are fresh. Pair overhead throws with broad jumps for a power block.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.