Power Exercises
Level One: Med Ball Throws
Target Muscles
Horizontal pushing with med balls can offer you a simple but effective way of
improving power. Rotary power can also be trained, which is ideal for racket Primary Muscles: pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps.
sport.
Secondary Muscles: serratus anterior, triceps.
Warning: Use a spotter to catch the ball above your head and then Be aware of: arching of back, participant not ready to catch med ball, med ball
not directly going straight up in the air.
pass it back to you. It is not advised to try this one on your own.
Teaching Points
- Lying with your back on the floor with legs bent
- Extend arms upwards with hands open ready to catch the ball
- Spotter holds medicine ball with both hands at arm’s length and directly
above participants chest. Spotter stands on a bench
- The spotter drops ball above the participants lower chest
- You catch the ball and immediately throw it forcefully upwards extending both
arms vertically
- Spotter catches and repeats
Level Two: Explosive Push Ups
Explosive push ups are a high level exercise as the demands on the body at
high speed are massive due to increase in gravity and control. These are
generally used only for athletes who require explosive power (martial arts /
boxing / throwing sport).
Target Muscles
Warning: Only try this if you have the strength and ability to get
your hands in position to catch yourself.
Secondary Muscles: rectus
abdominus,
transverse
abdominus, erector spinae,
rhomboids.
Teaching Points
- Start with hands on the floor, just wider than shoulder width, just below
shoulder level
- Assume the starting position with the elbows locked, with a straight line
running between your ankles, hips and shoulders, toes on the floor
- The spine must stay in a straight line, lead with the chest to the floor, neck
stays in line with the spine
- Engage the core
- Lower yourself until the chest is just above the floor
- Explosively push the hands down into the floor extending the arms as
quickly as possible
- As the hands leave the floor clap in front of the body and land with a slight
bend at the elbow joint.
Primary Muscles: pectoralis
major, anterior deltoid, triceps
Be aware of: hips sticking
out, dropping just the head
to the floor, spinal alignment,
rotation of the shoulders,
pushing the hips up in the air
before the hands leave the
floor.
Level Three: Standing Chest Press
The standing chest press is an ideal exercise for a user who is required to train
their kinetic chain. For example, ground based movement that finishes at the
other end of the body, where energy is absorbed and generated produced at
the end of the movement. These are likely to be martial artists, boxers, rugby
or American football players, where force is applied at the end of the kinetic
chain to move an object or strike an object.
Teaching Points
- Start facing a wall, several feet away, start with a light enough med ball so
it can be moved quickly
- Feet shoulder width apart, core engaged, spine straight, slight bend at the
knees
- Using the core as the base for the movement for the power, chest pass the
ball against the wall as quickly as you can
- Catch and repeat
- Look for over balancing forwards or taking a step back when chest passing.
The med ball should travel in a direct path (straight) when leaving the
hands it should not travel go up or down
Target Muscles
Primary Muscles: pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps.
Secondary Muscles: rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, erector
spinae, rhomboids.
Be aware of: ball not travelling
in a straight line when
released, leaning forwards
after released the med ball,
leaning
backwards
then
forwards to create momentum
to release the med ball.