Throw it all

(Please Don't try this at home)
Some people always ask me what they can do to get thrower specific strength apart from throwing a heavier discus or lifting more weights. I tell them, if it has a handle, throw it!! I mean it. If you can get a good hold of it, throw it. Hang in with me and let me explain. There are a lot of things that happen when you throw something you are not used to throwing.

1. First is muscle confusion, which causes your muscles to re-adjust to throwing an object that it has not been trained to throw. This causes your muscles to adjust to the object and also retain its already established mastery of the discus. Ultimately, overall strength is gained.
2. Second is a keen focus of technique. If any of you out there have ever thrown a tire I am sure that you know that it really forces you to use your hips and legs because doing otherwise will result in the overuse of the upper body which could cause injury. The tire is just too heavy to throw with just the upper body. If you are an upper body thrower you will gain from the tire greatly.
   
3. Thirdly, you become a more powerful thrower when you throw a lot of different objects. The process of throwing objects such as shot puts, puds, kettlebells, etc., result in the overall development of muscles that are unworkable otherwise. Remember that it is not just a matter of how much weight you can push in the bench, clean, or squat. To throw far its about how much weight you can push in a throwing motion.

Things to throw:

• Tires
• shot puts
• rubber weight plates
• puds
• Kettle Bells
  
• sand bags
• Dumbbells
  

Throw these objects forwards and backwards. With your left and right hand. You will feel the difference in your training when you add these elements in.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! or email me at 0a4w@virginia.edu