Throwing has countless facets and numerous variables that factor into overall development. There are many moving pieces behind shot put and discus. Throwers need to be strong, they must have excellent mobility, they need to be very explosive and powerful. These are factors that can be very demanding and challenging to prepare for and that begs the question. How the heck do you program all of these factors into a day of training?
It’s easy to see the throw, it’s not as easy to create a system from the big picture and drill deep down into the intricate details behind the throw. Is it even possible to develop all of those attributes in training? Let’s find out.
Where do we start?
One of the biggest keys behind designing a program starts as simple as it seems. We need to identify WHO we are making the training program for! How old are they? How strong are they? Do they have any physical issues? Do they need more strength? Do they need more speed? How well do they execute their technique? These questions all lead us in the proper direction toward development.
After identifying WHO we are working with, it’s important to lead into their event. In our hypothetical, let’s say we are working directly with a glider. This starts leading us down more questions behind their overall development.
The next step is: what do gliders need? We know and understand that gliders need:
Technique
Strength
Coordinate at very high speeds
Mobility and stability needed
All of these elements lead us down a path that will help narrow down where we need to start.
The Next Step?
Establish the Priority
The priority in our hypothetical case is based on throwing. The entire goal for our development is to make our athlete a better thrower! When the priority is established, now we can really start building our programming effectively.
Now we can establish that the athlete needs to warm up specifically for throwing, they can do this by taking some nice easy standing throws. They also need to warm up their entire body to execute their movement patterns as well as possible from a full throw position so we know they need to hit some partial movements like the Leif Drill or even some easy non-reverse throws.
From a simple view, their throwing session should look like this:
Standing throws: 3-5 reps
Technical Drills: 5-8 reps
Full throws: 15-20 reps
To optimize time, now we need to figure out the next step and that takes us into the strength world.
Strength Gains
When analyzing the strength portion of the session, we have to reflect back on the key elements behind gliders. It’s important that our strength sessions are fueled by the priority (throwing) and not something else like bodybuilding or powerlifting. When we design a strength session around throwing, we can develop the key attributes to become a champion thrower!
The main goal is to take the weight room strength being developed and UNITE that strength with the actual competitive exercise.
This is where we start working on our explosive training movements, these movements tend to be more technically challenging. Think about the snatch, the clean, behind the neck jerks, these are movements we can’t be fatigued for when we are building coordination.
The movements that can improve our explosive exercises are likely going to be based on general strength work. Think about back squats, front squats, snatch pulls. After executing the strength movements, we can hit important accessories exercises that will improve our joint integrity, thus leading to improved performance in the circle. AGAIN, it must be reiterated that all of our work is executed to improve our performance in the circle.
Strength workout planning:
1A) Explosive exercises
2A) Strength Work
2B) Trunk Work
3A) Supporting Accessories
3B) Supporting Accessories
4A) Mobility Or Special Strength
What does all of this mean?
Every single day of training has to be constructed with the circle in mind, with the weight room in mind, with the individual athlete in mind. These factors all have to be thought of from a big picture perspective which will then help the coach hone in on the overall problem. That’s why we are here today.
We know how difficult programming can be.
We know how challenging and frustrating it can be.
We know the time it takes away from your day.
This moves us into the entire purpose of Throws University. We want to help you learn how to program. We want you to learn how to program AND see EXACTLY how world-class throwers handle their programming. That is where our FREE GLIDE PROGRAM comes into play. Enter your email below and IMMEDIATELY get access to this free workout and be on your way to improved training!
Recap
Throwing is a difficult sport to train. There are many aspects that go into developing a properly executed program. The thrower must be strong, they must be fast and explosive AND have a technical mindset. Coordinating this into one program is very difficult and that’s why we are providing a direct peak into our FREE PROGRAM today.
"Our aim is to provide concise and concrete education and training on the throws, helping coaches and athletes learn what they need to do to succeed and become champions."
- Dane and Trevor
