Explosive Core and Shoulder Exercise

Two terms for today’s article:  Isolation and Compound.

Isolation exercises focus primarily on one specific muscle group.  Example:  a triceps push down.

Compound exercises incorporate a large number of muscles at the same time.  Example: a dead lift.

It is no secret that I am a massive fan of compound movements for athletes.   Isolation exercises for us fall into the “only if there is time” or “addressing a weakness” category.

However, I do like to use a sort of “hybrid isolation.”  It is an exercise or variation that does not use as many muscles as possible, but does not just focus on one area as well.

Example would be a standing rope battle vs a kneeling single arm rope battle.

 

We have a college baseball player and his sister, a recent West Point graduate training until she leaves to be stationed on the West Coast.  Both will be expected to have some degree of rotational strength (baseball swing) and core strength (army sit up requirements).

Programming:  variations of medicine ball throws included in their programs.

Compound Solution:  various medicine ball throws from the standing position.

The standing throws are done for low reps, high sets, near complete rest and are super explosive.  Similar to this handsome man from 2009.

The power is generated from the bottom of the feet all the way up to the expression of force in the arms.  Love these for nearly all athletes, especially beginners since the minimal eccentric loading.

Hybrid Isolated Solution: Take the lower body out of the movement to make sure the athlete can still fire their upper body correctly and to check for compensation.

I added sit ups to this “around the world” medicine ball complex since Angela will be required to do them as part of her profession.  The ball must be thrown at MAXIMUM speed by both people (teaching deceleration and core bracing).

UPCOMING ON SYNERGY **INPUT**

Running a website is extremely time consuming.  One major reason why I put the time in is for interactions with our thousands of readers and followers.

I will be taking the time next week to answer a few of your questions via YouTube, that’s the stuff I like doing anyways!

Post your questions in the comments OR post a video of our question on YouTube.  Video questions will take preference as long as they are good! (Yes this is something I picked up from my friend Elliott Hulse, he really enjoys this stuff as well).

Good Question:  What are some exercises to improve my arm strength?

Bad Question:  I need to train for football, can you give me a program?

The good question I can answer in a 3-5 minute video.  The second one I can’t.  See the difference?

Now ask away!  Thank you,

- Joe Hashey, CSCS -

PS.  I picked up portions of the medicine ball complex from the Dynamax website (they make the softer medicine balls).  Good stuff!