Posted on September 30, 2022 by Courtney Williams
Explosive Power. Technique. Balance. Timing. Those are the four attributes that – when perfected – demonstrates the perfect shot put! But nobody is born with the ability to produce the perfect shot put because nobody is born with those four attributes. They’re not passed down through genetics, they’re enhanced through workouts and training; perfected with dedication and coordinated through compound exercises.
Although shoulder power is the ending part of a shot put, leg power starts the power build up before the explosion takes place. This is where balance plays an important part in generating, building and utilising your power. Your core is the power “transferrer”; transferring all the power from your legs through to your shoulders. Your lower body – specifically the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles, improve your power output. To utilise the strength of the upper body, we need different ranges of pressing exercises. E.g. shoulder press, push press, bench press and incline bench press.
As usual, we’ll working from the bottom to the top. Exactly how power transfers through the body. So… warm up, mobilise those joints and prepare for pure power enhancement!
Box Squat Jumps – until you fail – 3 sets
A compound exercise that improves your explosive power by squat jumping onto a box. It also improves your cardio fitness.
Front Squats – 8 reps – 3 sets
Front squats are brilliant for improving your shot put, as it requires a lot of engagement from your core for stability. It also brings relief to your knees compared to the conventional squat.
Barbell Step Up – 16 step ups – 3 sets
The barbell step up co-ordinates your balance and power, promoting the shift and build-up of force.
Incline/Flat Bench Press – 8 reps – 3 sets
The bench press is the best pressing exercise that improves your shot put. Focusing on the shoulders, chest and triceps, which are the primary upper body muscles activated when putting.
Shoulder Push Press – 8 reps – 3 sets
The shoulder push press synchronises your lower half to your upper. Using the legs to apply more power to assist the shoulder press. Core has to be engaged for balance and power transference.
Lastly… Cool down and stretch! This is important whether your exercise is 30 minutes long or 2 hours long.
Note: These exercises will improve your explosive power and muscular strength. They’re are not designed to improve your actual shot putting technique or timing. You must practice outside of this exercise for improvements to be noticeable! That said, this workout for shot putters should improve the distance you can shot put!