Every Wednesday, STACK features an Exercise of the Week to help you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, size and flexibility. This week we highlight Med Ball Lunge Throws, a lower body and core exercise that builds athletic strength and balance.
Who’s Doing It

• University of Tennessee Basketball

Muscular Benefits

• Improves muscle coordination through the body for movements originating from the ground up
• Increases lower body strength with the Lunge and explosive leg drive
• Increases rotational core strength from the Med Ball Throw
• Develops ankle and other lower body stability muscles to control the movement

Sports Performance Benefits

• Forces the ankle to stabilize the body in multiple directions to increase single-leg balance, essential for changing direction and maintaining position on the field
• Increased rotational core strength improves skills such as batting, swinging a golf club, throwing a ball, shooting a puck or hitting a serve

Med Ball Lunge Throws Description

• Assume athletic stance holding med ball in front, with partner or wall to the side
• Step back with leg closest to wall or partner
• Lower into lunge position and rotate med ball to hip opposite wall or partner
• Simultaneously explode out of lunge position, drive rear knee up so thigh is parallel to the ground, and throw ball across body to wall or partner
• Hold position for two seconds; return to athletic position
• Catch ball and immediately repeat for specified reps
• Perform set on opposite side

Sets/Reps: 1×5 each direction
Coaching Points

• Use light weight med ball
• Keep pressure on heel throughout movement
• Throw med ball across body as explosively as possible while maintaining balance