The Medicine Ball Chest Drop may be implemented to improve power. You should focus on explosiveness, rather than the total amount of resistance being used. You emphasize on the speed of the action and control of the body.
The Medicine Ball Chest Drop is a plyometric exercise. It focuses on developing neural pathways, explosiveness, body control & coordination as well as improving skill and strength foundation for complex movements utilizing a medicine ball.
Medicine Ball Chest Drop Progression
If you use additional weights…make sure you use appropriate weight so you can control the action throughout the entire range of motion. Otherwise you defeat the purpose of the exercise.
Very often, people use too much resistance and they become sloppy. Especially when it comes to maintaining dynamic stability and hitting in the same spots repetitively.
Also, don’t just progress with adding more weight. First, maximize the speed while maintaining perfect form.
Here are the progression levels:
- Advanced: alternating one arm action only
Description
- Lying on the back (supine) on an elevated surface such as a bench.
- A partner is needed and should stand above and behind the head of the individual performing the exercise.
- Open palms should firmly grasp the sides of the medicine ball approximately a foot above the chest.
- Forcefully extend the arms forward at chest level from the initial position to drive the ball the greatest height possible.
- The partner receives the ball and forces it back down to the chest as fast as possible.
- The falling ball should be absorbed and returned to the partner as rapidly as possible.
Targeted Musculature
- Pectoralis Major
- Serratus Anterior
Common Errors
- Failing to absorb the catch and return the medicine ball to the partner in a rapid manner negating the plyometric aspect of the exercise.
