If you’ve followed our work at Cressey Sports Performance for any length of time, you know that we’re big fans of training rotational power with medicine ball variations. With that in mind, I wanted to use today’s blog to outline some of our strategies for introducing and progressing these exercises in our programs.

Step 1: Stationary Anti-Rotation – These exercises teach bracing on the front leg and emphasize thoracic (upper back) rotation. The split-stance anti-rotation medicine ball scoop toss is a good example.

Step 2: Stationary Rotation: These exercises emphasize hip loading, force transfer, and thoracic rotation delivering the arm, but the base of support doesn’t change much (if at all). The rotational medicine ball shotput is an example.

Step 3: Momentum Rotation – These exercises teach athletes to create and utilize momentum as they work into the front hip (imagine riding a bike into a curb). The step-behind rotational medicine ball shotput is an example.

Step 4: Eccentric Pre-Loading Rotation: These exercises teach athletes to get in and out of the back hip while better making use of the stretch-shortening-cycle (think of keeping the head behind the belly button as long as possible). The step-back rotational medicine ball scoop toss is an example.

Step 5: Eccentric Pre-Loading with Momentum Rotation: These exercises combine the previous two categories to try to make things as athletic as possible. The 2-hop to rotational medicine ball scoop toss is a good example.

With this progression in mind, it’s important to recognize that athletes need to earn the right to move from one step to the next. Steps 3-5 are far to advanced for 13-15-year-old athletes who have very little body awareness or foundational strength. And, aggressive progressions may be potentially harmful in even advanced athletes if they aren’t prepared for the extensive hip-shoulder separation that takes place. Even with our professional athletes, I’ll start athletes with the earliest stages in the progression during their initial off-season training programs.

If you’re looking to learn more on how we program and coach our medicine ball drills, be sure to check out my Medicine Ball Master Class course. It’s on sale for 20% off this week at www.CresseyMedBall.com.