Baseball, golf, tennis, track & field…the list goes on and on of sports that rely heavily rotational power. It has been well-documented how important strength is for all athletic movement. After all, Power (Force/Time) requires Force in order to be displayed. The issue for many athletes and coaches may become the application of that strength through higher speed movements, especially in the right planes of motion. Rotational power (Transverse Plane) requires kinetic energy built up from the lower body and transferred to the upper body and through the hands.
Rotational movement pattern in most athletic scenarios:
- Static energy built up on rear leg
- Kinetic energy transfers through the front leg (front side bracing mechanic)
- Torque is created between the rotating pelvis and torso (hip/trunk separation)
- Energy is dispelled through the upper body as the torso and arms continue rotation
Training in this fashion can be tricky. Not every gym has an area to throw medicine balls. Some programs have many athletes working at once, making it impossible to throw tons of medicine balls at once. Whatever your situation, I hope to help enhance your programming for rotational power. Here some creative ways to go about training rotational power:
Medicine Ball Contrast
This is a pretty simple concept- set up 2-3 different sized medicine balls and throw them successively in a ShotPut or Scoop Toss style. I have especially noticed an increase in speed when going from heavier to lighter resistance. The increased neural drive through the initial heavier throw should be noted here.
Isometric Hold To Throw
Here you will set up a thick band or cable (whether held by a partner or fastened to an immovable object) and pull as hard as possible in a similar rotational pattern to your medicine ball throw. This post-activation effect from the initial pull helps enhance the power of the medicine ball throw. It also helps with teaching the pattern of ‘separation’ between the hips and trunk as mentioned above.
Rotational Landmine Work
Some gyms may not allow you to throw a medicine ball off the wall (bummer). Fear not, a Landmine set up can be a great way to create rotational power if done correctly. Make sure the weight is light enough to ensure good movement patterns and high speed throughout the exercise. Create the kinetic flow of energy by initiating the movement from the lower body before exploding through with the upper body and hand.
Rotational KB/DB Swings
Set up is similar in style to a traditional swing, but force the movement to be in a lateral direction. The KB/DB should swing ‘side-to-side’, forcing the upper body to turn in a similar fashion to a rotational movement on an athletic field or court.
Anti-Rotational Work
Rather than crunches or leg lifts, I argue that you must train the core in a fashion that prepares it to efficiently transfer rotational energy from the lower body through the upper body. Though I am a big fan of traditional core work such as Max Tension Planks and TRX Rollouts, Anti-Rotational Training can also be used to enhance core strength for athletes. The Pallof Press, Anti-Rotational Chop and Anti-Rotational Medicine Ball Throw (split Stance) are three great ways to train this.
No matter what, make sure you’re strong first. High-speed training movements look cool, but you won’t get much out of them if you can’t press, squat or pull very well. Power training should bridge the gap between strength training and what the athlete must be able to do at a high level in their sport. Hopefully these creative options spark some ideas for your own training!
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