Building Strength for Shotputting

[Deebo]

I used to Shotput back in middle school, but was never serious, and haven't done it since. I would really like to get back into it, and dominate. Anyone with experience with this? What all muscles are used? What strengths should I build up? What type of exercises? Any ideas on form? I know I will most likely be using the glide technique, considering I'm tall, 6'4". Any help would be appreciated.

[krisrogers]

well man i dont have experience in this but just thinking about it youd wanna train your whole body for shotput since its the force of your whole body behind the shot. emphasis on the big strong upper body muscles esp lats and shoulders - i would recommend using free weights so range of motion is not lessened.
hope that helps

[Powerlifter16]

Olympic lift....olympic lift... plyometrics....plyometrics... and did i say olympic lift?


lifter

[Gaash]

One of my good friends is a shotputter, and he tells me all the power comes from the "hip snap" So focus on your LEGS...

[iron_curtis]

Go Shot Put! ...But Javelin is better.

You Need to improve power as well as strength for shot.

power=speed and strength so plyometrics are the way to go.

Stuff like Jump squats, alternating speed lunges, standing cheat presses, power cleans, and just really focussing on doing the up faze of all exercises really fast and explosivly... but be carefull on the way down

[firebug]

I was a shotputter till my senior year. I then became a firefighter and didn't have the time. As stated above hip strengh is very important. Work legs and incline bench for added distance. Most impotantly is proper form. I threw with a guy who was 18 had a 410lb bench and massive squat and couldn't throw far for he had no form at all. Work on your form, with your height strengh will be a secondary factor.

Firebug

[p0w3rlift3r]

shot put all through the day, practice is the best for sport specific, then do lots of olympic lifting to help with explosiveness

[EFSwole]

Deebo-
I do shotput, what is your farthest throw? Mine was 34'6" as a freshman last year. What you have gotten here is right on target. Do some chest/ tricep exercises (Incline bench press, Military press), but mainly concentrate on hang cleans and squats. By the way, I also do the glide technique.

[p0w3rlift3r]

snatches would be the best hence you need speed to throw far and explosivness gives you speed

[Deebo]

EFSwole, I don't remember how far my throws were, but I can keep you updated during the season, and let you know how that goes if you want. Do you have AIM?

[inns75]

my best throw is 49'11 3/4 as a junior going to be a senior this year starting the spin technique and planning on hitting 55+ in winter and 60 in spring.

[hardknuckle]

Oly lifts, plyometrics and speed bench press.

[Retardo-pex]

My last track season I was a sophomore, my best throw was 38'7.5", and thats not too bad cuz I'm not exactly a huge guy at 5'8" 160 lbs. I actually got a collegiate thrower's strength program from the throwing coach at a local college. It focuses on Power cleans, Snatches, and Jerks. The sencondarily uses squats, deadlift variations, and squat variations. Hang cleans and snatches are in there, but the full olympic lifts are more beneficial. It also greatly works for core strength, and each workout has a secondary muscle to improve a little( like tris or bis)
But the most important thing is getting your form down, try and meet with some know throwers in your area to learn the technique, becuase unless you have a 500+ bench press, you can just brute strength your way through the throws.

[Fat Boy]

Ok lets see, im not the best shot putter in the world but i have done it for a little while ( i am the weakest shot putter in the world im sure of it)
i have thrown over 60 ft a few times, but have only benched 330lbs for the first time yesterday, have cleaned only 325lbs and cant even do a full squat on 440.

close grip bench, bench throws, incline bench, floor press, bench with chords, shouldeer press, jerks, power clean, clean front squat, hang cleans, half thigh cleans, deadlifts, shrugs, clean pulls, tricep work, finger weights, 2 box push ups ( two 1ft boxs a bit wider then shoulder width push of them into the middle then push back up on to the boxes) chin ups, front squats ass to floor, back squats ass to floor, snatch balance, stair running, ankle bounds, hurdling, standing long jump, standing triple jump. 4 bounds and a jump, ummm yeah and most importnantly ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS,

Well i hope that helps you out a little but the secret to throwing well is throwing far

[bigt18]

Alot of these things are right. When i was in high school (im a college fresh now) i threw 55 feet and made it to state. The program i was on was simple. I first started with legs (squats, extenisons, lunges, step-ups and deadlifts) with 8x2. On upper body days i did Lat pulls, bench presses, hammer curls, incline benches and dumbell presses. On the explosive day. I focused on the cleans doing half cleans and power cleans. I also did ab work everytime i worked out. and did jump rope for cardio. I did that program for bout 3 weeks. Then i moved to another program that was the same excersises but with 3x5 instead. Speed and quickness with explosiveness is very important. So are Abs...they connect the explosive legs with the upper body for a full throw. I reccomend lifting 3 times a week (legs, upper, explosive) to give the body adaquate time to rest. Be sure to take in plenty of protein for your body to recover. God Bless and Good Luck

[dez\null]

bump for the olympic lifts.

[Fat Boy]

if you can get your hands on the Werner Gunthor Training Video you will know what to do the man is a freak, is an absolutely great guy, has a PB of 22.75m and one year was Swiss National Champion in Shot Putt and High Jump where he jumped 2.11m not bad for a guy 130kg or so, he has also done a 3.50+ standing long jump and a 95cm vertical leap