Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Medicine Ball Catch and Overhead Throw: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The medicine ball catch and overhead throw is a dynamic exercise targeting the lats, shoulders, and core. It involves catching and explosively throwing a medicine ball overhead, combining elements of strength and power.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Abs , Shoulders , Obliques
Equipment
Medicine Ball
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the medicine ball catch and overhead throw
Front view: muscles worked by the medicine ball catch and overhead throw. Primary: lats. Secondary: abs, shoulders and obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the medicine ball catch and overhead throw. Primary: lats. Secondary: abs, shoulders and obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the medicine ball catch and overhead throw

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball in both hands at chest level.
  2. Step 2: Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
  3. Step 3: Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up.
  4. Step 4: Explosively extend your hips and legs, while simultaneously throwing the medicine ball overhead.
  5. Step 5: Release the ball at the top of the movement and catch it on the way down.
  6. Step 6: Lower your body back into the squat position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the medicine ball catch and overhead throw by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Medicine Ball Catch and Overhead Throw alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

More lats exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.