Earning the Right to Rotate – Learning to Stabilize During Rotary Medicine Ball Exercises

By Alex Rosencutter

Medicine ball exercises are very popular among fighters.  People want to use these drills to produce more explosive athletes, but typically overlook building the foundation.  In today's video, Alex Rosencutter walks us through a couple of his favorite anti-rotation drills that teach his athletes how to stabilize and develop a 'rock solid' foundation while throwing the medicine ball.

Earn the Right to Rotate - 2 Anti-Rotation Exercises to Develop Stability

Half kneelingHalf kneeling, Anti Rotation Toss 

  • Start with one knee on the floor, other leg in front of you
  • Knees about 90 degrees at the knee, with posture tall, eyes forward
  • Focus on stabilizing through the hips and legs, only rotating through the upper back and shoulders
  • This teaches you, not only to produce force into the wall, but to also absorb the force when catching it.

 

Anti Rotation TossSplit Stance Anti Rotation Toss 

  • Coming off the ground forces us to control, building up from the half kneeling.
  • Same rules apply, stabilize through the hips and legs, then rotate with the shoulders and and upper back only.
  • Do not allow a lot of movement through the legs and hips.
  • Your goal is to create a rock solid base through the legs and hips.

You can perform 8 -10 repetitions, for 2-3 sets on both exercises.  I typically use these either at the beginning of the session, as movement prep.

strength and conditioning coachAlex Rosencutter is the owner of Rosencutter Ultra Fitness and Performance (Wauwatosa, Wis.) and a strength and conditioning coach at Greendale High School (Greendale, Wis.). He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with an emphasis in strength and conditioning and a minor in nutrition. Rosencutter is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association; a Certified Sports Nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition; and a Certified Corrective Medicine ball exercises Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Stay in touch w/ Alex on Instagram --> @alexrosencutter

 

Learn more about Alex and his approach to training mma fighters in our Podcast episode here

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