Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

For those of you that use multi-throws, wow and for what purpose do you incorporate them into your program. Also, where do you place them in the order of you macro, meso, and micro cycles.

Mike: I don't look @ traditional multi-throw exercises as developing power (at least not how we use them); medicine ball multi-HEAVES, maybe - but not throws.
Within a session, we will do between 150 and 400 multi-throws @ a fairly light intensity (seated, standing, prone, passes, tosses, etc.), in sets of 10-20 w/ no recovery between exercises…..HR can get up to >75%max for the duration of the 15-30' session.
I will pair MB Heaves w/ accel work, conentrating on explosive power @ speed through the full range of the heave….here we will do between 20 and 40 reps, w/ longer ^.
I use (as you do also, I'm sure) GS in a similar manner: many exercises; no rest; and varying volumes - here I will prescribe between 100 and 500 reps of sets between 10 and 25; again, the HR can get fairly high.
Lately, with my bobsledders and football players, I have been playing around w/ strictly concentric work on recovery days (various types of sled pulls, lifts, etc…).....this seems to be working real well w/ these athletes, but I have yet to try it w/ my sprinters.

OK-
It sounds like we do the same thing but what I call multi-throws you call "multi-heaves," and what I call medicine ball you call multi-throws. We do quite a bit of medicine ball work just as you described and under those conditions I would indeed consider it low intensity and even have it fall under a type of general strength. What we call multi-throws are single rep maximal effort "heaves" of a shot performed in sets of very low reps.

Originally posted by mike
For those of you that use multi-throws, how and for what purpose do you incorporate them into your program. Also, where do you place them in the order of you macro, meso, and micro cycles.

re - purpose: to train power, coordination, amortization skills, posture, summation of forces, foot contact patters, balance

re - timing.. sometimes i'll use it before as a stimulus. Sometimes I'll use them btw sets of acceleration runs. This year we've used them more after weightlifting to kinda reconfigure things and de-segment the body.
we probably do our heaviest dose during special prep and we do a "good amount" during peaking situations where i want to power output without the pounding of multijumps.

KT-
Just a logistical question…...when you do them between sets of accelerations, do you have them change out of their spikes (I'm assuming you wear spikes on your acceleration work) or do you allow them to do them in spikes.

maybe this is same question as mike—what types of progression do any of you use with multi throws as far as load through cycles…
i.e.

MT's
MT's + Hop
MT's + Hop up and off of box

and through types of exercises

i.e.
OHB, BLF, Lunge, Hammer Hip, chest etc….

which ones do you pair thematically with run training?

kt- really like your idea of between sets of accelerations, what exercises specifically are you hitting?

Had an athlete week of regionals who was being lazy and didn't want to walk back 100 meters to change shoes. she was going to throw of the toe board with her spikes! luckily i got down to throws area in time before she threw

my answers to mike's ??,

purpose- teach the feeling of extension, just learning to be powerful (some are timid athletes, want them to understand maximum effort),

timing- similar to kebba's answers.  before to make sure we're really ready to go (usually before max v), after at times as a bridge to weight room or as cool down and way to get great explosive power in comp phase without pounding of mj's.

if i want great explosive effort i really try to turn it into a competitive situation (i.e. measure the throw or pit one against another) they really get after it. if its cool down i'll leave it alone and the efforts will be much less, which i am fine with.

Very nice points Todd.

We do both the MT and the MT + hop variety. We have some of the MT incorporating a box on our training inventory but never use them.

Originally posted by todd
maybe this is same question as mike—what types of progression do any of you use with multi throws as far as load through cycles… i.e.

MT's, MT's + Hop, MT's + Hop up and off of box

and through types of exercises
i.e.
OHB, BLF, Lunge, Hammer Hip, chest etc….

which ones do you pair thematically with run training?

kt- really like your idea of between sets of accelerations, what exercises specifically are you hitting?

we basically do OHB, BLF Squat Toss type stuff on Acc days…. later in the year we'll add hops. We may use boxes about 2-4 times a year (4-16 inches).

on maxV days we do tend to do them after lifitng and do more OHB, Hammer Hip
type stuff…

i only mix the multi-throws in about 1/4 to 1.3 of the time as there is a time factor involved with changing shoes/surfaces… i prefer for them to throw off the toeboard, but don't always require it because of group size… if they've started practice at staggered times (either by design or due to classes) then i'll usually make them use the toebard….