Now it’s time to put the two moves together into a full heavy ball slam. Remember, as is the case with other power movements, such as swinging a baseball bat or throwing a punch, the power begins in your feet and is transferred to the ball through the dynamic use of your hips and a tight, braced core.
How: With feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, reach the heavy ball above your head and stand on your toes to create a stretch. Drop the hips down and back (this creates the energy) and force the heavy ball into the floor. Drop into your deep squat to retrieve the ball and return to the starting position.
Careful: As you did with the prep exercises, ensure there is no forward flexion in the lumbar spine, the knees are lined up over the middle toes, and the spine and shin angles remain parallel.
STEP 4: HEAVY BALL SLAM PROGRESSIONS
Now that you’ve mastered a safe, effective and fun heavy ball slam, you can now add some variety and different planes of motion to this exercise. Don’t forget to do a five- to 10-minute dynamic warm-up before going through these heavy ball progressions.
DOUBLE ARM PUSH SLAM
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