Discus throwing workouts

Written by maksim khasin
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Discus throwing workouts
Proper discus throwing incorporates all muscles in the body. (shot put field image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com)

Discus is a track and field event in which a competitors throw a disc for distance. The throw is made from a small circular area, forcing the competitors to utilise proper form and all the muscles in the body to reach a good throwing distance. Discus involves a sudden burst of speed and power to generate the necessary torque to throw the disc. To improve their throws, competitors must perform exercises to train the necessary muscles correctly.

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Workouts for discus throwers should incorporate upper body and lower body exercises. For the upper body, perform workouts that train the necessary muscles for discus throwing. These include bench press, shoulder press, triceps extensions, and shoulder lifts, exercises that improve the strength of the shoulders and arms to generate a longer throw. For the lower body, perform squats, lunges, and box jumps to improve leg power and explosiveness. Discus throwing involves a high level of intensity and a sudden burst of speed for a short interval of time. Perform the workouts in the same manner. For each exercise, do four sets of three to five reps at extremely high intensity.

Medicine Ball

Your training should mirror the movements in discus throwing. Use a medicine ball to perform exercises that mimic throwing the disc. To improve your torque and increase oblique strength, throw a medicine ball from your hip against a wall and catch on the opposite side of your body. Repeat to strengthen both sides of the body. In addition, throw the medicine ball to a partner from a seated position from various angles. This strengthens the upper body by simulating similar movements to discus throwing. As with strength training, medicine ball exercises should be performed at maximum intensity.


Plyometrics exercises increase speed and explosiveness during short bursts of energy. These exercises are vital to discus workouts because they allow your body to generate more speed and torque during the discus throw. Perform exercises such as the tuck jump, box jump and depth jump at least twice a week for four sets of eight to ten repetitions at maximum intensity. Plyometrics workouts train the body for explosiveness and develop the core for better balance and fluidity of movement.

Tire Flip

The tire flip improves explosiveness, endurance and full body muscle strength. With the tire lying flat on its side, walk up to it and flip it over with your hands below the tire. When you have lifted the tire to a vertical position, use your arms and shoulders to drive the tire back to the ground. Bend your knees and keep your back straight to avoid injury. Flip the tire as many times as you can at full intensity. The tire flip works the muscles necessary for the discus throw and greatly improves conditioning.


Perform a complete stretching routine before and after each training session. Since discus throwing incorporates all muscles of the body, take the time to stretch each muscle group thoroughly. Throwing a discus is an extremely intense movement, forcing your body to twist and jerk at high speed. Competitors can easily injure a number of muscle groups if they fail to prepare the muscles for the movements by stretching and warming up.

The Sandbag Carry

The sandbag carry will develop your core and strengthen your abdominal muscles. As you throw the disc, your body is twisted at a high speed to generate torque and power. Your abdominal muscles generate this twist as your arm swings around. The sandbag carry develops strength and endurance for this muscle group. Fill a bag with an amount of sand that you can carry for at least 30 seconds. Grasp the bag to your chest and walk forward until your muscles fatigue fully and you drop the bag. This exercise also strengthens the shoulders and the arms.

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