Build your strength to overhaul and breach ceilings more easily, with a vertical press and throw using a medicine ball.
This exercise uses, as the name suggests, the vertical press movement pattern. You can perform it without the throwing component if you don’t have access to a wall or solid surface. Here’s how to do it:
Starting Position
- Begin in a base stance with feet between hip and shoulder-width apart
- Back is straight, knees are bent
- Hold the med ball in front, with elbows underneath
Upward Movement
- Extend legs and hips as you press arms upward
- Release the med ball into the air or to the wall once arms are fully extended
- Inhale through the upward movement
Downward Movement
- Catch and return to the starting position
- Control the weight as you flex your elbows, hips, and knees
- Exhale through the downward movement
Pause briefly in the “top” position without releasing the med ball, and then return to the “bottom” position to begin your next repetition.
6-Point Self-Check
Maintain proper body position and movement quality for each repetition as fatigue sets in. Be mindful of this quick “self-check” as you perform this exercise as directed above:
1. Head: Maintain a neutral neck position as you track the med ball trajectory with your eyes/head
2. Torso: Keep the torso rigid and core engaged through the upward and downward movement
3. Hips: “Pull” your feet inward slightly to engage the glutes/hips and anchor your body
4. Legs: Knees flex and extend to provide a solid base and control of the med ball
5. Shoulders: Shoulders are packed back and down throughout the movement, avoid shrugging shoulders to ears at any point
6. Arms: Avoid any flaring of elbows as you flex and extend your arms.
This exercise originally appeared on Firefighter Peak Performance’s YouTube channel. Get yourfree membership to Firefighter Peak Performance today.
