McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

Muscles Involved

Primary:Triceps brachii, pectoralis major Secondary:Pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid, anconeus, wrist and finger flexors

A:SAFETYTIP

From an injury prevention standpoint, the wrists must be kept in a neutral position when performing this exercise. Ifwrist pain occurs, try to increase the width ofthe grip. The exercise will target the triceps as long as the hand grip is less than shoulder-width. As an additional cautionary note, ifyou are currently experiencing shoulder pain or have a history of shoulder injury, modify how far you lower the bar by not letting the elbows pass below the level ofthe bench.

Before adding this exercise to a program, you should be comfortable with performing a normal bench press exercise as described in chapter 4 (page 10).

Flexor cafPl. nldialis Palmans• Iongtls Flexor carpi iJlnal15

Anconeus P@ctomlis majOr" Triceps

Execution

1 . Stand about 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.6 m) away from a partner.

2.With the medicine ball (5.5 to 1 1 lb, or 2.5 to 5 kg) at middle chest level, throw the ball by forcefully extending your elbows, targeting your partner's chest.

3.Your partner should catch the ball with the arms just shy of full extension and decelerate it in a controlled manner.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Triceps brachii, pectoralis major Secondary:Pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid, anconeus, wrist and finger flexors

Swimming Focus

One of the primary points of emphasis when performing medicine ball chest passes is that the throwing motion should be controlled but explosive in nature. This technique separates it from the other exercises, which are all performed in a slow and controlled manner. The explosive contraction helps develop power in the triceps. Additionally, the movements performed during the exercise are similar to those used during the open turns associated with butterfly and breaststroke. This exercise can be a great way to learn how to absorb and redirect momentum when performing open turns.