Back · Medicine Ball
Medicine Ball Overhead Throw
How to do the medicine ball overhead throw, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Medicine Ball
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall holding a medicine ball overhead with both hands, feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge slightly and brace, then throw the ball forcefully forward or down into a wall or the floor, extending through your whole body.
- 1Feel your lats and core fire as you whip the ball overhead and forward
- 2Drive the throw from your hips and trunk, not just your arms
- 3Stay braced so the power transfers from the ground through the ball
Common mistakes
- Don't throw with only your arms and leave your core out of it
- Avoid hyperextending your lower back on the wind-up
- Don't lose your footing chasing maximum distance
Muscles worked
The medicine ball overhead throw mainly works the lats and upper abs, with the lower abs, obliques, triceps, forearms, lower back, upper traps, quads, glutes, and front delts assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- TricepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the medicine ball overhead throw for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.