Supine One-Arm Overhead Throw
The supine one-arm overhead throw has you lying on your back, winding a medicine ball back with one arm, then using your core and shoulder together to fling it up and over your head to a partner. Because only one arm drives the throw, your abdominals have to work harder to transfer force evenly instead of letting both arms share the load. It is a power drill built for speed, not a strength exercise you load up heavy, and it usually shows up in athletic conditioning sessions rather than general strength programs.
Why it works
Flinging a medicine ball overhead with one arm from a lying position asks your core to connect the force from your hips and shoulder into a single fast release, since there is no second arm to help square up the throw. Your abdominals work to control and transfer that one-sided force, while your lats, chest, and shoulder drive the arm through its overhead arc. Because the ball starts from a dead stop on the floor each time, there is no run-up or elastic bounce to borrow power from, so your throwing arm and core have to generate the entire effort from scratch on every rep.
Set up
- Lie on your back with your head pointing toward your throwing partner or target area.
- Hold a medicine ball in one hand, with that arm resting back near your shoulder or slightly behind your head.
- Plant your feet and bend your knees to give your hips a stable base to drive from.
- Keep your non-throwing arm relaxed on the floor beside you rather than using it to push off.
- Face your partner or target directly so the throw does not need to curve or angle across your body.
How to do it
- Drive your hips slightly into the floor and swing your arm forward and up in one fast motion.
- Release the ball as your arm reaches full extension above your head.
- Let your core brace through the release instead of collapsing to one side.
- Watch the ball leave your hand and travel toward your partner or target before relaxing.
- Reset the ball in your throwing hand before starting the next rep.
Form cues
- Keep the throw moving in a straight line toward your target, not veering off to the side.
- Brace your core through the whole throw instead of letting your hips twist loose.
- Finish the throw with a full arm extension, not a half-hearted release.
Breathing: Exhale as you release the ball, and take a full breath while you reset the ball for the next throw.
Common mistakes
Letting the opposite hip lift off the floor to help muscle the ball up.
Fix: Keep both hips grounded and let your core and arm generate the power instead of twisting your lower body.
Releasing the ball too early, before full arm extension.
Fix: Hold the release until your arm is fully extended for a cleaner, more powerful throw.
Using a ball that is too heavy to throw with real speed.
Fix: Drop to a lighter ball if the throw turns into a slow push, since speed is the whole point of this drill.
Throwing every rep toward the same exact spot without checking your target is clear.
Fix: Confirm your partner or landing zone is ready before each throw, since a distracted catch is how most drops and near misses happen.
How to program it
- Keep sets short and explosive, around 5 reps per arm, since the point is speed and not volume.
- Rest fully between sets, closer to 60 to 90 seconds, so each throw stays fast instead of turning into a slow grind.
- This pairs well early in a session, right after your warm-up, when your nervous system is fresh enough to produce a crisp, fast release.
Safety notes
- Check your overhead space before throwing so the ball has a clear path and nothing is in the way of your arm.
- Stop if you feel your lower back arching uncomfortably off the floor during the throw, and shorten the range until your core control catches up.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- plyometrics
Frequently asked questions
What does the supine one-arm overhead throw train?
It mainly trains your abdominals to transfer power, with your chest, lats, and shoulders driving the arm through the throw.
Do I need a partner for this throw?
A partner to catch and return the ball makes this much easier, though you can also throw against an open wall of space and retrieve it yourself if no partner is available.
Can I do this with two arms instead?
Yes, the two-arm version is an easier variation that lets both sides share the load evenly.
How many reps should I throw per side?
Around five explosive throws per arm is typical, since this is a power drill rather than a high-volume exercise.
What size medicine ball should I use for this throw?
Start with a light ball, often lighter than you would use for the two-arm version, since one arm has to generate and control all of the force by itself.
Which shoulder muscles does this throw emphasize most?
The throwing shoulder works through a long overhead arc, so it gets more direct demand than in the two-arm version, where the load is shared evenly between both sides.