Discus Training

Upper body explosive exercises for discus throwers.

April 14, 2019 by Editor

Your body’s conditioning will help you improve your discus throwing performance. Lower body power movements are important, but you need to develop your upper body explosive power as well.

The video below shows a few explosive exercises that you can do at the gym. These should help you improve your upper body explosiveness specifically for the discus throw.

Also check the discus training equipment available to help you improve your performance.

How do I improve my discus?

April 14, 2019 by Editor

There are a few things that you can do to improve your performance in the discus event.

Improve your throwing technique.

The athlete must develop the correct throwing technique so that they can build the foundation for improving their discus throwing performance.

The athlete must learn how to do the following.

How to hold the discus correctly in their hand.
How to hold the discus at the correct angle to their body and to the ground.
How to release the discus from their hand (so the discus releases on the forefinger and not the middle finger)
How to position the body so the discus is released at the correct throwing angle.

Improve the explosive conditioning of the athlete.

When the athlete has mastered their technique, the athlete will need to maximise the velocity at which the discus is released from their hand. A major component will depend on the athlete’s physical condition and their ability to be explosive enough to release the discus at high speed.

The athlete will need to develop explosive power in the following muscle groups.

Hips
Glutes
Arms
Back
Pectorals
Shoulders

You can watch the video below to get a better idea about some of the explosive exercises that you can concentrate on.

Are there some other tips that you would like to see here? Let us know in the comments below.

What is the best throwing angle in discus?

April 14, 2019 by Editor

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

One of the technical aspects athletes need to master is the release angle in the discus. Throw the discus at an angle too low and it will quickly fall to the ground. Throw the discus at an angle that is too high and it will lob up and down instead of going for distance.

Therefore, athletes must train themselves to release the discus at an optimal angle so that the discus will travel as far as possible.

What is the best throwing angle for the discus?

The ideal angle to release the discus is at 32-37 degrees.

Why should athletes aim for this angle range?

The discus will travel at the velocity of its release. Based on the velocity and the angle that the discus is released, the discus will travel further. So it is possible for a discus competitor to beat another competitor by throwing at a lower velocity, but a more optimal throwing angle, which allows them to get greater distance.

More insights can be seen in this study.

What if the athlete is already throwing at an optimal projection angle?

If this is the case, the athlete needs to develop the projection speed once the discus is released. So the athlete will need to develop their strength and speed release at the projection angle in order to increase the velocity of the discus once it has been released.

You can watch the video below where there’s a comparison of the discus throwing angles and the changes in distance.