You can't go to your gym. You can't throw at your school's sector. You're stuck at home with nowhere to go. How do you still get in your throws training? It comes down to motivation, determination, and most of all...creativity.
COVID-19 has completely rocked the throwing world. Not only do you have to deal with the fact that you might not get the chance to post any marks this year, but you need to figure out how you can possibly look forward to another year and figure out how to be the most prepared as you possibly can. Although throwers should never have to deal with this issue, what will happen is it will create a divide amongst throwers between those who are willing to sacrifice and put in the work, and those who succumb to a lack of motivation and fizzle out of training. What can you do to keep training fun and engaging while getting in all the necessary work that you need? Read more!
You Might Have Already Dealt With This... in a way
For many throwers, this is not the only time you've had to try and get training in without equipment or facilities. How about these scenarios:
You're home on Christmas break, your high school is closed, there are 2 feet of snow on the ground. How do you get your training in? You do drills in the basement and make workouts out of push-ups and abs.
It's summer vacation. Your coach left on a trip. You have to jump the fence to get to a circle to throw until someone comes out and yells at you. You find a parking lot, prop up your phone against the curb and start tossing and critiquing your technique.
Your family went on vacation to the beach for a week. The local gyms are too pricy and don't have any platforms anyway. You find a rock and take standing throws into the sand. You might do some sprints and lunges along the beach.
Whatever the situation, you have probably had to make training work in less than ideal conditions before. However, it takes creativity and some experimentation to figure out what works for your specific situation.
I had to think back to when I was in college and my family took a week-long vacation in Maine. I had just got back into the swing of training over the summer and did not want to risk losing the progress I had made. What did I do? I built a bench press out of logs, found a rock to toss, and did drills in the garage. It wasn't quite the same as a gym, but I used every resource I could get my hands on to make the best training situation possible. *Note that you should always have supervision when training, and don't experiment if it is not safe. Injuring yourself will not improve your throws!
Okay, it's a big difference bridging a week of training with some odds and ends of training. Yet right now we have no idea how long we will have to train in this situation. The key?
Set Up A Routine
Possibly the biggest problem with training at home is that you get out of the routine in training that you had when there were set practice times and coaches and teammates to hold you accountable to attending. It's not easy doing all of that yourself, that is why you MUST set a schedule for yourself and stick to it.
Without having to be places you can eat whenever you want, you can do your schoolwork whenever you want, you can clean up the house or do chores whenever you want, and watch Netflix whenever you want. Without have any clear boundaries, it is easy to let the day slip away and never actually fit training in. Make 3:00 pm the time that you train every single day for 2 hours. Set aside that time, let your family know that is the time you want to be training, and hold yourself to it.
Then make up your mind that you are in it for the long haul. Understand that you might be using this same routine for the next few months, and be okay with that. Because making that commitment is the only way that you will continue to improve.
The Throwers Assessment is a comprehensive overview of how training and lifestyle routines should be set up and executed!
Technique Work
It is essential to get some sort of technique work in during this time. Although what you can do will ultimately depend on your situation, I'll break it down in order of the quality of training. As often as possible, train in the highest-ranking form.
Throwing out of a circle (with a toe board for shot)
Throwing off a sidewalk or macadamed service
Doing drills holding an implement or other weight on a cement surface
Doing bodyweight drills on any surface
Watching throws video
Obviously it is best if you can actually throw out of an actual circle. But it that is not possible, work down the list until you are able to perform that movement. Watching throws video is last, and if that is all you can do, that's all you can do. However, everyone should simultaneously be watching throws video of world-class throwers to improve your technique.
Special Strength
The best supplement to throwing is special strength training (strength training that mimics the movement of the throw). Whether you can take full throws or can only do drills, you should find a way to get special strength exercises in. These include:
Standing rock throws
Half turn rock throws
Side rock/log tosses
Strength Training
Getting adequate strength training done is the hardest aspect of training under quarantine. The key is again being creative with what you have available to you and making the most of it.
Do you have a home gym? Great, you've got it good
Do you have a could dumbells? you can use them to do presses, abs, lunges, single-leg squats, shoulder work, etc.
No dumbells? Find other things you can use to add weight to your exercises including
Milk Jugs
Buckets of water
Broomsticks
Textbooks
Chairs instead of benches
Stairs instead of boxes
Our Resources
If you are in need of extra assistance in either correcting your technique or in finding a training program to follow at home we have a couple of options available
Technical Analysis
Our technical analysis are 50% off during the coronavirus crisis to make them more available to throwers who don't have access to their coaches. Send in a video and we will give you 3 specific corrections to work on!
Circle Program
The Circle Program is a parts program that can be done all directly at the circle with only an implement. It divides up throwing and strength exercises to make a more comprehensive and challenging workout.
Elite Training Program
While we are quarantined, our Elite Training Programs are made to be able to be done at home with no equipment. This is the same program that we are building for our on-location throwers during this crisis!
Custom Programming
If you are looking for programming that is specific to your needs and individual situation, grab a custom program and get the best possible training you can while being away from practice.
"Our aim is to provide concise and concrete education and training on the throws, helping coaches and athletes learn what they need to do to succeed and become champions."
- Dane and Trevor
