Presentation description
Medicine ball training is one of the oldest forms of physical preparation and still one of the most versatile. In this presentation, Ben Simons reframes the med ball as a modern high-impact tool for developing power: true ballistic actions with full acceleration, immediate feedback, and measurable outputs. He explains why throws can improve rate of force development beyond compound lifts alone, how the retrieval interval naturally creates cluster-style recovery, and why competition and outcome feedback drive intent and motor learning with minimal cueing.
Simons then gets practical: how to intensify throws by increasing momentum (not just load), target eccentric RFD and the stretch-shortening cycle, and use throws as a lower-cost alternative to excessive plyometric volume. You’ll see session parameters, conditioning options (intensive vs extensive), transfer principles (dynamic correspondence), sport-specific use cases, and how to integrate throws across microcycles, potentiation priming, periodisation phases, and youth development.
Learning objectives
- Understand what makes throws “ballistic” and why that matters for rate of force development and power.
- Apply momentum-based progressions (concentric → countermovement → drop-in → jump-and-throw) to raise intensity without sacrificing mechanics.
- Coach for eccentric RFD and SSC qualities using med ball variations, and know when throws can replace plyometric volume.
- Set effective training parameters (typical 3–10 kg loads, low reps, full recovery) and design intensive vs extensive conditioning circuits.
- Use measurable throw outputs for intent, monitoring, and competition; leverage retrieval time for cluster-style recovery.
- Map throws to sport skills using dynamic correspondence and integrate them into weekly microcycles, potentiation primers, periodisation, and youth programs.
About the presenter
Ben Simons is a practitioner with Semtex Systems who specialises in strength & power development. He brings deep technical understanding of how throws and ballistic movements can be leveraged in modern training to improve performance, drawing on both theory (e.g. rate of force development, dynamic correspondence) and applied coaching (session design, progressions, feedback, integration across training phases).
CEU information
Physical Therapy CEUs
California: Our organization is an approved provider of continuing education for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants in California (CA) by Redefine Health Education, a recognized approval agency of the Physical Therapy Board of CA.
Massachusetts: Our organization is an approved provider of continuing education for APTA Massachusetts.
Courses approved by other state boards in the following jurisdictions are likely accepted for licensure credit based on the state regulation:
AL | AK | AR | CO | CT | DE | GA | HI | ID | IN | IA | KS | KY | ME | MA | MI | MO | MT | NE | NH | NC | ND | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | UT | VT | VA | VI | WA | WI | WY
Courses approved by other APTA chapters in the following jurisdictions are likely accepted for licensure credit based on the state regulation:
AZ | DC | MD | MS | NM
Please reach out to your state licensing board to confirm the currency and accuracy of this information. If you have a specific question about CEU approval for this course in your state, please direct your inquiry to info@redefinehealthed.com.
The following states are not pre-approved: FL, LA, IL, MN, NV, NY, NJ, OH, OK, TX, WV
Participants licensed in states not pre-approved may file for individual approval using the instructions on this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uINVSr-O7xE95OLRA5FjLYeAB3BjwxfS/edit
Athletic Training CEUs
Sportsmith (P12247) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education for Athletic Trainers. All programs are eligible for Category A CE. ATCs are responsible for claiming only those hours actually spent in educational programming.
Contact hours
- Reading time = 10 minutes
- Video length = 31 minutes
- Quiz = 10 minutes
- Total contact hours (rounded down to nearest 0.25 hr) = 0.75
How to receive your certificate
- Watch the full video below. When you are within 10 seconds of the end, a download box will appear in the blue box below. When you click that button your certificate will be automatically downloaded
- Complete the competency assessment
- Complete the course evaluation
Failure to complete the competency assessment and course evaluation will void your certificate.
Competency assessment
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Course evaluation
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