How to Throw Javelin with Core Power

Learn how to take full advantage of your core strength to improve your javelin throw using these simple how-to tips.

Believe it or not, core training is actually relatively straightforward. There are a few major muscles in your core that need to be firing while you participate in various physical activities and there are a few tricks to get them firing in the first place but beyond that, there's not much else you need to know to effectively train your core for javelin throwing.

For this article, we're going to concern ourselves with major core muscles such as: Transverse Abdominis (TVA) and your kegels or pelvic floor muscles. We'll start with TVA.

TVA is a large deep abdominal muscle that lies underneath your superficial abdominal muscles such as Rectus Abdominis (your six-pack) and your obliques (love handles). TVA wraps around your entire abdominal torso area and acts like a giant weight belt for the spine. When TVA is activated, it truly plays the role of providing a solid foundation or solid core. Core training is focused on using TVA to improve its strength so that it can provide a stronger foundation for the athlete.

To engage TVA, you simply draw your stomach in toward your spine. It's the same as if you’re trying to make yourself skinnier trying to "suck in your gut". More specifically, you're not just drawing in your stomach you're trying to draw in your lower stomach. If we take a center point of where we want you to draw your stomach in, the center point would be about 2 inches below your bellybutton. Focus on drawing your stomach in at this point so that your core is engaged and strengthening the connection between your pelvis and your torso. Be sure that when you draw your stomach in, you don't hunch over. It's very important to maintain good posture while engaging your core.

Draw your stomach in to fire TVA and engage your core during any and all activity including weight training, be it abdominal or other muscle group exercises, throwing during practice and especially during competition.

To supplement TVA, you can also engage your kegel muscles to more effectively train your core. Your kegel muscles are your lower pelvic floor muscles used to stop the flow of urine. If you have trouble finding them, the easiest way to learn how to contract these muscles is stopping the flow on your next trip to the washroom. These muscles play a supportive role in further engaging your core. Try drawing in your stomach and contracting your kegel muscles at the same time. This should give you an idea of how challenging it is to effectively train your core. This challenging endeavor may be why they're so much confusion surrounding how to properly train your core however, a little time and focus on these two muscles will pay great dividends for your core training.

To train your core, all you have to do is engage these two muscles as mentioned earlier however, you may want to get comfortable with using them first. You can practice firing TVA and your kegels in the car or while walking through the grocery store. This is a great way to learn how to engage them properly before you move on to more challenging movements such as engaging your core during your javelin run up.

You may find that engaging your core limits your ability to take deep breaths to some degree however, over time, this slightly limited sensation should pass and you'll be able to engage your core without it hampering your breathing. As a side note, make sure you're not drawing your stomach up and in which would slightly compress your diaphragm. Focus on simply drawing your stomach in to avoid putting any excess pressure on your diaphragm and you should find it easier to maintain a normal breathing pattern.

Core training for javelin summary: Step #1: Draw in TVA 2 inches below your bellybutton to engage your core.

Step #2: Contract your kegel muscles and TVA to fully engage your core.

Step #3: Draw your stomach in and not up onto your diaphragm to engage your core.

Step #4: Keep your breathing constant and don't ever try to hold your breath while engaging your core or doing any other exercises for that matter.

Step #5: As you're learning, practice firing TVA and your kegels while sitting in the car or walking around and as you improve, engage these muscles to engage your core during all of your javelin training.

Become a free member and check out the "javelin throw core articles too" at www.throwjavelin.com. You’ll also find tons of exercises that focus on training for improved javelin technique and performance to help you get that next personal best throw before you know it!

Yours truly, Chucker.

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