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Article
The Reliability of the Seated Medicine Ball Throw for Distance
Journal of Physical Activity Research
  • George Beckham, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Sienna Lish, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Lisa Keebler, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Casey Longaker, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Caleb Disney, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Mark DeBeliso, Southern Utah University
  • Kent J. Adams, California State University, Monterey Bay
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2019
Abstract

Measuring distance thrown during the Seated Medicine Ball Throw (SMBT) has been used frequently within the literature to quantify upper body explosiveness, due to the test being easy to learn, low-risk, and requiring minimal equipment. The reliability of distance thrown in the SMBT has not been broadly reported, nor have familiarization protocols been thoroughly documented. The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability of distance thrown during the SMBT as a representative measurement for upper body explosiveness in active, recreationally trained adults. Before testing, 20 subjects completed a dynamic warm-up. After learning proper technique, subjects were familiarized with the exercise by completing continuous trials using a 10 lb medicine ball, with 1 minute of rest between trials, until three consecutive throws within 0.25 m were achieved. Subjects rested 20 minutes, repeated the warm-up, and then completed 6 trials of the SMBT where distance of each throw was measured. Any trial in which technique deviated significantly from the instructions was repeated. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess reliability between trials. Distances thrown for trials 1-6 were as follows: 3.43±0.99 m, 3.41±0.95 m, 3.48±1.00 m, 3.48±1.00 m, 3.46±1.03 m, and 3.54±1.05 m respectively. ICCs for consecutive trial pairs ranged from 0.97-0.99. These findings suggest that distance thrown is a reliable representative measure of upper body explosiveness in recreationally trained adults. The familiarization protocol used was sufficient for producing consistent performance.

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© The Author(s) 2019. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.

Published in Journal of Physical Activity Research by Science and Education Publishing. Available via doi: 10.12691/jpar-4-2-9.

Citation Information
George Beckham, Sienna Lish, Lisa Keebler, Casey Longaker, et al.. "The Reliability of the Seated Medicine Ball Throw for Distance" Journal of Physical Activity Research Vol. 4 Iss. 2 (2019)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/george-beckham/16/