The STACK Exercise of the Week will help you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility. This week, we highlight the Med Ball Clean and Press, an exercise that improves lower-body power.

Who’s Doing It

• Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds 1B

Muscular Benefits

• Increases lower-body and upper-body power

Sports Performance Benefits

The Med Ball Clean and Press is a variation of the Power Clean and Press that involves a dynamic med ball toss. This more closely mimics an athletic movement and is easier on the body than the Power Clean Press, while still developing lower-body triple extension and upper-body pressing power. Also great about this exercise: it forces your muscles to store energy after performing the Clean segment, which you then unload to press the ball overhead. This action is similar to a jump or, in Votto’s case, a swing of the bat.

Med Ball Clean and Press How-To

• In athletic stance, grip heavy med ball resting on object about six inches off ground
• Keeping chest above hips, explosively extend hips, knees and ankles while shrugging with straight arms
• Pull ball close to body, drop into squat and catch ball at shoulders
• Explosively extend lower body and arms to drive ball overhead for maximum height
• Reset and repeat

Sets/Reps: 2×4

Coaching Points

• Keep chest up and back flat throughout exercise
• Drive med ball straight up as high as possible
• Step out of way of med ball after toss

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