Upper Body Plyometric Progressions for Force Production in Athletes

Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS

Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

When most people hear the term plyometrics, they immediately think of jumping. While lower-body plyometrics are extremely popular, upper body plyometrics are just as valuable for athletes who rely on power, speed, and force production.

At Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance, we frequently incorporate upper body plyometric progressions into both performance training and rehabilitation programs. Whether you’re a baseball player, softball athlete, volleyball player, or any athlete who relies on explosive upper body movement, plyometrics can help you develop the force production necessary for high-level performance.

What Are Plyometrics?

Plyometrics are fast, explosive movements that involve a rapid stretch followed by a powerful contraction of the muscle. This stretch-shortening cycle trains the body to produce force quickly.

These movements primarily target fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for:

• Power

• Speed

• Explosiveness

• Athletic performance

In both training and rehabilitation, it’s important that exercises replicate the speed and demands of the athlete’s sport. For throwing athletes especially, the upper body must be able to generate and absorb high levels of force.

That’s where upper body plyometric training becomes extremely valuable.

Below is a simple progression we frequently use at Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance to safely build explosive upper body strength.

Upper Body Plyometric Progression for Athletes

1. Triceps Chest Pass Into the Ground

The first progression places the athlete in a controlled position to begin introducing force production.

How to perform the exercise:

• Hold a medicine ball (6–10 lbs) at chest level

• Lean slightly forward

• Keep your elbows tight to your body

• Drive the ball forcefully into the ground by extending your elbows

• Allow the ball to bounce so you can absorb the force

Using the ground is helpful because it allows the athlete to generate power while staying in a controlled environment.

Programming:

• 3–5 repetitions

• Start around 50–70% effort

• Progress toward 100% force production

This exercise helps isolate the triceps and chest, which are major contributors to upper body force generation.

2. Supine Medicine Ball Chest Pass

The next progression adds more open-chain movement and impact, requiring the athlete to both produce and absorb force.

Setup:

• Lie on your back

• Keep legs extended

• Lift your heels about 6 inches off the ground to minimize lower body involvement

• Hold a medicine ball at your chest

Execution:

• Explosively press the ball straight upward

• A partner stands on a plyo box behind you

Your partner can either:

1. Catch the ball and drop it back to you, or

2. Add slight downward force, requiring you to absorb the impact

This teaches the upper body to handle incoming force, similar to how the body absorbs impact during athletic movements.

Programming:

• 3–5 repetitions

• Focus on maximum explosive effort

3. Overhead Medicine Ball Slam

Now we begin integrating more total-body force production.

The overhead slam involves:

• Full body extension

• Rapid arm acceleration

• Explosive downward force

Execution:

1. Raise the medicine ball overhead

2. Extend through your entire body

3. Violently slam the ball into the ground

4. Pull your arms down with maximum speed

Programming:

• 3–5 repetitions

• Start at 50–70% effort

• Progress to 100% explosive power

This exercise helps athletes develop coordinated power through the entire kinetic chain, which is crucial for sports like baseball and softball.

4. Band-Assisted Plyometric Push-Up

The final progression introduces a closed-chain explosive movement using body weight.

Setup:

• Anchor a resistance band on a rack

• Position the band across the sternum

• Begin with your chest on the ground

The stronger the band, the more assistance it provides, making the movement easier.

Execution:

• Explosively perform a push-up

• Push hard enough so that your hands leave the ground

• Absorb the force as your hands land back on the floor

This exercise mimics the rapid force production and absorption athletes experience in sport.

Programming:

• 3–5 explosive repetitions

• Focus on maximum speed and power

Why Upper Body Plyometrics Matter for Athletes

Upper body plyometrics are extremely beneficial for athletes who need to:

• Throw harder

• Hit with more power

• Serve or spike faster

• Produce explosive upper body force

These exercises also play a major role in return-to-sport rehabilitation, helping the athlete transition from strength training to sport-specific performance.

At Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance, we use these progressions to help athletes:

• Increase force production

• Improve performance

• Safely return from injury

• Build explosive power

Work With Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

If you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or looking to improve performance and power, we’d love to help.

Dr. Carmen Jansante specializes in working with athletes and overhead throwing athletes, combining rehabilitation and performance training to keep athletes competing at their highest level.

📍 Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

🌐 www.undefeatedpt.com

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