Sport
The throws turn whole-body strength and speed into an implement's flight: the legs and trunk start the throw and the arm finishes it. Throwers have the fewest injuries of any event group at championships, mostly trunk and lower-leg muscle strains, but javelin throwers' shoulders and elbows take heavy loads, and the greatest danger in the throws is to anyone in an implement's path.
This guide covers the safety rules that matter most (cages, sectors, warnings and carrying implements back), the implement weights for young throwers, the injuries in each event, and the strength, power and tapering evidence from trials in throwers, with shoulder care borrowed from handball and not yet tested in throwers. There are two workouts with 3D demos: a 20-minute warm-up and a 50-minute strength and power session. We're not connected with any athletics federation.
World Athletics warns that heavy and sharp implements are a hazard to anyone in their path, and people have been killed. In 2018 a hammer thrown from an old UK cage reached spectators and hit an athlete, and since 1 April 2023 every UK cage has had to meet a stricter standard.
Throwers had the lowest injury rates at international championships, mostly trunk and lower-leg muscle injuries. In US high school throwers, the shoulder was the commonest injured site.
Junior elite javelin throwers' throwing shoulders showed overload changes on scans without any symptoms, and former elite throwers had rotator cuff tears and elbow arthritis in their throwing arm.
World Athletics and UK Athletics set implement weights by age, from a 2.72 kg shot and a 400 g javelin for under-14 girls to 7.26 kg and 800 g for men. No study has tested whether these weights prevent injuries.
In small studies of throwers, the snatch tracked throwing distance, and pairing heavy and fast exercises in the same session improved competition throws more than doing them on separate days.
One trial in teenage handball players found 56% fewer shoulder injuries with a short shoulder programme, but three handball trials pooled together weren't significant, and none has been tested in throwers.
The shot is put from the shoulder from a 2.135 m circle with a stop board; the discus is thrown from a 2.50 m circle and the hammer from a 2.135 m circle, both from inside a cage; and the javelin is thrown from a runway of at least 30 m behind a curved line. Throws must land in a sector of 34.92° for the circle throws and 28.96° for the javelin, and gloves are allowed only in the hammer.
Source 1
Every throw passes energy from the legs through the hips, trunk and shoulder into the implement, and a review argues that a weak link anywhere in the chain is a route to injury.
Source 12
In 11 college throwers, the power snatch correlated strongly with shot put and weight throw distances, and maximal strength with power even at light loads. In 12 young throwers, the rate at which the legs produced force, and the length of their muscle fibres, tracked shot put performance. These are correlations in small groups.
The trunk muscles; the throwing shoulder and elbow, above all in the javelin; the lower back, which rotates and extends under load; and the ankle and knee, 16.5% and 12.0% of US high school throwers' injuries. Throwers had no bone stress injuries at 24 international championships.
The Compendium of Physical Activities lists the shot, discus and hammer at 4.0 metabolic equivalents (METs), and the javelin, with the jumps, at 6.0 METs. Both values are estimated rather than measured.
Source 16
A thrown implement is a danger to anyone in its path, so the safety rules below matter as much as the training.
Source 1
Championship and school studies use different measures, so their numbers aren't comparable with each other.
The numbers, by group and measure:
In 15 junior elite javelin throwers (average age 17.7) without shoulder symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed bone cysts at the back of the upper arm bone in 73.3% of throwing shoulders, against 13.3% on the other side. 21 former elite javelin throwers, about 19 years after their careers, had lost rotation in the throwing shoulder (by 10° or more in 14) and often had rotator cuff tears. Our shoulder pain, shoulder impingement and SLAP tear guides cover these.
Every one of those former throwers had arthritis in the throwing elbow, more in those who had trained with throwing weights over 3 kg. Javelin throwers have needed the same elbow ligament (ulnar collateral ligament) reconstruction as baseball pitchers: 9 of 10 in one series had excellent results, returning at about 15 months, and 10 of 16 in another returned, at about 12 months. Our elbow pain and Little League elbow guides cover the elbow; we don't yet have a guide to this ligament in adult throwers.
In the records of 3,152 elite Spanish athletes, spondylolysis, a stress fracture of a vertebra, was found in 26.67% of those in throwing sports, the highest of any group. 10 of 21 former javelin throwers had spondylolisthesis, a slipped vertebra, but no more back complaints than a comparison group. Our back pain and spondylolisthesis guides cover these.
Trunk muscle strains were among throwers' main injuries at championships. Our abdominal strain and rib injury guides cover the trunk.
Associations, not proven causes:
No injury prevention programme has been tested in throwers. The safety rules come from incident reviews, and the shoulder programmes are borrowed from handball.
Cages, roped sectors, a warning before every throw and implements carried back are the measures that keep people from being hit, as the safety section below sets out. No study has counted injuries before and after them.
Shoulder Control (five shoulder and trunk exercises in four levels, done for 10 to 15 minutes as a warm-up three times a week, with a throwing progression) went with 56% fewer shoulder injuries in a trial of 627 teenage elite handball players, even though they did it about 1.3 times a week. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center's shoulder programme cut shoulder problems by about a quarter in 660 elite handball players. But three handball trials pooled together weren't significant, and neither programme has been tested in javelin or other throwers. Our throwing arm workout uses Shoulder Control.
Former javelin throwers who trained with weights over 3 kg had more arm degeneration (an association). In 38 young baseball pitchers, a weighted-ball programme raised pitch speed, but 4 of the 17 who finished it had elbow injuries, against none of the others (borrowed).
Athletics sets lighter javelins by age rather than a throw count. Build throw numbers gradually after time off, and stop for pain on the inside of the elbow, as our Little League elbow guide explains.
Source 5
Across 25 randomised trials in many sports, strength training cut sports injuries to under a third, while stretching programmes made no difference.
Source 33
The NHS says to see a GP for lower back pain that doesn't go away after 3 to 4 weeks; our spondylolisthesis guide explains the stress fractures common in throwing sports.
Source 34
Without good evidence in throwers:
The snatch tracked shot put and weight throw distances in 11 college throwers. In 12 young throwers, 10 weeks of planned training raised competition throws by 6.76% and shot put tests from the power position by 3.58%.
In 10 well-trained throwers over two 4-week phases before competition, doing strength and power exercises in pairs within a session raised competition throws by 5.4%, against 1.9% when they were done on different days, with bigger gains in the snatch, the squat, rate of force development and lean mass. The trial's exercises and loads aren't in its abstract, so our workout's sets and reps are our own.
Source 9
13 throwers aged 16 to 26 tapered twice, in winter and spring, with light lifting loads (30% of their best) or heavy ones (85%). Throws improved by 4.8% after the light taper and 5.6% after the heavy one; heavy loads kept more strength and power, and light loads were less tiring. Either works for the throw; keep some heavy work if you want to hold strength.
Source 35
Throwers often train with implements heavier or lighter than competition weight, but we found no trial of it. Keep heavy implements close to competition weight and rare in the young (our suggestion).
An 8-week programme with no comparison group raised rotator cuff strength and throwing distance in 6 javelin throwers. The handball programmes in the prevention section are the nearest tested shoulder work, with mixed results.
We found no mobility trial in throwers. Upper back rotation and shoulder range matter to the kinetic chain; our mobility guide covers range you can control.
Source 12
In the world's top 100, male throwers peaked at about 28 to 29, later than most events, and throwers improved most over the 5 years before their peak, about 7%. Be patient with young throwers (our reading).
Source 37
Preparation: 2 or 3 strength and power sessions a week, with throwing sessions on other days or before lifting, and medicine-ball throws as power work.
The 4 weeks before competition: heavy and fast exercises paired, as in our strength and power workout. The taper: fewer sets, light or heavy loads, and no new lifts. Young throwers: age-group implements and supervised throwing.
These rules come from incident reviews and long experience, not trials, and they're graded as what they say. Read your own competition's or club's rules too.
World Athletics' Competition and Technical Rules (Book C, last modified 1 July 2026):
Source 1
UK Athletics' Rules for Competition, effective 1 April 2026:
Source 7
In 2018 a hammer thrown from an old-specification UK cage "carried six lanes of a track before landing in a populated spectator area where the wire and handle struck an athlete". UK Athletics' updated guidance (9 March 2021) required every throws cage, including those at training-only venues, to meet the World Athletics or new UK standard from 1 April 2023, banned cages next to the 200 m start or finish until a survey shows a hammer can't reach the track, and asks for a cage inspection every 3 years.
Safe Athletics, from UK Athletics and the home country federations:
Source 18
UK Athletics' risk assessments for outdoor throws training, Athletics Northern Ireland's advice and UK Athletics' 2016 safety communique:
The National Federation of State High School Associations' points of emphasis for 2026 and 2027 say safety in the shot, discus and javelin "must be a top priority", with a clearly marked safety zone for each event, a reminder that the flagged sector is "the primary danger zone, but not the only one", cages checked for holes and loose netting, and nobody turning their back on a throwing area or collecting implements before an official's signal.
In 2016 UK Athletics reported "a concerning number of near misses", the worst a young athlete walking onto the infield to fetch an implement who was struck a glancing blow on the neck by the wire of a hammer in flight. A case report describes a 13-year-old whose skull was fractured by a 3 kg shot thrown by another young athlete at a school athletics meeting.
Rules to keep in every session:
World Athletics' Technical Rules (Book C, last modified 1 July 2026):
Source 1
UK Athletics' Rules for Competition 2026, for the age groups World Athletics doesn't cover:
No study has tested age-group weights against injury. Indirect evidence supports keeping training implements light for young throwers: former javelin throwers who trained with throwing weights over 3 kg had more arm degeneration (an association), and a weighted-ball programme raised elbow injuries in young baseball pitchers (borrowed). UK Athletics' risk assessment says young athletes put the shot only under supervision.
Built on the site's warm-up guide and our throwing arm workout (editorial). Shoulder Control comes from a handball trial and hasn't been tested in throwers. The safety checks follow UK Athletics' rules and risk assessments.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Medicine-ball scoop throw (backward overhead throw)
Olympic lifts, squats and presses, medicine-ball throws, rotation and shoulder care, all with 3D demos. The catalog has no standing discus throw, hammer winds or rotational medicine-ball side throw yet: the landmine 180 and the press and rotation are the nearest.
3D demoHang power cleanAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoClean shrugBeginner · A barbell
3D demoClean-grip front squatAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoPush pressIntermediate · A barbell
3D demoMedicine-ball scoop throw (backward overhead throw)Beginner · Medicine ball
3D demoTwo-hand overhead throwIntermediate · Medicine ball
3D demoMedicine-ball chest pushBeginner · Medicine ball
3D demoLandmine 180 (landmine rotation)Intermediate · A barbell + An anchor point
3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment
3D demoScapular push-up (push-up plus)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSide-lying open bookBeginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipmentThe first two are new: a strength and power session with lifts paired with medicine-ball throws, and a warm-up. The others add arm care, shoulder mobility, rotation, the Olympic lifts, pressing, kettlebells and the back.
A 50-minute session for throwers: hang power cleans, front squats and push presses paired with medicine-ball throws, then landmine rotations and shoulder care.
50 minIntermediate15 movesA barbell, Medicine ballA 20-minute warm-up for the shot, discus, javelin and hammer: open books, shoulder circles, Shoulder Control, band walks and medicine-ball throws.
20 minBeginner14 movesA dumbbell, A cable machineA 35-minute session for baseball and softball players: the five Shoulder Control exercises, rotator cuff and forearm work, medicine-ball throws and legs.
35 minIntermediate17 movesA dumbbell, A cable machineA 12-minute arm care warm-up for baseball and softball, built on a Japanese youth programme: an arm massage, shoulder, forearm and hip stretches, and balance.
12 minBeginner9 movesA massage ball, A wallA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandA 40-minute gym session for fast bowlers: squats, split squats, single-leg hinges, Nordics, Copenhagen planks, back and side work, shoulder work and throws.
40 minIntermediate16 movesA band, An anchor pointA 45-minute golf gym session: jumps, a medicine-ball throw and kettlebell swings for power, then squats, hinges, rows, push-ups, fast rotation and carries.
45 minIntermediate14 movesMedicine ball, A kettlebellA 60-minute coached technique session: wrists, ankles and overhead squats, then the snatch and the clean and jerk built from the top down with light weights.
60 minBeginner15 movesCardio machine, A wallA 40-minute technique session for the power clean: the rack and hang positions, the jump and the turnover, light hang power cleans, then cleans from the floor.
40 minIntermediate14 movesCardio machine, A wallA 30-minute practice session for the front squat: loosen your wrists and upper back, groove an upright squat, then find your grip and depth with a light bar.
30 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 30-minute practice session for the overhead press: check your overhead reach, groove it with a band and seated dumbbells, then press the empty bar.
30 minBeginner9 movesA band, A wallA 20-minute kettlebell swing workout: 30 seconds of swings, 30 seconds of rest, building to the 12 rounds a training trial used, then carries.
20 minIntermediate7 movesA kettlebell, A dumbbellThe McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.
12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipmentA 15-minute routine that moves your neck, upper back and lower back through bending, arching, side bending and twisting, then holds the spine steady.
15 minBeginner12 movesNo equipmentA strength plan builds the base; keep throwing sessions on other days or before lifting.
A 12-week beginner barbell program: squat every session, alternate bench and row with press and deadlift, and add weight each time until it stalls.
3 training days50 minBeginner4 days a weekA 4-day upper/lower split: two upper body and two lower body gym days, each muscle trained twice a week, with sets, reps and progression.
4 training days50 minIntermediate4 days a weekA 4-day dumbbell-only plan for home or gym: two upper and two lower days, every set, rep and rest, and how to keep progressing when the dumbbells max out.
4 training days45 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first.
Junior throwers' shoulders showed overload changes before any symptoms, and pain on the inside of the elbow in a young thrower can come before a growth-plate injury, as our Little League elbow guide explains. Stop throwing and see a GP or sports physiotherapist.
Source 5
Use the implement for your age group, throw only under supervision, and lift with a qualified adult, as our children's guide explains.
Stress fractures of the lower back were common in throwing sports. See a GP for lower back pain that doesn't go away after 3 to 4 weeks.
Holding your breath on heavy lifts drives blood pressure very high, as our Olympic lift guides explain. Breathe out through each rep, keep weights moderate, and get advice first.
Stay outside the roped area, and never turn your back on a circle or runway.
The NHS says not to do sports where there's a risk of falling or bumping your tummy. Rotational throws and being near throwing areas carry risks (our reading); talk to your midwife.
Source 40
Call 999 for heavy bleeding, or if someone hit on the head has been knocked out and hasn't woken up, has a fit, has problems with their vision or hearing, has clear fluid coming from their ears or nose, or has new numbness or weakness. Don't move someone with a suspected neck injury. Otherwise, if in doubt, sit them out, and get them assessed within 24 hours by a healthcare professional or NHS 111. Athletics has no concussion rule of its own in the UK, so the UK guidelines apply.
Go to A&E if you can't move your arm, or your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape after an injury. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for sudden or very bad shoulder pain, pins and needles that don't go away, or pain that started after an injury.
A pop, an elbow that locks or won't straighten, or a feeling it gives way after a throw needs checking the same day, as our Little League elbow guide explains.
Call 999 or go to A&E for back pain with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, loss of feeling around your genitals or anus, or changes in your bladder or bowels.
Source 45
Call 999 if someone faints while exercising, or has sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn't go away.
Cages narrow the danger zone but don't remove it: a hammer from an old-specification UK cage travelled six lanes into a spectator area in 2018, which led to stricter rules.
UK Athletics ropes shot sectors at least 2 m outside the lines, and a 3 kg shot fractured a 13-year-old's skull at a school meeting.
We found no trial. Heavier throwing went with more arm degeneration in former javelin throwers, and weighted balls with more elbow injuries in young pitchers.
Throwing distance tracked power and how fast the legs produce force, and pairing heavy and fast work improved throws. Throwers come in all shapes; what you train matters.
Javelin throwers have needed the same elbow ligament reconstruction as pitchers, with slow and uncertain returns.
Throwing sports had the highest rate of lower-back stress fractures among elite Spanish athletes, 26.67%.
Source 14
In the UK from April 2026: under-14 girls 2.72 kg, under-14 boys and under-16 girls 3 kg, and under-16 boys 4 kg. Under World Athletics rules: under-18 women 3 kg, under-20 and senior women 4 kg, under-18 men 5 kg, under-20 men 6 kg and senior men 7.26 kg. Under-12s use 2 kg to 2.72 kg.
In the UK from April 2026, under-14 girls throw a 400 g javelin, under-14 boys and under-16 girls 500 g, and under-16 boys 600 g. Under World Athletics rules, under-18 women throw 500 g, under-20 and senior women 600 g, under-18 men 700 g, and under-20 and senior men 800 g. Under-12s use 400 g.
For the thrower it's one of the safer events, but a hammer can kill anyone it hits, so every throw is made from a cage. In 2018 a hammer thrown from an old UK cage cleared six lanes and hit an athlete among spectators, and UK Athletics then required every cage to meet a stricter standard from April 2023.
Throw only from the circle or runway, one at a time, after a warning, with the sector roped and clear. Never turn your back on a throwing area, and carry implements back rather than throwing them. Young athletes throw only under supervision.
Power and strength work: the snatch tracked shot put distance in college throwers, and leg power tracked shot put tests in young throwers. Medicine-ball puts and throws, squats, presses and Olympic lifts learned with a coach are the usual tools, as in our workout.
Heavy and fast exercises paired in the same session improved competition throws more than doing them on separate days, 5.4% against 1.9% over 4 weeks. Our workout pairs a hang power clean, front squats and push presses with medicine-ball throws, and adds rotation and shoulder care.
The javelin loads the inner elbow and the shoulder, and some throwers have needed elbow ligament reconstruction. Pain on the inside of the elbow when you throw, especially in a young thrower, means stop throwing and get it checked.
No trial has tested them on their own in throwers. They let you train fast, whole-body power with a light implement, and most throwing programmes use them. Throw against a solid wall or into open space, with nobody near the rebound.
In one small trial in 13 throwers, tapering with light (30% of maximum) or heavy (85%) lifting loads improved throws by a similar amount. Heavy loads kept more strength and power, while light loads were less tiring. Either way, cut the lifting volume and keep throwing.
No trial supports it, and heavier throwing went with more arm degeneration in former javelin throwers. Weighted-ball programmes raised elbow injuries in young baseball pitchers. Use the age-group implement and build technique.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
