Medicine Ball Workout: Weight Loss and Strength Building Exercises
Medicine balls are making a big comeback in fitness training, and with good reason. Working out with a medicine ball will help you build strength, balance, as well as your lower back, oblique, abdominal muscles.
Weak or poorly controlled core muscles have been associated with low back pain. They are great to get those six pack abs!
Since the medicine ball exercises usually require twisting, turning and bending, medicine ball workouts train all the supporting muscles that don’t get challenged during traditional workout routines.
What is a Medicine Ball?
A medicine ball (also known as an exercise ball, or a fitness ball) is simply a weighted ball the size of approx. 14 inches in diameter. It’s frequently used for rehabilitation and strength training, it serves an important role in the field of sports medicine. It should not be confused with the larger, inflated exercise ball, also known as stability ball.
Training with medicine balls is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training – the first reference to training with sand filled bladders appears in Persia nearly 3000 years ago. (source: Wikipedia)
Where can I get one?
You can buy a medicine ball or make your own homemade medicine ball cheaply.
A bag of sand a cheap 1$ ball of whatever size you prefer and a roll of duct tape and you have your ball.
Or, use an old soccer ball, basketball, or volleyball. Pull the air plug out with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Then, with a funnel, fill the ball with the water or sand (try both, as both give a different weight and feel to the ball). Aim to get about 2 to 10 lbs. in there, as desired.
You can make more than one with different weights, or just fill your ball with more sand/water as you gain more strength.
What Size Medicine Ball should I Use?
Some people like to use a heavy medicine ball right from the beginning with the hope of building muscle quickly. However, this is not a good idea for most people and may even hinder your workout if you cannot do the moves properly because the ball is too heavy. A ball may be comfortable to hold while it’s close to your body, but most exercises are done away from the body. Make sure the ball is a comfortable weight when you hold it an arm’s length away from your body. A good rule of thumb is to start with a lighter ball and work up to a heavier medicine ball.
Read more: What Size Medicine Ball to Use | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5194474_size-medicine-ball-use.html#ixzz1cfS6pSvg
Medicine Ball Exercise and Training Ideas
Generally you hold the ball in both hands, but you can also try one-handed catching and throwing if the ball is light.
Always keep the ball under control; you’re not trying to throw it hard, but rather accurately and, eventually, quickly (start slow till you gain skill). Keep your eye on the ball, and if standing, feet firmly planted. Back should be in neutral position, never rounded. Start light then work up to heavier work. Treat medicine ball throwing like a set of weights, so instead of doing 50 throws in a row, do 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 10 throws and rest in between.
Toss the ball back and forth between you and a friend. Try:
- two hand catches and one hand catches
- catching low, mid-height, or high with arms overhead
- catching in front or to the side
- throwing in front or to the side
- throwing between one another while facing one another
- passing the ball between you while standing sideways to one another or back-to-back
- different throwing styles such as upwards (like shooting a basket), a “pressing throw” like pushing the ball out in front of you, and underhand
- passing the ball between you while in different positions, e.g. one person standing, one lying down, or one person standing and the other crouching
- Toss the ball upwards from an underhand grip, starting from a crouch position and leaping up into a standing position, kind of like how little kids throw the ball when they start baseball. You can also try the “shooting a basket” upward pressing throw with this “squat jump” movement.
- Bounce the ball off a wall.
- Do ab crunches with the ball held above you at arm’s length, or on your chest.
- Lying on the floor or ground, toss the ball into the air, sort of like a bench press with the ball.
- Holding the ball at arm’s length overhead, gently bend from side to side, or squat down keeping the ball overhead.
- Hold the ball between your knees, and pull knees to chest, or keeping legs straight, raise legs.
- Holding the ball at arm’s length, make big gentle circles, bending from the waist. Make smaller circles above or in front of you.
- Hold the ball to your chest, bend from the hips keeping lower back arched, then stand up again.
- Do pushups with your feet on the ball.
Read more exercise ideas at Stumptuous.com blog
Medicine balls really work your core muscles, as well as central nervous system and connective tissues, so take the movements slow and easy when you start the exercises.
The Ultimate Medicine Ball Workout
Build a winning physique with the ultimate medicine ball workout from the University of North Carolina — read more at Men’s Health.
Medicine Ball Abs Exercise Videos
Top 6 Medicine Ball Exercises
Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?
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