A medicine ball is a weighted ball that people incorporate into their exercises. The ball not only increases resistance because of its weight but it also increases balance and coordination. They help to make exercises more dynamic and challenging. Balls range in weight from 1 to 50 pounds and varying in material as well. Some are hard rubber and others are made of durable fabric.
History
Medicine ball workouts are versatile and quickly enhance coordination and balance. It is said to be one of the very first fitness aids dating back to 1,000 BC as ancient Greeks and Peruvians used them in training. The earliest known presence of a medicine ball in the USA was in the 1800s. By the early 1900s, they were being used in a game called Hooverball played by people trying to lose weight. It was pretty close to what we know now as volleyball with the medicine ball being tossed over a net and played in small teams. Later, they became popular in rehabilitation therapy to help with coordination and motor skills.
Why Use It
A medicine ball is a weighted ball that is used to add resistance and challenge the body. You can use this ball with just about any exercise from crunches and v- ups to lunges and squat jumps. They can be used indoors, outdoors, at the gym or at home. There are various sizes and weights to easily customize workouts. Medicine balls make workouts interesting, creative and fun while also being beginner-friendly.
Using a medicine ball during workouts offers additional cardio training as the extra weight increases the heart rate. Extra resistance from the ball increases overall muscle growth. This results in more fat loss because muscles burn more calories. Even at rest, muscles burn calories than fat. It is estimated that in a rested state, 10 pounds of muscle burns 50 calories while 10 pounds of fat burns 20 calories. Additionally, muscle is more compact than fat so 10 pounds of muscle will look much slimmer than 10 pounds of fat.
A medicine ball is guaranteed to build strength, speed, explosive power and agility. Incorporating some of the exercises listed below will make you more skillful in other areas of fitness training. Runners will be faster, swimmers will be more efficient, yogis will be more balanced and everyone will be more cardiovascularly fit.
There are tons of moves to learn so here are just a few of our top favorites. Try choosing 4 and then doing each one 15 times. Once you have completed this go and do it again 2 or 3 more times.
Most Efficient Medicine Ball Moves
Side Hold
Abs, glutes
Single Leg Squat
Legs, glutes, abs, back
Ball Slam
Legs, abs, shoulders, back
V-up
Abs, glutes
High Knees
Legs, abs, shoulders, glutes
Pistol Squat
legs, glutes, back, abs
Push-up Shuffle
Chest, shoulders, back, abs
Superman
Back, abs, glutes, shoulders
Lunge Push Out
Legs, glutes, shoulders, abs
Lunge Bridge
Glutes, abs
Hip Thrust
Glutes, abs
Side Lunge Twist
Legs, glutes, shoulders, abs
Wood Chop
Abs, back, shoulders
Finally
Next time you are at the gym and pass by the medicine ball rack go over and give a few of these exercises a try. You will be surprised at how easy it is to efficiently target your whole body. Choose a weight that is comfortable and manageable. Have fun and try coming up with a few moves of your own.
