The Med-Ball Revolution
To say medicine balls are old school is an understatement. Turns out, the training tool probably got its name from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who used sand-filled animal skin pouches to help his patients recover from injuries. That puts the invention of medicine-ball training sometime around 400 B.C.
There’s a reason the medicine ball has withstood the test of time: It’s one of the most versatile strength builders you can use. But here’s the thing: Even after all these years, most men aren’t using them right. People treat medicine balls like glorified dumbbells and that’s the last way you want to utilize them.
See, most men equate strength with hoisting the heaviest weight they can lift from the dumbbell rack and then squeezing out a few shaky repetitions. Trouble is, that mind-set often transfers to other pieces of equipment in the gym including med balls.
Movements we perform in the real-world such as scooping up an unruly toddler, swinging a golf club, sprinting through the sand after a rogue Frisbee, they require more than just raw strength and big muscles. They call for a blend of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, power, speed, coordination, agility, and accuracy. You won’t get that by picking up and putting down heavy weights. You will get it by using a 6-pound or 8-pound medicine ball correctly.
Sure, a light medicine ball doesn’t sound daunting. But remember: The med ball wasn’t created to take the place of iron. Done explosively, these 5 med-ball exercises work your muscles in every which way. You’ll target your fast-twitch muscle fibres, the ones with the greatest potential for size and strength, while improving your mobility and shoring up your your weak spots. Plus, they’ll kick your metabolism into high gear by keeping your heart rate elevated. And when you’re ready to progress, don’t increase the weight. Instead, add more velocity and intensity to the exercises.
