ENTER THE MEDICINE BALL
There are very few pieces of gear that fly as completely under the radar as the humble medicine ball. Often, it simply sits unused in the corner of a gym, quietly collecting dust, or is missing from the equipment lineup altogether. From my experience, the medicine ball proves to be an excellent and versatile tool for conditioning and power development, serving a role much like that of burpees in a training routine.
SERIOUS SIMPLICITY
The medicine ball does not need a user manual. Slam it, twist with it, carry it, lift it, throw it, balance with it as much as you can. Just use your imagination and you can use the medicine ball. It requires minimal room, costs very little to get one of your own, and looks really cool when used with vigor and explosive power. You can add the medicine ball into any workout or training routine that requires you to keep your heart rate up or deliver power repeatedly.
One of the things I love about the medicine ball is that it provides an efficient way for you to work the transverse plane. This is a very crucial plane of motion that is instrumental in turning, striking, stability, throwing, wrestling, etc. Unfortunately, most of todays fitness prioritizes the sagittal plane and completely neglects the transverse and frontal plane. I think the medicine ball can fix a lot of deficiencies that are left by modern lifts and calisthenics.
A FEW IDEAS
Below are a few ideas on how to use the medicine ball to great effect and get the most out of it:
- MEDICINE BALL TURNS: This is straight out of Pat McNamara’s CST (Combat Strength Training) book. You basically sit on the ground and spread your feet out wide to stabilize your upright sitting posture. With the medicine ball in your hands, twist your upper body as far as you can to the left and place the ball behind you. Then turn the other way and pick it back up and complete the loop. Do this same thing from the right side for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL ROTATIONAL SLAMS: If you want to target the transverse plane and encourage power development, this is your exercise. Find a brick or concrete wall and put it on your flank (right or left side). With the medicine ball outstretched in your hands, twist the core and throw the medicine ball against the wall. Use only your torso rotation to generate power. If you have a medicine ball that bounces, receive the ball and quickly turn 180 degrees and repeat the movement for the other side for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL SIDE BENDS: This is pretty straight forward and works the frontal plane. Hold the medicine ball above your head as high as you can. With your feet shoulder width apart, bend to the side as far as you can manage, leading with the medicine ball as leverage. Lean slightly on the leg you are bending towards. Repeat for the other side for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL ROTATIONAL SITUPS: Lay flat on your back with your legs flat on the ground and hold the medicine ball above your head. Situp without taking the medicine ball off your head and rotate at the top of the situp and touch your left elbow to your right knee. Go back down and repeat the same motion but touch your right elbow to your left knee and return to your back for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL THROWS: This is pretty easy. Establish a boxer stance, one leg forward and one leg back, facing a brick or concrete wall. With the medicine ball in your rear hand, throw the medicine ball in the same manner as you would throw a punch, flare the heel and put your hip into it. When the ball rebounds, catch it, switch your feet and repeat the movement for the opposite side hand for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL BURPEES: This is a combination of a burpee while holding onto a medicine ball. You do the pushup portion on the medicine ball before coming back up and slamming the medicine ball on the ground for one full repetition.
- MEDICINE BALL SLAMS: Of course, you can stay with the tried-and-true straight up slam. This is a classic and a great one for beginners, not to mention fun. You simply slam the ball as hard as you can on the ground and try to slam the ball through the ground. In my yard, I find the soft spots to force a short-rebound bounce.
A METABOLIC CONDITIONER
The medicine ball is a terrific tool for unleashing your power output and driving your heartrate through a cathartic and intense series of throws and slams. Medicine ball slams and throws are particularly effective for building power, improving anaerobic endurance, and enhancing work capacity due to the explosive nature of the movement.
https://www.thebioneer.com/rotational-strength/
In addition to improving your anaerobic threshold, you can build pretty decent core strength with turns, bends, and holds using leverage and swift position changes. Most medicine balls are relatively light compared to the usual dumbbell, but their bulk typically makes them more awkward to handle. Fear not; these babies pack a punch in returns as long as you leverage them in your favor, no pun intended.
WRAPUP
The medicine ball is a neglected item in most workouts and training areas, but not in mine. I believe they provide one of the most efficient ways for you to develop explosive rotational strength in a way that is fun, engaging, and easy to do. It doesn’t require any special training to do all this stuff. A little tweaking of your form here and there can make a huge difference in the load and force you generate, and the chain of muscles used. Overall, I recommend everyone have a medicine ball and a few exercises they can add in as fillers to fill in those less appreciated gaps in fitness like rotation. The benefits can be far reaching.