Workout with medicine ball - best exercises with balls

Training with a medicine ball can successfully replace a visit to a professionally equipped gym. With the help of this training device we are able to improve the most important motor characteristics of our body. Today, unfortunately, the medicine ball is a somewhat forgotten piece of equipment. Fortunately, it is still used in combat sports and crossfit, which is gaining popularity.

In this article I will try to describe for you the best and most effective exercises with which you will be able to improve your strength, speed and dynamics. In training aimed at combat sports medicine balls is used, among other things, to increase the power of the blow. However, let's start with what this type of equipment even is.
Medicine ball is a device commonly used in rehabilitation. It has been known since ancient times, used by Hippocrates himself. Nowadays, it is made of synthetic leather or rubber materials, increasing its resistance to throwing and bouncing. The weight of the ball depends on its size and intended use. Most often you can find multiples of balls weighing from one to ten kilograms. There are several types of balls. Classic medicine balls as we know it from physical education. Slightly more modernized wall balls, which are designed for crossfit training and designed to be hit hard against the floor or wall with them rubber slam balls. The fundamental difference between a ball wall ball, a slam ball is also that the latter does not bounce back after ejection.

Benefits of training with medicine balls

Training with a medicine ball can be a complete and full-fledged session aimed at a specific goal. We associate it with rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Fortunately, a growing number of people are realizing that balls can replace ball weights and other weights dusted off from the lampposts. More than 3,000 years ago, the Persians used them in training gladiators, which may clearly suggest the validity of their use in martial arts.

• Medicine ball strengthens the whole body and provides variety

First of all, when working with medicine ball engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. It also allows for great variety in training sessions. This allows us to not only perform an effective full-body workout, but at the same time gain new motivation. No one likes boredom, and training routine is often a problem that takes away the desire to keep working. Changing the training method and, most importantly, the equipment can be a good option that will give us a boost of new energy.

• Strengthening the deep muscles.

While working with the balls, we are forced to strongly activate the stabilization muscles. With a virtually infinite number of exercises, we can let our imagination run wild and put our bodies through more and more challenges. The ball can be used for us to exercise on unstable ground or as a load when performing movements to strengthen abdominal muscles.

• Ideal tool for motor preparation of athletes.

Workouts with a medicine ball can be targeted to build a specific motor trait. It will work well as a tool to increase dynamics, power generation and even in resistance and speed training. Sessions with balls also teach athletes precision and coordination. Require focus and improve own skills. For this reason, trainers are increasingly willing to use them when working with professional, but also amateur, athletes.

• Increases strength and speed.

This aspect of training with the ball can be included in the motor preparation of athletes, but recreational trainees will also benefit from it. The ball can be used as a projectile, weight or obstacle. This makes it a very versatile device. Its spherical shape is also very useful.

• Allows improvement of coordination and balance.

Until a few years ago, no one knew such devices as bossu. He also did not know how important it is to train on unstable ground. Even then, however, they were unknowingly used to improve balance and motor coordination medicine balls. It's worth remembering the exercises we used to do in physical education classes. I'm not just talking about throwing the ball for a score here. Often performed various kinds of twists or even squats on the ball.The benefits of training with balls are enormous. However, they will vary depending on the use of this equipment. So let's move on to the specific exercises we can do.

The best exercises with medicine balls under combat sports

Currently, the most well-known exercise with a medicine ball is the so-called wall ball. The exercise involves performing a squat against the wall, holding the ball in front of the cage. After a dynamic upward departure, throw the ball so that it bounces off the wall as high as possible. Then catch it by smoothly descending into a squat. This allows to cushion the weight of the equipment and use the generated force. The exercise is dynamic and requires a lot of energy. During its performance, we engage practically the whole body to work. The heavier the ball, the harder the legs, abdomen and arms will work. The task of the exercise is to teach our body to generate power. They should be performed in such a way as to come out of the squat position as quickly as possible and descend calmly to it. A bit like pulling the string of a bow and letting it down.




Another exercise is throwing a ball against the ground. For this purpose we use slam ball. Stand upright, holding the ball in front of the cage. Then, in a dynamic movement, go down first pushing the hips back and gaining momentum as if to jump out. Get dynamically on your toes by straightening your body and carrying the ball behind your head. Throw it with all the power against the ground, propelling the body.

Exercise is an excellent way to increase dynamics and the ability to transfer force to power.
We can throw the ball not only against the floor, but also against the wall. The exercise that allows us to do this is the rotational throw. Stand sideways to the wall holding the ball at abdominal level. Spread your legs as for a squat, or even a little wider. Our task is to throw the ball with full force against the wall using a rotational motion. Exercise is an ideal tool for improving striking power in martial arts trainees.

It also activates the abdominal oblique muscles very strongly. It can be performed from a high position, the kind used in boxing, or a lowered one.

The lowered position is more common in Eastern martial arts and MMA.



The next exercise to increase the strength and speed of the blow is to throw the ball with one hand. We stand in front of the wall in a boxing position, and our task is to push the device as if we were delivering a straight punch. We can push it out with the front and back hand. It is important that after doing a certain number of repetitions to change the position to the opposite and repeat the exercise. This is how we balance the development of the strength of both hands. We can also push the ball out with both hands from in front of the cage. We then stand in a normal position with feet at hip width.

Drive the body by pushing the hip back, then straightening up throw the ball in front of you.

This version of the exercise can be performed standing or kneeling.

Other exercises with medicine balls

With the balls, you can also perform exercises that indirectly affect the motor characteristics needed in combat sports. However, they will also have wide applications in other disciplines.With the ball we can perform all kinds of push-ups. One of the most popular versions of the exercise is push-ups with hands on a ball. This type forces us to set our arms narrowly and work our triceps hard.

A more dynamic version of the push-up will be possible with a classic hand placement. With one hand on the ball and the other on the ground. After performing the asymmetrical push-up, we need to roll the ball to the other side. A more difficult option involves jumping over the ball by changing the hand that is on it. When performing push-ups with a ball, we are only limited by our imagination, as we can find plenty of types of them.
Most will definitely be more difficult than the classic version.Of the leg exercises that are worth doing, I recommend paying attention to the tricks. They can be made in the classic form. Then the ball is just a weight held in front of the cage. For additional activation of the oblique abdominal muscles, you can still add a twist to the excursion leg or the bent leg.

Straightening the arms in front of you will be an additional difficulty that will force the shoulders to work harder as well.To improve balance, it is a good idea to perform squats on a ball. You can do them with the help of TRX one-legged, or without additional help with both legs. This equipment will also prove useful when performing exercises for abdominal muscles. You can perform planki, or planks, on it. It will also be a good and easy to hold weight during russian twist and any lying down exercises, among other things.I mentioned earlier that the ball can be an obstacle.
For such a purpose, it can be used in specialized running trainings. On the one hand, it can be an indicator of distance, on the other hand, it can be used as a form of hurdle or elevation.
A very powerful exercise to improve fitness will be burpees with a ball.They are made exactly the same as the classic version. The difference lies in holding a ball in the hands at all times, which adds to the load.

Summary

Training with a medicine ball can be used by athletes of all disciplines. I have described just a few of the huge range of exercises that can be done with this equipment. The advantage of this form of training, which I have not yet mentioned, is the lack of need for a large amount of space. For intensive training, all you need is the proverbial 2 by 2 meters and a wall and floor to throw at. In many fitness clubs in order not to damage the wall a mattress is placed on it. Similarly, it is laid on the floor. With the ball you can develop dynamic strength, increase power generation, improve endurance and capacity. It will also work well as a tool in interval training, focused on fat burning. It is worth buying balls with several weight variants. Personally, I recommend balls with a weight of 4, 8 and 10 or if you can find one, 12 kilograms. Enough for us to perform the full spectrum of the exercise.