Find out what types of training with Medball are, what it is and why many coaches recommend training with such a ball. Medball (medicine ball) is a weighting agent that is actively used in fitness and for rehabilitation in medicine. This is a very effective equipment that can be used at home for training. Today we will talk about a set of exercises with a medicine ball at home.
Medball: what is it?
The medball is a ball about 35 centimeters in size. Outwardly, it is very similar to a basketball ball. The shell of the medball is made of leather, nylon or dense rubber, which allows you to hold it securely in your hands. To increase the weight of the medical ball, sawdust, metal shavings, gel or sand can be used. Basically, the weight of the medball is 1–20 kilos, but there are also heavier models.
Weighted balls have been used by humans since ancient times. Historians know that heavy balls were used by Persian and Ancient Greek won for training. Then Hippocrates was able to find the use of this sports equipment in medicine. One of the positive properties of the medball is the absence of stress on the articular-ligamentous apparatus.
Today, the medicine ball is actively used even in professional sports and athletes develop physical parameters with it. For example, in wrestling or boxing, using medball, athletes imitate pressure from the opponent and thereby strengthen the muscles of the arms, chest and shoulder girdle. Also, athletes use this projectile during the rehabilitation period after previously received injuries. Since the load on the joints when using the medicine ball is minimal, training with it is safe.
If an ordinary ball bounces off the surface, then the medball does not have this ability, since it dampens the speed and force of the impact. This is one of the most popular equipment in modern sports, because unlike kettlebells or dumbbells, a medicine ball cannot damage the floor. At the same time, do not confuse medball and fitball. Recall that the latter is a large inflatable ball, which is also actively used in fitness.
Benefits of training with a medicine ball at home
Thanks to training with a medicine ball, you can not only effectively get rid of fat, but also increase physical parameters. Among the main advantages of training with a medicine ball, we note:
- Medball can be used as a weight during strength training. With its help, you can qualitatively work out all the muscles of the body, giving it an attractive look.
- Thanks to the medicine ball, the effectiveness of the exercises is significantly increased. Since the projectile creates strong resistance throughout the range of motion, it is an excellent means of strengthening the musculoskeletal system.
- Training with a medball is gentle on the joints, which minimizes the risk of injury. This feature of the medical ball allows it to be actively used for rehabilitation training for elderly people and those recovering from injury.
- The medball allows you to effectively work out the stabilizing muscles, as well as the corset muscles.
- The medicine ball is used today in plyometric complexes, as well as cardio training for the development of strength endurance, speed-strength qualities and explosive strength.
- Since the diameter of the ball is no more than 35 centimeters, it does not require much space to store it in the apartment.
- Medball can be a great way to develop coordination, balance and dexterity.
- The medicine ball is often used in teaching children and is a great way to help them overcome their fear of weights.
- A set of exercises with a medicine ball at home is a set of physiological movements and the skills acquired during training are functional.
- Medball can be used in sports games, adding variety to fitness activities.
How to choose the right medball?
If you decide to purchase a weighted ball for home workouts, then first of all you need to focus on your own level of physical fitness. Do a few exercises with the ball, because it must be heavy enough to feel resistance. However, it is also important to maintain coordination of movements to minimize the risk of injury.
If you are faced with the task of losing weight, developing endurance and explosive strength. It is enough to use a medicine ball, the weight of which is from one to three kilos. For strength training, you should use a medball weighing more than five kilograms. We do not recommend choosing a ball with a margin for the future. You will have to do 10 to 20 reps for each movement of our home medicine ball set. Start with a small medicine ball and work your way up to heavier options.
It is also important to inspect the surface of the ball visually. There should be no damage on it. Hold the medicine ball in your hands, assessing the surface, which should not be slippery. Today, in sporting goods stores, you can find models of a medball equipped with handles to make some movements more comfortable. However, you should not focus on this, and it is still better to use a regular round ball.
This is due to the fact that such a medball is a universal projectile and can be used to perform various exercises. The cost of a medball can vary significantly. The price of a sports equipment is strongly influenced by the coating material and the manufacturer's brand.
When and to whom should you train with a medicine ball?
Training with a medicine ball allows you to work out all the muscles of the body with minimal stress on the joints. The projectile may well replace the kettlebell and dumbbells, adding variety to the training process. Exercising with a medicine ball will allow you not only to lose weight, but also to gain muscle mass.
It is a versatile sports equipment that can be used not only by professional athletes, but also by fitness enthusiasts. It is used by adolescents and the elderly. Today, many weight lifters actively use a heavy ball to increase strength, endurance, and coordination of movements.
Training should begin with a light weight medicine ball. It is gradually necessary to increase the mass of the used projectile. This will allow the load to progress, which is the basic rule of effective training. Do not forget about the importance of combining exercises with medball and other sports equipment.
A set of exercises with a medicine ball at home
First, you need to consider some of the nuances that medball training has. First of all, you need to individually select the optimal ball weight. We recommend doing one exercise in the store in an amount of 10 to 15 repetitions. In doing so, you should not overextend your muscles.
It is important to remember that the mass of the projectile should gradually increase. However, as we said above, you should not purchase a medicine ball with a reserve for the future. The weight you use in your workout should match your fitness level. Since all the movements included in the set of exercises we are considering with a medball at home are specific, you will need enough free space.
It is very important to carry out a high-quality warm-up before starting each lesson. Be sure to warm up your joints to minimize the risk of injury. You should perform all the movements considered today in three sets according to the scheme of 10-15-20 repetitions in each.
- Exercise # 1. Take a supine position with the medball behind your head. The legs must be bent at the knee joints and pulled up to the buttocks. Using the strength of the leg muscles, lift your torso straight up, and raise your arms with a medicine ball above your head. Beginners can master the exercise without a sports equipment.
- Exercise number 2. Take a standing position with your arms outstretched with a medicine ball in front of you. With a deep lunge forward with one leg, twist your torso in the opposite direction. In this case, the arms should not remain outstretched. Returning to the starting position, perform the movement in the opposite direction.
- Exercise number 3. The exercise resembles the previous one, but during a lunge, you need to raise your arms up and bend the body at the same time.
- Exercise number 4. Perform a squat, after the brow you need to jump out and throw a medicine ball. Don't catch him, but let him fall to the ground.
- Exercise number 5. Take a standing position and hold the medball in front of the chest. Leaning forward, lift one leg, and the other remains pivotal. As a result, the arms with the ball and the leg should form a straight line. This movement helps develop coordination.
- Exercise number 6. While near the bench, hold the medicine ball in front of the chest. Jump onto the bench with both feet and return to the starting position. Then repeat the jump, but from the squat position. Instead of a bench, a step platform can be used.
- Exercise number 7. Perform a deep squat, keeping the ball close to your chest. Alternate the full squat with the partial squat, lowering to parallel with the ground.
- Exercise number 8. Putting the ball on the ground and resting your hands on it, start doing push-ups. This movement not only strengthens the muscles, but also increases coordination.
- Exercise number 9. Take a supine position with your arms outstretched with the ball behind your head. Begin to bend your body while lifting your legs and arms. A similar exercise must be performed while lying on your stomach.
- Exercise number 10. Take a standing position with your arms extended with a medicine ball in front of you. Begin to describe the eights horizontally and vertically.
To develop explosive strength, it is necessary to perform medball throws:
- Sit in front of a wall and throw a projectile at it, as if giving a pass to your basketball teammate. Repeat the movement 10 to 15 times.
- The starting position is similar to the previous exercise, but you need to stand with your back to the wall, legs wide apart. Lift the tukes with the projectile up, then sharply bend over and throw the medicine ball between your legs into the wall.
- We have already said that a medicine ball can replace a kettlebell. Lift the projectile from the shoulder joint straight up with one hand. The movement helps to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
The set of exercises with a medicine ball described by us at home will allow you to conduct an excellent workout, having worked all the muscles of the body at once in one lesson.
For more on medball exercises, see below:
