fit to fight
Do you know that you can improve your core strength with the use of a small, readily available piece of equipment? To show you what I mean, the medicine ball is ready to use whenever you want and you can incorporate its easily adaptable exercises for both men and women. On top of that, you don’t have to be an expert and it’s ideal for beginners who want to train in the comfort of their own home. Okay, so what is a medicine ball? Well believe it or not, and contrary to what some people think, it does not contain any medication, sorry folks. In summary, the weighted ball can be used for different exercises to improve strength, general fitness and coordination. Many athletes use it not only to get in shape, but also to help with rehabilitation after a sports injury, hence its current name. Its use as a training tool dates back almost 3,000 years when Persian wrestlers used it, but back then they used sand-filled animal bladders for their training.
These days, medicine balls are surprisingly affordable, especially if you’re on a budget. They are typically made of leather, vinyl, rubber, or some other synthetic material and come in a range of different weights from 2 to 29 pounds. However, some crossfitters sometimes use a medicine ball that can weigh up to 50 pounds, the standard size is 14 inches to 5 inches in diameter, but again they come in various sizes to suit your particular needs. Most balls are round, but some manufacturers offer handles or grips embedded into the design of the balls for a better grip that allows you to move the ball away from your body. Other variations include power balls, tornado balls, and hit balls. Beginners should start slowly with a light weight medicine ball, perhaps up to six pounds, gradually increasing the weight as you develop abdominal strength, core stability, and more experience working with the medicine ball by doing the exercises varied for your individual needs.
Having a strong core is important for combative or martial arts training because it allows you to perform any combative movement more efficiently as the core muscles connect the upper and lower body and as such acts as a strong chain that improves balance, power and stability and has a direct bearing on how well your entire body functions, as most actions originate within your core, a weak core will have a direct effect on how well you perform your movements . By doing medicine ball exercises, you will help build core and back strength.
There are a wide range of exercises you can do, such as holding the weighted ball while doing squats, sit-ups, medicine ball push-ups, and raising the ball overhead and lowering it to chest height in the starting position (army press), to name just a few. Exercising with a medicine ball translates into the force of effort that you use in each movement, in addition, it also teaches your body to react to sudden changes in stimuli if you exercise with a partner, particularly useful if you train in martial arts or combat. Other movements, such as torso rotations and wall throws, can also help with hand-eye coordination and the ability to quickly change direction. Studies have shown that the medicine ball can help a person generate maximum power and improve athletic performance. has a proven track record. In short, the different movements simultaneously work different parts of the body and the freedom of movement, as indicated above, will allow you to adapt the exercises according to your needs.
Most importantly, be sure to fully warm up for 5-10 minutes to avoid injury, unlike some beginners who choose not to warm up before starting medicine ball training and thus end up injuring themselves in the process. Don’t be one of them, you must understand that you must first prepare your body and mind for the strenuous activity ahead by starting slowly with some static stretching of your muscles and extremities, perhaps including some light cardio to increase your heart rate and body temperature, but don’t try to run before you can walk, remember, if you’re injured, you can’t train, so there’s no point in pushing yourself too hard from the start, it’s counterproductive, be patient and you’ll progress, your body will tell you when are you ready to continue progressing.
The good news is that medicine ball exercises are not complicated, but you should choose the right size and weight to start with, based on your fitness level, to avoid any repercussions later, last but not least, before starting any exercise program, make sure you are physically capable of doing it or seek the advice of a medical professional beforehand, also if you are seriously interested I advise you to consult, delve into the books on how to train with medicine balls, as well as the many types of exercises. you can play with it plus the correct techniques to use there are many publications available to choose from in doing so you will also discover the many benefits of adding the time tested medicine ball to your training program.
All in all, the medicine ball is a great piece of equipment, it’s inexpensive, and you can do a wide range of functional movements with it to help improve your fitness level, strength, and flexibility. There you have it, are you ready to exercise with a medicine ball? If the answer is yes, it’s time to sweat a little, remember, you learn by doing, victory wants to come to you unless you go for it.
Stay safe.