Medicine Balls. From Back Breakers to Muscle Makers

Medicine balls have been hovering in the corner of the gym for close
to 2 centuries.  The first medicine ball was designed and used by
William "Iron Duke" Muldoon in 1830.  Iron Duke was a championship
wrestler and boxing trainer in New York back then and the medicine
ball was developed as a strength training device.  I doubt very much
that back then Iron Duke knew that his simple idea would turn into
such a diverse tool in the fitness and sports industry.

The original medicine balls featured a tough leather outer skin.  You
can still buy models of this style and like the original they are
truly designed for basic strength training.  Great for fitness and
building any muscle in the body, leather covered medicine balls may
not be fancy but they get the job done when it comes to general
strength building.  A leather medicine ball routine utilizing a range
of weights and a good variety of exercises will help build muscles
throughout your body from calves and thighs to biceps your neck and
back.  As with any weight training the performing the exercises the
right way is important otherwise you'll find the medicine ball to be a
back breaker rather than a muscle maker.  You can start by searching
online for medicine ball training resources

That covers weight training now lets really get into the
nitty-gritty.  If you shop online at sites like
www.morleyathletic.com you're going to find a lot more than the old
fashion style leather covered medicine balls.  This is where it
starts to get exciting for you hard core team sports athletes out
there.

It turns out old Iron Duke was really onto something but science just
wasn't ready for it back in the 1800's.  With today's modern
scientific instruments and our higher understanding of the human body
we have taken medicine ball training to a new level and it continues
to improve by the minute.  We have now developed specific types of
medicine balls for specific exercises for specific sports and for
specific muscles used in those specific sports.  Confused, well there
is a lot of specifics you will need to determine but once you do you
will be able to pick up a medicine ball and pinpoint a muscle group
based on your athletic needs.  Pitchers may be building muscle memory
to develop the perfect arm, football receivers can pinpoint muscle
groups for leg speed and strength.

Now it's not my intention to teach you any exercises.  I don't
profess to know that much about plyometric and strength training but I
do know about medicine balls themselves so I'm going to point out a
few styles that you may be interested in after you learn more about
medicine ball training.  Below is some information on a few styles of
medicine balls I recommend.

Rubber Medicine Balls

Standard rubber medicine balls are only one step above the original
leather covered models but they need to be mentioned.  They are by
far the most popular medicine ball being commercially used today
because the rubber cover is durable,  does not get damaged by
moisture (such as sweat), they are easy to clean, they bounce and they
come in a large variation of weights and sizes.  Oh yeah- they are
also pretty economical compared to their designer cousins. 

 

 

Rhino Elite Medicine Balls

*Rhino Elite Medicine Balls* are a pumped up version of the
aforementioned balls.  *Rhino Elite* balls feature an exclusive
textured surface and a design that ensues superior grip and
handling.  They are made from a hollow synthetic rubber which means
they are designed to be bounced and can take all sorts of atmospheric
conditions (they can get wet).  The hollow rubber makes for a
consistent bounce so you can perform wall throws, squat throws, start
throws...  well medicine ball throws in general.  Rhino Elite
medicine balls are available in 11 different weights so you can really
vary your resistance levels.

 

 

*Gel Filled Medicine Balls*

These *gel filled medicine* balls are the softest most pliable
medicine ball available.  They are designed for a softer grip on the
ball and are perfect for use with medicine ball rebounders or for
general training.  Made from durable roto-molded PVC shells these
medicine balls are built to last.  In addition each ball features a
textured cover for even easier catching.

 

 

Rope Handled Medicine Balls

Rope handled medicine balls are designed for specific exercises. 
Each *rope handled medicine ball* is fitted with a strong yet soft
rope for a wide variety of advanced medicine ball activities. 
Swinging, throwing and chopping exercises are performed with these
medicine balls.  Don't worry if your budget won't allow for more than
one kind of medicine ball you can also remove the rope and use the
ball as a standard medicine ball.  Two soft rings keep the rope
firmly in place to prevent knotting during use.

That is a short list of medicine balls you should consider when
starting your routine.  You will find tons of information regarding
medicine ball exercise and how to use medicine balls to pinpoint
different muscle groups for your sport specific needs on the
internet.  My only advice is to make sure you stick to information
provided by professionals in the field.  Exercising the wrong way
will do more harm than good.  A complete selection of medicine balls
used in commercial facilities is available at www.morleyathletic.com.

_By: *KR*_

*About the Author:*

Morley Athletic Supply Company Inc. has been in business since 1931.
As a fourth generation family member involved in the company, team
sports is more than a job it's an obsession. With thousands of new
products being developed and marketed every year it is important to
keep coaches and players updated on what's new for their sport. I
write articles to provide them with this information.