While high-tech cardiovascular machines dominate the aerobic rooms at health clubs, weighted balls, which date back to ancient Greece, offer a back-to-basics alternative. Weighted ball--or medicine ball--training became temporarily obsolete in America when exercise machines were invented, but Eastern Block athletes, who were excelling in Olympic events, were actively involved in weighted ball training. The end of the Cold War brought Eastern European coaches and their training manuals to the United States. Medicine ball training gradually became a household term.
History-Inspired Routine
President Herbert Hoover brought the medicine ball concept to the United States in 1931. Hoover, while traveling to South America on a battleship, watched soldiers tossing a weighted ball to each other. In an effort to get into shape, he organized White House employees for a daily session, which he called Hoover Ball. Relive history by organizing a team of two to four players, and securing a tennis or volleyball net. Players toss a 6 lb. ball across the net to their opponents, who must catch it on the fly. Add a strength-training element by squatting as you catch the ball, and extending your legs and performing a jump as you toss it.
Features
While regular balls are filled with air, medicine balls are filled with a substance that gives them weight. The ball's outer surface is usually composed of a leather or vinyl material. Either gels, sand or steel are used to fill the ball and give it its weight. Weighted balls may either be bouncing or non-bouncing. The bouncing balls provide an efficient oblique workout. Sit on a mat in an upright position with your knees bent, holding the ball with both hands. Roll back until your lower back is on the floor, and your spine is in a C-curve position. Rotate your torso to the right. Bounce the ball, catch it and repeat to the left. Perform 20 repetitions, or 10 to each side.
Strength Routines
Hold the ball by your chest, or behind your neck, when performing crunches. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Slowly curl your upper torso, so that your ribcage moves toward your pelvis.Then place a smaller, lighter ball under your lower back, and extend your legs toward the ceiling. Lift your hips to perform a reverse curl. Do 10 repetitions of each exercise. When complete, roll over onto all fours. Bend one knee, placing the ball in the groove of the knee. Contract your gluteal muscles as you lift your leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each leg.
Therapeutic Benefits
Physical therapists use weighted ball routines to restore range of motion in the shoulder joint. Examples include sliding the ball up and down the wall, or circling the ball to lubricate the membranes surrounding the shoulder joint. Perform 20 repetitions of each exercise.
Sport-Specific Considerations
Use the ball to perform rotary movements that simulate a golf or tennis swing. Perform the movements on both sides of your body. This is particularly beneficial for unilateral sports, which often create muscle imbalances. If you are using the weighted ball for sport-specific training, avoid using a ball that is too heavy. An extremely heavy ball may alter your biomechanics and impede performance.
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