Medicine balls are weighted basketball-like balls that are commonly used when performing core strength exercises and explosive movements in athletic training programs. Medicine balls add variety to any fitness program and provide a unique way to...
Achieving a smaller waist size comes from eating a well-balanced diet and participating in daily physical activity. Strength-training exercises, like the medicine ball twist, help you to improve your muscle mass while also increasing your...
The Russian twist is a torso rotation exercise that targets your core muscles. A medicine ball adds resistance and increases the difficulty of the exercise. If you do the medicine ball Russian twist while seated, you will use your low back muscles...
Russian twists are an effective abdominal exercise that target your entire midsection, as well as your lower back. This compound exercise places an extra emphasis on the often difficult-to-train oblique muscles. Russian twists can be performed in...
According to the Fairview Health Services, the MedX back program features computerized testing and training equipment designed to strengthen and isolate your back muscles. The MedX system works by restraining the muscles of the legs, hips and...
Working the core muscles can improve your balance and build up the muscles in your abdomen and back. Because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, building up your core muscles through strength training can boost your weight loss.
Strengthening the core muscles of your abdomen does more than improve your physique. A strong core improves balance, stability and posture. You'll reduce your risk of injury or developing lower back pain, and performing other physical activities...
Medicine balls have been used for decades and are an effective exercise tool because they are weighted but can be tossed and handled more easily than free weights for an efficient weight training workout. Some medicine ball exercises can be done...
To get beach-worthy abs for bikini season, focus on exercises that target multiple abdominal muscles and use your abs for balance and stability. Incorporating planks, V-ups, exercise ball jackknifes and medicine ball twists into your routine can...
There is no shortage of exercises and pieces of equipment to help strengthen your abdominals. While that might have a lot to do with looks, the American Council on Exercise points out that strong abs also play an important role in maximizing your...
Punching with power is an important part of boxing. When you get in the ring, you have one purpose. You are trying to register enough telling punches that you get the best of your opponent while he is trying to get the best of you. Your jab will...
Circuit training involves choosing different exercises and completing them in quick succession, without any breaks. Circuit training may involve strength training moves, cardio moves or a combination of both. "Fitness" magazine reports...
Love handles are along the side of the core and hips. They're a problem area for weight loss and toning because of the body's ability to store fat cells in this location. MayoClinic.com says exercise and diet together play an important role in...
Balance is a crucial component of fitness training as it reduces your risk of fractures from falls. Trunk rotation exercises can be built into your current exercise routine, enhancing your training while improving your balance. Such exercises...
Boxers need power to be successful. Some boxers have natural power and deliver powerful punches from the time they start training for the sport. However, most boxers have to train for strength and power just like they have to train to throw a...
Getting in shape for football is a demanding enterprise. When a football player enters the offseason, he should give himself one month to recover from the hard knocks suffered during the previous season. However, once that brief rest period ends,...
The internal oblique muscles are situated within either side of your abdomen, attaching to the lower four ribs on top and to the iliac crest of the pelvis on the bottom. The muscles assist with trunk flexion, lateral flexion and rotation ranges of...
In baseball, pitching speed and velocity is a major factor in winning and in player development. From the time a youngster first takes to the mound in Little League, a pitcher is interested in throwing with more speed. Pitchers can build arm...
Your inner and outer obliques both rotate your spine and stabilize it against unwanted rotation. Performing stomach exercises that force you to swivel back and forth, to varying degrees, encourages development of these muscles.
You must...
Getting toned and firm abdominals is not as hard as you think. The key is understanding what exercises are best for targeting the many muscles that make up your core. You can use your bodyweight, change the pace and position of the moves or use...
Kickboxing provides a beneficial workout -- using your legs and arms -- but kickboxing is especially effective at working the core muscles because of the role the muscles in your trunk play in stabilizing your body and generating power.
Teens participating in muscle-building exercises build optimal muscle and bone mass. The American College of Sports Medicine reports exercise-induced increases in bone mass during the younger years are maintained into the adult years. Teens may...
Functional training refers to exercises designed to improve your overall strength, coordination and flexibility. There's no set definition, but sports and fitness expert Steven Plisk describes functional training as moves "specific ... to one's...
Weight training is relatively new to boxing. In previous generations, boxers looked at barbells and dumbbells as if they were poisonous. They thought using weights would build big "blocky" muscles that would slow a fighter down in the ring. Since...
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body, running down the spinal cord and the back of each leg. Pain that radiates down this path is called sciatica, and a variety of conditions can cause it. If you suffer from sciatica, physical...
Dedicated runners will usually find themselves hurt at some point in their lives, be it something as minor as a pulled muscle or serious as a ruptured ligament. Occasionally, runners will suffer a tear in their abdominal wall muscles, also known...
Running has been part of the pitcher's regimen for decades. Running across the outfield -- known as running the poles -- is an exercise that pitchers have used to develop their stamina. Having a high endurance level enables a pitcher to maintain...
Human kinetics, also known kinesiology, is the science of human movement. Understanding how people move allows you to make better judgments on exercise selection and execution. Using levers, planes and axes can completely change the way a strength...
Baseball is no longer a sport of "see ball, hit ball." Modern baseball players are well-conditioned athletes who are expected to do it all on the field. Baseball also operates differently than most sports, with the majority of movements coming in...