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Author Topic: The Medicine Ball  (Read 11859 times)

Offline Matt Emery

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The Medicine Ball
« on: June 27, 2008, 10:46:07 AM »
Last night a friend and I did a work out in a 25 metre pool with an 11kg (20lb) medicine ball.  Basically, we threw it at each other whilst wading through the pool until our arms and legs were mince meat - not to mention the bruises - the ball is seriously rock hard.

Other things we like to do is a messed-up version of Vollyeball using a medicine ball, which can end badly if you cop it in the face... it's amazingly good for teaching you to be an aggressive catcher.

There are quite a few other things we like to do, such as lobbing it as high as we can at each other and catching it aggressively, or using it to do one arm pushups on, and also; standing on it (balancing) whilst doing KettelBell exercises.

It's a great way to harden up your workout  ;)

Is anyone else here using these evil things?
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Offline BigKhanz

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2008, 12:07:53 PM »
Quote
Is anyone else here using these evil things?

You better believe it!!!

I have a million uses for the things. Here are some of my favorites ;D:

Stand on the medicine ball while performing smith-machine squats. I can get pretty heavy on those :o

After heavy bench, throw the ball from the chest for distance to really activate the nervous system.

Lay on your back while holding a stability ball between your knees with your feet up and alternate throwing the ball with each hands. Great way to build power for punches from your back >:(.

Put the ball between your knees or ankles when doing pull-ups to help build body awareness and control.

My infamous "God doesn't love me" 30min interval run includes carrying a medicine ball while sprinting uphill.

Start with the ball over head and slam it into the floor as hard as you can. A great analog for hitting a tractor tire with a sledge hammer. Then start at the bottom and throw the ball as high as you can using your entire body. Then spin and throw for distance to each side. Explode on each throw and you have one of the most amazing ab workouts.EVER.

When sparring or on the heavy bags, use one arm to guard your face while holding the ball in the crook of your arm and punch with the other and throw various kicks and knees. Very good way to teach your body to defend itself even when exhausted.

And my personal favorite: medicine ball knee-strikes. Hold the ball like you were holding an opponent in a muay thai clinch and throw knees into it as hard as you can for 20reps each leg until exhausted. The ball is the same size, moves just like and feels just like a human head whenever you strike it. And for those who aren't fighters, stop just short of contact and you have an exercise that builds speed, power, control, agility, athleticism and stamina. Its right up there with box jumps, plyo-pullups, and clap push-ups when it comes to all around athleticism ;D
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Offline Matt Emery

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2008, 11:50:48 AM »
Excellent, i'll tell the boys about some of these (I'd liek them to read the forum but they aren't really into the internet... their loss!).

Anyway, we're having a medicine ball workout tonight in a 1metre deep pool (in the middle of winter), it should be interesting  :D
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Offline PhilipXVIII18

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2009, 12:36:29 AM »
              The word medicine ball is new in my mind. Can you explain the what is medicine ball to have a information.


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Offline Tony Bondioli

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2009, 04:04:26 AM »
Sure, Philip.  (Welcome, by the way!)   8)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_ball
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Offline Digby

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2009, 02:56:17 AM »

If we are looking to train in a more paleolithic manner, rocks do the job as well as med balls in most cases and have a more hardcore feel to them! Probably not good for playing catch with though...
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Offline TrailGrrl

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2010, 08:04:25 AM »
Must hurt like crazy serving the medicine volleyball.  My favorite thing is slamming it into the ground, and also doing that laterally side to side.  Oooh, and throwing it at the wall until my arms can barely hold it.  You will feel pumped up after that.

TrailGrrl
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Offline taimenz

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2010, 06:03:49 AM »
I love mine I made it forty pounds. I took a basket ball drilled a hole put a funnel in it and filled it with sand then duck taped the whole thing. It gave it great grip and doesn't leak.
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Offline SidheDraoi

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2010, 05:55:20 PM »
Quote from: taimenz on April 10, 2010, 06:03:49 AM
I love mine I made it forty pounds. I took a basket ball drilled a hole put a funnel in it and filled it with sand then duck taped the whole thing. It gave it great grip and doesn't leak.

what an awesome idea, I will try this!
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Offline Tony Bondioli

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2010, 06:13:45 PM »
My brother showed me a cool trick.  He bought an adapter with a "ball pump tip" that fits on the end of a hose, and filled a basketball about 3/4 full with water to make a "slosh ball."  The adapter is actually some sort of farm tool, but I'm not sure what it's really for.  I have two slosh balls (one standard sized basketball, and one kid-sized--about 8-inches in diameter)... not sure what they weigh, but they're great for a number of exercises.  The moving water does wonders for building the grip.  For example, I like to slam the small ball down and snatch it with the opposite hand, palm facing down, when it bounces back up.
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RN, B.Sc. Health Promotion and Wellness. Public Health Nurse serving a Great Lakes Native American tribe. Husband and father. Lousy at cards, but with a fair singing voice. Good to have around when the excrement hits the rotating cooling apparatus.

"I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong."  (Vita Sackville-West)

“I'm not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with the potential of a superman. I'm living on.”  (David Bowie)

"Man fears the beast within the wolf, because he does not understand the beast within himself."  (Turtle Island Alphabet)

"Seek not only to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek the things they sought."  (Basho)

"[Primal man] is of the soil... he fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings."  (paraphrasing Luther Standing Bear)

Offline COMA

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2010, 09:38:01 AM »
Quote from: Digby on May 09, 2009, 02:56:17 AM

If we are looking to train in a more paleolithic manner, rocks do the job as well as med balls in most cases and have a more hardcore feel to them! Probably not good for playing catch with though...
I spent two months of last summer moving 100 tons of 50-150 pound rocksabout 600 yards landscaping my friends back yard. It was the best workout I've ever had. I think if would have been in the caveman lifestyle then I would have enjoyed it alot more.
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Offline Catfish

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Re: The Medicine Ball
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2012, 05:15:34 AM »
I use the medicine ball just about every day.  I do pushups, 2 kinds - one with my hands on the ball (like a diamond pushup), and the other with my feet on the ball, decline pushup style.  Both ways REALLY work your core strength and overall stability.
Also, in between sets, my husband and I will chuck a 6 lb medicine ball at each other as fast as we can, throwing from chest height standing about 12 ft apart.  Do that fast for about 5 min you arms shoulders and back will be burning like crazy.
Also, something to work on overall body stability and focus, lie on the ground and do flutter kicks (make sure lower back is pressed flat against the floor) while throwing a medicine ball straight up from your chest to a partner (your partner just serves to lightly catch the ball and drop it back down).  If you get good enough and can consistently throw the ball straight up with out it flying off to the side, try without a partner and just play catch with yourself while doing these flutter kicks...intense.
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