Sep 7, 2017Mastering the Med Ball
When used properly, medicine balls can be a valuable tool in the weight room. They are versatile and can easily be adapted for sport-specific movements for all types of athletes. When implementing medicine ball training into your strength and conditioning program, there are a number of things to keep in mind in order to maximize results.
While part of your strength training program should focus on building maximal strength and hypertrophy, developing explosive power and strength endurance should be the ultimate focus for most athletes. One of the main ways to improve in these areas and increase power is by working on the speed of contraction. Medicine balls are great for this because they are relatively lightweight and allow for exercises to be performed explosively.
Another benefit of medicine balls is their versatility. They can easily be incorporated in almost any athlete’s strength training because they can be used in exercises that closely match the common movements of a particular sport. By mirroring these movements with the medicine ball, athletes will be able to build strength and explosiveness in the muscles that they will be using in competition. From circuit training to plyometrics, there are a number of ways to effectively incorporate this equipment into your program.
This doesn’t mean that medicine ball exercises should be the sole focus of an athlete’s strength training, however. Instead, a few exercises should be incorporated into a circuit or plyometrics session that is meant to increase power and strength endurance. And it’s essential that these exercises be designed with the specific sport in mind. Athletes will get the most out of their training if they are performing exercises that target the specific muscles groups they use during competition. Identify what those movements are, based on an athlete’s sport and position, and incorporate medicine ball exercises that mirror those movements.
Another important element of incorporating medicine balls into your training program is to use the principal of periodization.
“By splitting the annual strength program into several phases, different elements of strength can be developed that will enhance the next phase of training,” writes Phil Davies of Sports Fitness Advisor. “Medicine ball exercises used to develop explosive power will be more effective if they are performed after a phase of maximal strength training. The idea is that the more strength you have to work with, the more of it you can convert into sport-specific power.”
Davies also provides a few general guidelines for how to go about implementing medicine ball exercises:
- Make sure that athletes have plenty of space and a competent training partner because many of the exercises involve throwing, slamming, or passing the ball.
- When doing an exercise that involves throwing from behind the head, make sure athletes are not hyper-extending their spines.
- Focus on speed of movement and proper technique, which also means it’s important to not use a ball that’s too heavy.
- As with other forms of power training, medicine ball exercises should be completed before heavy aerobic or anaerobic training when athletes are fresh.
For sample medicine ball exercises, visit Sport-Fitness-Advisor.com.
