Equipment Selection – When Does A Ball Become A Medicine Ball?
Many people assume that the weight of a medicine ball is the most important determining factor, however, the ability of the ball to absorb impact should be your primary assessment tool. A piece of equipment that can be thrown, caught, and struck with maximum force and velocity provides a training tool for life. Think of a medicine ball as an implement that combines the qualities of a ball and the qualities of an impact absorbing mitt into one unit.
Choosing A Weight – How Heavy Should I Go?
Because we equate weight with strength, there is a tendency to think that heavier is better. Not so! The key in medicine ball training is to insure that both speed of a selected movement and resistance to the selected movement are involved in the overload. Just heavy enough to provide resistance but not so heavy as to alter the structure and speed of the selected movement. 4, 6, and 8 pound balls work for any participant. Even though the resistance is the same, the velocity will increase with the strength, size and power of the participant. The heavier balls are used where slower, more strength related exercises are featured.
Speed and Power with the Dynamx Ball = Heavier Lifts
Using a 20lb ball can develop raw strength but it is important to understand that raw strength does not necessarily translate into more speed and power. Remember that the power formula is Power = force ÷ time. When you add an external load to an exercise it is impossible to move at the same velocity as a non-weighted movement. Further, the more weight you add to a movement the greater the variance in biomechanics you will likely see. This is one reason why people might become injured when lifting very high loads in the weight room – they alter their body mechanics to compensate for weaker segments in the body. This is where movement-based medicine ball training shows it’s strength – by training movements as opposed to body segments, it is possible to expose the weak sections of the body and train these areas for optimum performance. Remember: Just because you are training with a lighter ball doesn’t mean you won’t see tremendous improvements in your overall conditioning, coordination, and maximum strength!
Does Movement-Based Partner Medicine Ball Exercises Replace Traditional Weight Training?
Absolutely not – they compliment each other. Medicine Ball work is a bridge that incorporates the strength gained from weight training into specific athletic motion. When heavier balls are used for slower, low volume sets, their use is more akin to weight training and equivalent to a glorified dumbbell exercise. When lighter balls are used for high volume/high velocity sets, the intent is for quality, speed, power, and endurance of specific movement patterns. It is important to incorporate movement-based medicine ball training into a well rounded program that focuses on strength training, plyometrics, core strength, and overall cardiovascular fitness, along with other components specific to your training requirements. We believe that movement-based partner medicine ball training provides superior training results to other, more basic forms of medicine ball training.