| CB
ATHLETIC CONSULTING TRAINING REPORT -
www.cbathletics.com |
| |
ISSUE
#91
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE…“Medicine Ball Training: Part I”
1
– WHERE TO START
Why
medicine ball training?
Sometimes strength and conditioning professionals
get lost in the weight room. Now they don’t literally get
lost amongst the squat racks and stability balls, but sometimes
coaches get overly concerned with squat and bench press
numbers and they forget about building a better athlete.
There is no doubt that strength is important in many
sports and weight training is rightfully included in off-season
programs. For a program that will help develop career bests
in weight room strength, check out www.cbathletics.com/programs.htm.
But it is equally or even more important to train
for power and explosiveness. And once again, a weight room
can make athlete more explosive if they use exercises like
cleans and snatches. Still, the athlete needs more but so
far everything has been done in a straight line. Most sports
involve a huge rotational component, such as swinging, shooting,
kicking, punching, or twisting to avoid tackles, and the
athlete has to have rotational strength and power.
There are weight room exercises that will help an
athlete build rotational strength, such as the Cable Twist
Crunch (www.cbathletics.com/issues/15.htm). But there are
so many medicine ball exercises that can be used to build
rotational strength and power that the medicine ball deserves
an article of its own. A medicine ball is a simple, inexpensive,
effective piece of equipment that can add value to athlete
development.
This is Part I in a series of articles on training
with the medicine ball. The first article will deal with
using a medicine ball in a warm-up and circuit fashion for
building stamina. Future articles will cover abdominal training,
speed-agility training, as well as power and explosiveness
training. The common theme will be the versatility of the
movements you can perform with a medicine ball. You can
move up, down, left, right, diagonal, horizontal, forward,
and backward.
With the medicine ball, you also have the ability
to just “let it fly”. You don’t have to decelerate when
throwing the medicine ball, as you have to when training
with weights (when was the last time you threw a barbell
in the air at your gym – without having your membership
cancelled?). You can launch the medicine ball to a partner,
against the wall, or over your head as far as you can.
Don’t just go and grab the heaviest medicine ball
you can find. Use these guidelines to select a conservative
training weight:
*
Beginner female = 2-4 pound ball
*
Beginner male = 4-6 pound ball
*
Intermediate = 6-8 pound ball
*
Advanced = 8-10 pound ball
*
Elite = 12 pound ball
2
– A MEDICINE BALL WARM-UP
This article outlines a quick and effective warm-up
that can be completed using only a medicine ball. This warm-up
can be performed prior to resistance training, speed-agility
work, or additional medicine ball training, or as part of
a conditioning session. Here are the guidelines and exercise
descriptions for this medicine ball warm-up circuit.
*
Perform the exercises in a circuit.
*
Complete 2 or 3 circuits performing 12 repetitions per exercise.
*
This circuit consists of total-body movements and is a greater
general warm-up.
*
You can also use this circuit at the end of a workout to
build stamina.
o
Perform the circuit 3-5 times for 8-15 repetitions per exercise.
o
For the advanced and elite athletes seeking a thorough conditioning
session, you can include a 45-second sprint interval after
each circuit.
1.
Squat-Push Press
2.
Torso Rotations
3.
Woodcutters
4.
Lunge with Twist
5.
Overhead Stretch
6.
Diagonal Chop
7.
Chest Pass
8.
Diagonal Lunge
3
– EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS
1.
Squat Push-Press
*
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned
slightly out. Hold a medicine ball at chest level.
*
Squat down by extending your butt back. Keep the ball held
against your chest.
*
Pause briefly, then return to the starting position and
press the ball overhead.
*
You may also release the ball on the way up and catch it
in the standing position.
*
Be sure you keep your torso erect, weight back in the heels,
and shoulders back to remain in the proper position.
2.
Torso Rotations
*
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned
slightly out. Hold the medicine ball in both arms against
your right side at belly-button level.
*
Rotate to your left side and swing the medicine ball to
your left side.
*
Repeat to your right side. Rotate further with each successive
repetition.
3.
Woodcutters
*
Stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder-width
apart and hold the medicine ball overhead (with both hands).
*
Slightly bend your knees and flex your torso forward. Contract
your abs and bring the medicine ball down until it is at
floor level between your feet.
*
Pause at the bottom and then reverse the motion. Use your
hip and back extensor muscles as you return to the start
position.
*
This exercise is named because it simulates how a woodcutter
would swing an axe.
4.
Lunge with Twist
*
Stand and hold the medicine ball overhead (with both hands).
*
Lunge forward with your right foot and lower yourself until
your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
*
At the same time, bring the ball down and to your left side.
Pause at the bottom with the ball held at chest level.
*
Return to the upright position and bring the ball back up
over your head.
5.
Overhead Stretch
*
Stand and hold the medicine ball overhead (with both hands).
*
Tilt your torso over to the right and keep the ball held
overhead.
*
Pause briefly and return to the starting position.
*
Repeat to the left side for the same number of repetitions.
6.
Diagonal Chop
*
Stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder-width
apart.
*
Hold the medicine ball over your left shoulder (with both
hands). Your right shoulder should be under your chin.
*
Slightly bend your knees and flex your torso forward. Contract
your abs, rotate your torso, and bring the medicine ball
across your body until it is over your right foot.
*
Pause at the bottom and then reverse the motion. Use your
hip and back extensor muscles as you return to the start
position.
*
This exercise is very similar to the “Woodcutters” but also
involves torso rotation.
7.
Chest Pass
*
Stand 15 feet away from a wall holding the medicine ball
at chest level.
*
Step forward with one foot and release the medicine ball
straight out from your chest as explosively as possible.
*
Retrieve the ball and perform another repetition, this time
stepping forward with the opposite foot.
*
The key to execution is making the passes as forcefully
and as quickly as possible.
8.
Diagonal Lunge
*
Stand and hold the medicine ball at arm’s length at chest
level.
*
Step forward and diagonally to the right with your right
leg. Descend until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
*
Continue to hold the ball at chest level.
*
From the lunge position, step forward and diagonally to
the left with your left foot.
*
Repeat to each side for the prescribed number of repetitions.
