MMA's Medicine Ball

I have friends who train in mixed martial arts (MMA). They tell me the best training aid is the medicine ball. Anyone here use it for training?

 

I’ve used medicine balls occasionally. More times, you’ll find the personal trainer and, student sitting on mats and flinging the ball to wards one another. I would imagine such an exercise helps your agility in addition to your lower back muscles.

The few times I’ve used it the conclusion I’ve drawn to is greater endurance based on handling an object that offers an even amount of weight in every angle.

Medicine Balls offer various weights as well. I would estimate anywhere from 15 – 30 pounds are found in gyms.

Cheers!

 

My friend who have shown me a way to use the medicine ball is to do a low squat with the ball directly in front of your chest and quickly stand upward throwing the ball as high as you can upward. Upon catching it you squat low as possible and then repeat it for 20 or 25 times for one set. What a workout with a 20 pound ball. Excellent for the shoulders and thighs.

 

It is a very versatile instrument.

It offers a more "dead weight" concept which, no metallic weight can deliver in it's size.

Cheers!

 

It's good to know that my personal trainer wasn't making up stuff just to torture me. He would have me do declined sit-ups with the medicine ball. When I got to the top of my sit-up, he would throw the ball at me. I'd catch it, do a sit-up with the medicine ball, throw it back to him and repeat.

I'm looking to buy one soon for more core work exercises such as throwing the ball down in order to make it bounce as high as possible.