Medicine Ball Training
Completed my Medicine Ball Training, and obtained this certificate.
According to Wikipedia, the information:
A medicine ball (also known as an exercise ball, a med ball, or a
fitness ball) is a weighted ball roughly the diameter of the shoulders
(approx. 14 inches). Often used for rehabilitation and strength training,
it serves an important role in the field of sports medicine. It should not
be confused with the larger, inflated exercise ball.
Medicine balls are usually sold as 2–25 lb. balls and are used
effectively in plyometric weight training to increase explosive power in
athletes in all sports. Some medicine balls are in the form of weighted
basketballs.
Medicine ball training is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training – the first
reference to wrestlers training with sand filled bladders appears in Persia nearly 3000 years ago. In ancient Greece the physician Hippocrates had them sewn out of animal skins and stuffed with sand. His patients threw them back and forth for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the words "health" and "medicine" were synonymous. The so-called "Four Horsemen of Fitness" were the dumbbell, the Indian club, the wand and the medicine ball. This is where the beginnings of the modern medicine ball originate.
One common activity is to have athletes hold the ball against their chest and thrust it at another athlete, who catches it against their chest. This strengthens arm, chest, and leg muscles.
Medicine balls throws are also implemented as part of the SPARQ rating, a test of sport-specific
athleticism, to assess core strength, total body power and coordination. Different tests involve an athlete throwing the ball behind them and over their head as far as they can, or kneeling and pushing the ball out from their chest for maximum distance.
They are also extensively used by secondary schools as a fitness aid.
