POW! Boxing

Written by Piotr Lewkowski

Training with medicine balls is pretty straightforward. The medicine ball can be used in moves such as throwing and catching while at the same time developing the core.  Here are a few tips on using the medicine ball.

1. Do a warm-up before doing any throwing, focusing on the core and throwing muscles: chest, abs, lower back, and torso rotations. Some good exercises are push-ups, crunches, standing torso rotations, and supermen.
2. During throws, the closer you are to the wall or partner, the easier it is (unless the goal is to knock over your partner). If throwing against a wall, the harder you throw, the more difficult it is to catch and throw again.
3. Start off with the feet on the ground and work your way up to throws with your feet off the ground. This will really engage your core at the expense of strong throws.
4. Another way to engage your core is by keeping your knees and ankles together which can be accomplished by using a strap.
5. To develop explosive power—a la plyometrics—throw against a wall (if the ball is bouncy enough) or a trampoline. As soon as you make the catch quickly throw the ball with as little time in between catch and throw as possible.
6. Use a heavier ball to develop strength and a lighter ball to work on speed and power.
7. Stretch out the core after the workout by doing the cobra stretch. While laying on your stomach, push your chest off the ground without letting your pelvis come off the ground.