How a heavier medicine ball can take your athletic training to the next level
Standard medicine balls often range in weight from 2 lbs. to 30 lbs.
You’ll want to make sure you’re ready for the next level. Ideally, you want to feel some resistance without compensation. The goal is to slow, not distort, the movement when using a medicine ball.
Leveraging a heavier medicine ball can encompass a wide range of benefits and outcomes. Below, we’ve listed how they can help you take your athletic training goals to the next level…
- Build muscle
Lifting heavier weights can help you build muscle. Muscle gain, aside from making you look and feel stronger, is good for supporting bones and joints, boosting mental wellbeing and strengthening your immune system. It can also boost how your body processes nutrients. In turn, this will give you increased power and strength for all your sporting activities.
- Burn more calories
It probably goes without saying, but a heavier medicine ball can help you burn more calories as you add load to patterns like squats, lunges, presses, and rotations. This is because it requires more energy and engages more muscle fiber to move the medicine ball.
- Versatile exercises to engage your muscles
Medicine balls aren’t just for your core muscles. They can also work your entire kinetic chain. Heavier or larger balls might not be quite as versatile as their lighter counterparts, but you can still throw them against a smooth, reinforced wall and incorporate them while performing drills such as sit-ups and squats.
What weights are available?
The heaviest medicine ball is the Dynamax Atlas Medicine Ball, which goes up to 150 lbs. and is designed for high-intensity, odd-object weight training. That is for experienced athletes at the peak of their performance.
When selecting a standard Dynamax heavy ball option, we recommend adding 10-14 lbs. to your light ball weight. For example, if you’re used to training with a 6-8 lb ball for explosive speed work, adding a 16-18 lb ball to your arsenal will be the perfect strength complement to help you achieve your training goals.
This also opens up contrast training opportunities, like our Heavy on Light and Heavy to Light exercises. Grab a partner and give them a try with a light and heavy ball.
Heavy on Light
Heavy to Light
Shop medicine balls online at Dynamax