Medicine Ball History and a Look Into the FutureThe use of medicine balls dates back over 3000 years. In the ancient east, soldiers worked out with round sand filled bladders to prepare for battle. These were the first medicine balls. This method of training was adopted by many other armies and was, even back then, considered the best way to train. There is even evidence that medicine balls were used by the mighty Spartans. Have you seen the movie 300? This was not an exageration.
The fact that medicine balls have been around for so long gives testament to there effectiveness. Centuries ago, armies did'nt care about how things looked or how profitable they were. It was a simple question of, what will work the best.
During the last decade or so, medicine balls have made a comeback into the world of athletic training. Exercise psychologists have done extensive research on the effectiveness of medicine ball workouts and they all find the same thing. Medicine ball workouts provide functional training for many muscle groups simultaneously. The top athletes in the world all train with med-balls because they not only have to be strong, but they must be functionally strong. They need speed, agility, power, and flexibility. They also need their strength to be balanced to reduce the risk of injury. All of these attributes can be obtained by working out with medicine balls.
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