Up-to-date athletic trainers and athletes like medicine ball training because it appears to be more specific to their preferred athletic activity than conventional weight training (throwing a medicine ball is more like throwing a baseball or basketball than is lifting a heavy weight, and it’s hard to imagine why lifting a weight would improve the skill factor associated with throwing). Baseball teams at all levels of competition use medicine balls in their training programs.
The following are some guidelines in planning and running a medicine ball session:
Always ensure the athletes carry out a thorough warm up and warm down. Before starting a session, explain the procedures for each exercise with your athletes. Partners who feed the medicine ball on certain exercises should be well drilled on what is required.
Medicine ball exercises must precede high intensity work
Start sessions with lighter less dynamic exercises, then progress to heavier exercises. The program should have exercises that match the pattern of movements of the sport. Plan the program to exercise alternate body parts (legs, upper body, torso). You will need to have a number of...