But athletes in just about every sport today are gaining endurance and strength from a different kind of ball, one that may have been used by your grandfather. Weighing anywhere from 2 to 30 pounds, medicine balls are used for heaving and catching and are once again becoming familiar additions to weight and training facilities everywhere. They were promoted by Navy medics who stuffed kapok and rags into a leather basketball for the seasick or bored crew to toss around as exercise. This was a much easier form of medicine to prescribe than pills. These days, a whole new generation is discovering the benefits of medicine balls.
Athletes are bigger, faster and stronger than ever.
They're hitting more home runs, jumping higher, and running faster. A common denominator for many of today's record-breaking levels of performance is the use of medicine balls during training. Coaches and strength trainers everywhere are recommending medicine ball training because of the key benefits. Medicine balls build vital core muscles comprised of your abs, obliques and lower back. These muscles are vital because they are the origin of arm and leg strength.