The Top 3 Medicine Ball Exercises For Ultimate Mma Power

When you picture most strength training exercises, you may notice that everything seems to be in straight lines. Contrast that with any mixed-martial arts technique and you may realize that there is one missing ingredient to most strength programs - rotational power. Well how exactly do you develop the ability to rotate your body explosively for knockout punches, kicks, and throws?

The key is to use tools that allow you to train the transverse plane of motion. There are planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse.

The sagittal plane is the plane that is most dominant with respect to strength training programs. Exercises like the bench press, bicep curls, squats, deadlifts, and chin-ups are all sagittal plane dominant. If you move your arms back and forth like a marching soldier, this is the sagittal plane. Unfortunately, most MMA techniques require more than just movement in the sagittal plane, which means that most strength training programs are seriously deficient, if your goal is to develop sport-specific strength and power.

The frontal plane is sometimes found in strength training routines. Exercises like side crunches and dumbbell side raises are a couple of examples. However, this plane is also highly under-trained in most athletes, and most would benefit from adding some exercises into their routine that targeted the frontal plane. Adding some suitcase deadlifts and single-leg squats would improve hip and core stability tremendously.

Now the transverse plane is where the real payoff is. But a note of caution - make sure you’ve developed a strong and stable core before aggressively training in the transverse plane. Like most things in life, high returns are generally high risk.

If you’re not stable in the core, it’s likely that you’ll blow a disc or strain a muscle in your lumbar spine when trying some of the exercises that I’ll describe below. So if you’re not stable or not sure, start off with exercises like prone bridges, side bridges, stiff-leg deadlifts, woodchops, and other exercises that promote stability in a neutral spine, then work on training powerfully in the transverse plane.

First of all, you’re going to need the proper tools. The best tools that I’ve used when training pro MMA fighters include rope balls and medicine balls. These tools allow you to develop explosive power in all planes of motion, and they allow you to release them so that you don’t slow down your movement.

Think of a bench press - if you want to train explosively, you probably aren’t going to throw the bar, so you have to slow the movement down at the top so you don’t let it go. Medicine balls don’t make you do that, so you can put all of your effort into the exercise and maximally develop your explosiveness.

Let’s focus on medicine ball exercises. Here are my top 3 medicine ball exercises for helping my athletes develop knockout power:

1) Side toss - start in an athletic stance holding the ball at your stomach. Quickly rotate to one side then explosively throw the ball sideways, keeping your body and spine tall and as neutral as possible.

2) Chop toss - start in an athletic stance holding the ball at your stomach. Lift the ball up so that it’s close to your ear and then violently throw it down on a diagonal into the ground, keeping your body and spine tall and as neutral as possible.

3) Seated side toss - start sitting tall with your legs straight out in front of you holding the ball at your stomach. Perform the same motion as the side toss.

Perform 2-3 sets of 8 repetitions of each exercise, with 1-2 minutes of rest in between. When you’re developing your power, you don’t want to train to exhaustion; instead, you want to be fresh and make each rep as fast and explosive as possible, so take the prescribed rest times and you’ll develop maximum power.

By: Eric Wong, BSc, CSCS

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you want a complete and easy-to-follow program proven by Jeff Joslin and other pro MMA fighters check out the Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program.

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In the gym you can use many different pieces of equipment to work your abdominal muscles. The exercise ball is a great tool to work your ab muscles.

The Exercise Ball has become one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment in the fitness industry. It has many names. Some people refer to it as a Stability Ball, Swiss Ball, or Physioball.

There are 3 main reasons people perform abdominal exercises on an exercise ball.

When doing abdominal exercises on the ball…
#1 Your abs work harder.
#2 There is more Range of Motion.
#3 There are greater improvements in your balance, coordination, and stability.

In studies comparing floor crunches to ball crunches, researchers found that the abdominal muscles worked harder during crunches on the ball. Some of this is due to the increased range of motion through the spine when you perform crunches on an exercise ball.

When you are lying on the floor, your spine flattens out slightly and this decreases the range of motion of the exercise. However, when you perform abdominal crunches on a ball, your hips are extended and your back is slightly extended which leads to greater range of motion and increased muscle work.

Lastly, because the ball is less stable than the floor, your abdominal muscles must also work to keep you balanced.
There are additional benefits to exercising on a ball. Some people find that ab crunches on the exercise ball are more comfortable than other crunch positions, like the floor. And, some people think it’s more fun and mentally stimulating, which helps to combat exercise boredom and burn out.

  It may seem intimidating at first, but it is not that difficult to master. I generally begin by teaching my personal training clients the basics, such as the drawing-in maneuver, floor crunches, and the floor plank. But as soon as they master those ab exercises, I teach them abdominal exercises on the ball.

Some of my favorite abdominal exercises with a stability ball are regular crunches, alternating oblique crunches, stability ball roll-ins, and side crunches on the stability ball.

I truly think the exercise ball is one of the best pieces of ab exercise equipment. And if you had to buy one tool to effectively work your abdominal muscles I would recommend an exercise ball.

I think buying a ball is a better investment than buying an as seen on tv ab machines. Many of the as seen on TV products over promise and under deliver, and they are all one dimensional.

An exercise ball is a versatile and inexpensive piece of equipment, and it is a tool I use often with my personal training clients. If you have never used an exercise ball, there is no time like the present to learn something new!

Pictures of Abdominal Exercises
Here’s a directory of abdominal exercises with pictures and instructions.

By Charles Inniss Published: 7/16/2008

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The crunch is of course the standard ab exercise. However, it can be hard on some parts of the body. You can always use an exercise ball or your couch to rest your legs on during the workout. This will take away some of the stress from …   Read more…

Denise Austin Hit The Spot Core Complete DVD: Tone the Entire Body

Stability balls, or Swiss balls, have been used for decades for physical therapy and rehabilitation. They are now a mainstream exercise tool, used to help work the core group of muscles. They are great to train the body for balance and … It is a well rounded leg routine, including all muscles of the upper leg. The exercises included for the core are creative and create a nice variety of work on the ball. The workout ends with a quick stretch for the absRead more…

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Lie face down on the ball with abs in contact with ball. Place your hands on the floor in a push-up position. Keep your legs hip-width apart with your toes lightly touching the ground. With abs contracted to support the lower back.

Excercise Ball to Work Your Abs

Working your abs with an exercise ball can be an exhilarating way to get a great workout! Exercise balls are fun and simple, but they add an edge to a workout. The most basic ab routines to do with an exercise ball are a basic crunch.

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Exercise Ball Workout - Stability Ball Exercises

An exercise ball workout is a great way to get balance training as well as strengthening your core. Plus, you can do a variety of stability ball exercises to get a total body workout. Try out some of these exercises given here.

You’ve probably seen them around in your gym and may have wondered what on earth they were used for. In the beginning you might have even thought that they were meant for kids, but then pretty soon enough you would have spotted some of the fittest women and men using them. Whether they are called an exercise ball, a stability ball, or a Swiss ball, they can be used for performing practically endless types of exercises that workout practically all parts of the body. Plus, there are a number of benefits that you can derive from doing an exercise ball workout regularly.

The Benefits of Stability Ball Exercises

Apart from providing you with balance training, which most conventional workout programs tend to overlook, almost every exercise that you perform with the exercise ball strengthens your core by working them, and they exercise multiple muscles at the same time while you are forced to balance your body while performing them. This results in your core being better able to support your body while you perform any day-to-day activity. Moreover, the stability ball is also versatile:

• The exercise ball can be used at the gym as well as at home.
• People of all ages as well as fitness levels can derive benefits from stability ball exercises.
• The exercise ball is lightweight and portable.
• The stability ball is not an expensive piece of exercise equipment.
• Stability balls do not require any particular maintenance.

The stability ball can be used to get a total workout for the body. You can use it to exercise the abdominals, back, chest, arms, and legs. If you have been hankering to try them out, but haven’t known how to get started, you could try out these stability ball exercises given below.

Sitting Wall Rolls: Begin by standing with the exercise ball placed between your lower back and a wall, and your feet about shoulder width apart. Start squatting down, with the ball rolling along your back, until you come to a sitting position, with your knees parallel to the floor. Then go back to the standing position. You can repeat this 8 times, and as you get stronger you can increase it to 3 sets. This stability ball exercise is great for strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

Straight Back Extensions: Lie with your abdomen on the stability ball, with your body making a 45 degree angle with the floor, while you balance yourself on the tips of your toes. Now extend your arms straight out in front of you as if you are about to take off like an airplane. Maintain this position to a count of 30. Then relax. This exercise can be repeated 5 times. It is very good for your glutes, lower back, the middle region of the back, and upper back.

Stability Ball Pushups: Put your hands flat on top of the exercise ball, with your body held at a 45 degree angle with the floor, while you balance on the tips of your toes. Lower your torso by bending your elbows, stopping just a couple of inches or so from the ball, then push back again to the starting position. Repeat for 8 times, and do 3 sets as you get stronger. This is great for your pectoral muscles, shoulder muscles, biceps, triceps, as well as your abs.

Opposite Leg and Hand Extensions: Lie on the exercise ball with your abs facing it, stabilizing yourself with your hands and toes. With your face towards the floor, extend your right arm and left leg up together, holding them in that position for about 3-5 seconds, and then get back to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg and arm combination. This can be done 8 times for each leg and arm combination. This exercise is very good for your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and upper back.

Ab Roll-Ups: Lie down on your back on the floor, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Holding the exercise ball with your hands, place it about midway up on your thighs. Start rolling the ball right up to your knees while you simultaneously lift your shoulders off the floor. Hold this position for a second or two and then return back to the starting position. This can be repeated 8 times. And once you get stronger you can do 3 sets of it. Great for your abs.

Stability Ball Hip Lifts: Lie down on your back, bending your knees and placing your heels on top of the stability ball. Support yourself by stretching out your arms on both sides. Then, squeezing your buttocks, lift it off the floor, pushing your hips upwards. Hold this position for a second or two and then return back to the starting position. This can be repeated 8 times, and can be done up to 3 sets. This is wonderful for your hamstrings and glutes.

Exercise Ball Elevated Pushups: Start by placing your hands on the floor and your knees on top of the exercise ball. Your body should be facing down and parallel to the floor. Now lower your upper body down until your face is just a couple of inches off the floor, and then push yourself back up. Repeat this 8 times, and it can be done up to 3 sets. Great for your pectorals, shoulder muscles, biceps, triceps, as well as the abs.

Stability Ball Crunches: Place your lower back on the exercise ball and your feet on the floor, so that your thighs and upper body are parallel to the floor. Now do the usual crunches, using your abs to lift upper back and shoulders up and then releasing back down. Repeat this for 8 times, increasing it up to 3 sets. This is an excellent exercise for your abs.

Exercise Ball Core Crunches: Start by getting down on your knees, and bending your torso at the waist, while resting your elbows on the stability ball. Then, squeeze your abdominal muscles and roll the exercise ball in front of you until your body straightens out, then roll back again to the starting position. This should be done 8 times. This works out your core muscles and abs.

Stability Ball Torso Extensions: Lay your upper body on the exercise ball with your knees on the floor, and your hands behind your head. Lift your upper body up from the ball until you straighten out your spine or extend it slightly. Get back to the starting position. This can be done 8 times, and increased to 3 sets. It does wonders for your upper back and lower back.

By Rita Putatunda Published: 11/27/2007

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Discover The Limitless Benefits Of Exercise Balls

Knowing the benefits of exercise balls and why they come in all shapes and sizes will help your specific fitness goals.

Exercise balls are a proven way of increasing the difficulty of your workout by adding, at different times, resistance, structure, shape and weight to your exercises. An exercise ball is not limited to the big stability balls seen in gyms and physical therapists offices. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and weights to help achieve different goals.

When choosing an exercise ball, think first of what you’re trying to attain. Balance, strength, massage, and power are all benefits of using specific exercise balls.

Want to increase core strength? Try a traditional stability ball. These are typically 65 centimeters in diameter and can be sat on, stretched out on or held between your ankles and squeezed for added work. These exercise balls come in different sizes and even have versions with little legs for beginners. They work on the idea that doing exercises on an unstable surface challenges deep abdominal and back muscles and help to increase your sense of balance and core strength.

For more power, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned medicine ball. These weighted balls, sometimes filled with sand, have been around for decades and are making a comeback because of their simple idea: Doing an exercise while hauling a heavy load is difficult! Used to increase power for upper body or legs, this exercise ball comes in different weights starting at four pounds. A medicine ball can be applied to sports specific goals such as increasing a swing, throw, or squat.

A dual grip Medicine ball has all the benefits of a regular medicine ball with all the advantages of it’s unique design. Looking like a Medicine ball with ears, the handles make it possible to do traditional strength training exercises as well all the power related moves of a regular medicine ball. It’s easily gripped and fun to use.

Looking for more strength and tone? Soft Weighted Balls come in 2-8 lb increments and can be held easily in your hands. Taking their place along side traditional free-weights, these exercise balls are used in a similar way and used mostly for upper body conditioning. Because of their soft exterior, they’re easily gripped which assists in working the muscles of the hands as well as the larger muscle group being targeted. Biceps, triceps, rotator cuff, chest and back are a few of the body parts that can be worked when using Small Weighted Balls.

To make your body feel good after your exercise ball workout, try a Body Therapy ball for a total body massage. This firm but pliable exercise ball is used to roll out the muscles from origin to insertion, meaning the whole length of the muscle. The muscles are essentially being massaged. As the weight of your body sinks into the ball, muscle tension is released. Benefits include ease in the muscles which help the surrounding joints move more freely, a feeling of relaxation, and increased circulation to the muscles.

Variety and diversity are the main reasons to establish workouts using the many different exercise balls available. Use a different one every day and you’ll enjoy the limitless benefits of using an exercise ball.

Susannah Marchese is a certified Pilates fitness instructor and a senior contributing editor to the popular informative website Everything About Pilates.

Isokinetics Exercise Ball Base | Hot Sport Blog

Stabilizing the ball surface lets users receive the benefits of a therapy ball while controlling the ball movement. Customer Reviews. big ball base (2009-01-07) not much to review, it sits on the floor and holds an exercise ball.

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Diabetes is a very serious condition, but proper diet, glucose monitoring, and exercise can substantially improve our ability to control the condition. We should attempt to educate ourselves not only in the importance of tight blood,

4 Fitness-Ball Moves to Tone Hips, Buns & Thighs

Just sitting on a ball offers great benefits, too! I am sitting on a ball right now as I type. I keep it in my office and on days when I am glued to my computer (like today); I sit on the ball to keep from slumping and going stir crazy.

Benefits Of Ab Ball Exercises - ab ball exercises

Ab balls are one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment within the gym. I will share with you the 3 great benefits of ab ball exersices, and how they will change how you think about what a proper ab workout should be like.  

Exercise Equipments: fitness equipment machines what you should know

It takes regular exercise and eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. In addition, any exercise program that you choose such as push-ups stretches, jogging or walking takes discipline.

By susannah marchese Published: 9/13/2008

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If you spend long hours in the office, and if you work out constantly at your desk and before your computer, then you might find that your back aches more often than usual. This may be due to the varying wrong positions that you put your body through as you churn out your reports and articles. You might also find that you are gaining weight in the most unlikely, and certainly unsightly areas, including your hips, legs, and buttocks.

You can avoid all these inconveniences by making use of an exercise ball chair. By turning your ordinary exercise ball into office equipment, you can flex your muscles, strengthen your core, and even conduct a mini-workout as you go through the daily grind. With proper use, an exercise ball chair can help you lose weight without you having to go to the gym and enroll in exercise programs that demand exorbitant joining fees. Along with a balanced diet and a good amount of relaxation, your exercise ball chair can even help you increase your resistance.

Before getting an exercise ball chair, however, you need to buy one that correctly conforms to your body size and proportions. Your thighs should be sloping slightly downwards, and should not be at a perpendicular angle to the ball. The lower slope of your thighs eases the burden on your lower back, and keeps you from straining your spine unnecessarily. The exercise ball chair, however, should not be too tall, so that you end up looking like you are leaning on your desk to keep from diving forward.

If you start using the exercise ball chair, you might find it uncomfortable to sit in for long hours at a time. Start with about an hour or less, then sit on it for longer hours as the days go by. You can also exercise on it during downtime, say when your computer is saving an especially large file, or if you have to scan your hard drives for viruses or damage. With more practice, you can make your exercise ball chair your partner in fitness.

If you are interested in purchasing one, consult with your local gym trainers and fitness centers on the feasibility of actually sitting on one for long hours each day. You may also need to pay your orthopedist or chiropractor a visit, so that you can check if your back muscles and bones are ready for using such a ball. Your hours on the exercise ball should count toward making your body better, not turning your nerves into a frazzled mass.

By: Albert Lee

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Fit fitness into your day- Snap Fitness

Here’s another idea mentioned by more than one fitness expert: Replace your desk chair with a big exercise ball. “When I was a software developer, I brought one of those balance balls to my office and stopped using my normal chair after one day.

banannie » Exercise ball as chair, day one

A short time ago I came across this article, 10 Reasons to Use an Exercise Ball As Your Chair. I sit at my computer for hours each day, and I do see the effects of being so sedentary. I know one answer is to sit here for less hours.

Exercise Ball Chairs! | MAJ World Wide

Sitting on an exercise ball chair while at home or work promotes flexibility, coordination, motor skills, core strengthening, and balance. Your body, when. 

The Green Head - Posture Improving Exercise Ball Chair

This cool new chair is not only an innovative new take on supportive seating design, it actually may help improve posture and strengthen core muscles as well. 

Exercise Ball Chair to improve your posture

Exercise Ball Chair to improve your posture - Most of us are always looking to exercise, but can’t seem to get off the couch. An Exercise Ball Chair sounds perfect for those of us, doesn’t it? 

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If you have purchased a workout ball and you want to begin using it there are many exercises you can do. You can use the ball to workout your abs, your back and more. Three simple exercises include the core crunchers, basic crunches, and the trunk extension.
Exercise Ball Training

The core crunchers are an easy exercise that will help you work your abdominal and core muscles. This exercise will involve you on your knees. You will have to bend your upper body at the waist and place your elbows on the stability or workout ball in front of you. As you squeeze your abs, you will roll the ball forward in front of you until your body forms a straight line. You will roll your body back and forth slowly for repetitions.

The trunk extension is designed to work your lower back with the exercise ball exercises aka fitness ball. You will drape your body over the top of the ball at your hips. Your arms should be slightly hugging the back of the ball or you can pull them behind your head. You will reach up and extend your chest off of the ball until your spine is completely straight. Your body will return to the hugging position for another repetition.

Basic crunches are really simple when you use the stability or workout ball. This one calls for you to be on the ball backward. Your feet will remain flat on the ground throughout the exercise. You will need to place your lower back on the ball maintaining a parallel position with your legs to the floor. You will do crunches from this position using your abs to lift your shoulders and back from the ball.

There are many things you can do with an exercise ball aka fitness ball to work your lower back and your abs. These are only a few of the many ways a stability or workout ball can be used.

By: Diane Bixler

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

 

Brian Bullman - Is Your Training The Pitts …

3 sets of 15 repetitions were carried out per exercise, and maximal weight for the rep-range was used. This is an ideal philosophy to use when designing your own workout, most of you will have noticed while in the gym there a lot of the Balls.

Lean, Mean, and Powerful Direct-Mail Copy in 3 Simple Steps

Get a workout partner or personal trainer to keep you motivated and committed to exercise. 3. Spend time online or offline with a social support group. Share experiences and solutions to the daily trials and tribulations faced by all of us.

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