If there was only one piece of gym equipment people should have?
I’d say, hands-down, a Medicine ball.
Close second and for those with certain disabilities and under-lying health issues, or for travelling, it would have to be an Exercise Band.
But, for pure gym work, it is the Medicine Ball every time.
The versatility of its usage is one aspect: it comes in a variety of weights, but, for the same weight a variety of sizes to fit most hand sizes. They can come with handle grips, making it useful for people who have poor grip or restricted use of hands. They come as pure medicine balls or slam balls, that can be used for more dynamic workouts by throwing the ball down to the ground without damaging it. You can use indoors or outdoors.
Safety, wise, they are a far safer piece of equipment than dumbbells or kettle-bells, being soft and round edged. Of course, they are not without their ability to cause damage as has been experienced when people have not been concentrating when performing group throws!
There are many pieces of gym or exercise equipment that come and go over the years, as trends rise and wane. Most are just fads, that are bought by the discerning individual who doesn’t know any better.
Some gym equipment has become a staple in households, but, over the years they get less use, because of their lack of versatility.
But, the medicine ball is your all-weather, all-purpose training companion, that can be used with a group, in a pair, or by oneself. Each option you can adapt to dynamic or ballistic exercises, like no other piece of equipment.
They are fun for and safe for children (with proper supervision and training), but, also, add an element of fun to adult training sessions.
My first encounter with one was when I first started coaching and a fellow athlete, who was part of my Spring Group, decided we need some equipment to enhance the winter indoors circuit and gym sessions. He suggested a medicine ball, which though I was ignorant to their use, I still went along with.
We bought our first one at the famous Lonsdale boxing shop in Carnaby Street, London. To our surprise, we were not, as we had expected, the first non-boxers to use the shop. Even when we explained that we were sprinters, looking for something to enhance our gym workouts, the men in the shop showed no surprise and even told us, that, many sprinters had passed through the shop to purchase a medicine ball.
I still have that same first one to this day, thirty years on...
Today, Vorsprung has a library of programmes and workouts, for all abilities, age and gender. We have workout programmes without any equipment, with dumbbells, with kettlebells, with exercise bands, with Swiss balls… But, the one go-to every time I use and recommend is the Medicine Ball Dynamic workout. And every time, I have to sigh when I am told they don’t have a medicine ball to use.
For neuro-dynamic workouts medicine balls are the perfect tool. They allow the upper body to be placed in an imbalanced form, counter to the lower body, continually challenging once balance. In working this way, you strengthen your core strength, improve your balance and have a more even-body.
So, if there is one thing you should do, one thing you should save-up for, one thing to treat yourself to, it is a medicine ball!
