Fitness experts have become very creative in finding new ways to use the med ball. It is such a versatile piece of exercise equipment that it can be used in basically all kinds of training. It is especially useful in home gyms when used in circuit training programs. In these types of programs you are moving from one exercise to another in an attempt to get a complete workout. As you transition from one exercise to another, the medicine ball is the perfect complement to most of the other exercise equipment that you have.

Unlike in the past, you can find medicine balls in pretty much any sports store. Also known as med balls or fitness balls, you will find them in many sizes and weights. Men are mostly drawn to the heavier ones which they use as a complement to their weight building program. Women tend to use the lighter ones in conjunction with their fitness programs.

The medicine ball is a common fixture in many sports and training programs across the U.S. And that's because it is such a versatile piece of equipment. For example, many sports necessitate the athlete being able to perform explosive actions. In other words, his or her muscles must be capable of contracting quickly and the nerves must be able to react at a fast rate. A good way of conditioning these muscles and nerves to do exactly that is to require the athlete to execute plyometric type exercises. These workouts are designed to train the muscles to utilize their power in quick, explosive and rapid bursts.

For instance, weight lifters and body builders have worked hard to train their muscles to be extremely powerful and to be capable of lifting enormous weights. But, these sports don't require that the athlete be fast as well.

But with athletes like foot ball players, the goal is a bit different. Especially for those that play on the offensive and defensive lines. Like body builders, they are required to have a lot of strength. And, like body builders, they do weight lifting to build their muscles and body strength. But, football players also need something more. They need to have explosive speed when coming off of the ball to they can make a play or get to the quarterback on the other team.

Trainers build exercises utilizing the medicine ball in an effort to assist in building that explosive speed. A football player who does weight training, but does it without the medicine ball, or a similar type of equipment that essentially performs the identical function, would absolutely be a strong player. But he would probably not be fast enough to play in the NFL.

For those putting together a home gym, a medicine ball has so many potential uses in exercise routines that it can be seen as a core piece of equipment. This is especially true if you play sports. The endurance and strength that you will need for many sports can only be helped by integrating a medicine ball into your training routine.