Coaches and Trainers….are you currently using
Dynamax Medicine Balls with your clients? If you are not, you should be. This piece of equipment is a great all around tool to use for any client/athlete no matter their ability.
I was first introduced to Dynamax when I started teaching bootcamp in 2009. Little did I know that all this time later I would still be using Dynamax with my clients/athletes as well as with my workouts.
As a coach that drove from location to location I wanted to bring fun equipment to my athletes but it would be a challenge due to car spacial and weight limitations, medicine balls were perfect for this. But even with indoor/in home clients, medicine ball are one of my most used pieces of equipment.
Do I specifically need the Dynamax Brand? They are kind of pricy.
In comparison to other medicine balls, Dynamax looks the same. Tough outer shell, thick stitching, clear weight label…
the difference is in the quality. I took the same six Dynamax medicine balls to multiple bootcamp classes during the week for many years. My athletes would slam them down, sit on them (sometimes weighted), carry them, drop them…they would put them through the ringer and after class we would wipe them down with a disinfectant and use them again the following class. I have never had one bust on me and I would encourage my athletes to be rough on them. BUT when working at an indoor personal training studio they purchased a knock off brand and almost all of them busted and and had to be replaced. I strongly believe the higher price point is the only negative, but I would rather purchase 1 med ball than have to always replace another brand.
What can I do with them?
The possibilities are endless. Some of my favorites include:
- Running a certain distance carrying a med ball
- Teaching cleans
- Ab/core exercises: weighted russian twist or weighted sit ups, planks with hand or feet on top,
- Wall balls
- Chest passes (with partner or against a wall)
- Overhead throwing
Go
HERE to see video’s of med ball movements that are used in my 50 Med Ball Workouts PDF which you can get below.
What is the difference in the medicine ball and the slam ball?
Outside of the physical appearance (slam balls have an rubber outer shell that is easy to grip), they are weighted differently. Slam balls are filled with sand and would be considered dead weight, where medicine balls have a little bounce when slammed/dropped and can roll when done so. Both are great training tools to use with clients.
What weight should I start with?
If done correctly you can get a great workout with just a six pound one. For my crossfitters the standards are 14 pounds for the ladies and 20 pounds for the men. More advance athletes will use a 20 pound for the females and 30 pound for the males. I would first purchase one that might be on the lighter side but you can do more with then you can advance from there based on feel and experience.
Where can I purchase a medicine ball?
Since Dynamax no longer has an actual store, I would order from
Perform Better (I have always been happy with my orders from them). In addition to medicine balls, they have other equipment that might be useful for trainers or those looking to get into the industry.
If you are interested in
Dynamax Medicine Balls, please click on my link. Its an affiliate link, but I promise this review was 100% my opinion.
