The outer skin is often made of different types of materials. While most manufacturers no longer use genuine leather to make the outer skin of their training aides, genuine leather has widely been used in the past to make this training equipment. In fact, it was the only material they could use. Leather is water resistant and can survive recurrent exposure to water without being ruined. However, prolonged exposure to water and moisture could significantly ruin the leather and render your medical equipment ineffective. Leather is more durable than most other fabrics and its use dates back to approximately 375 BCE when different materials could be stuffed into animal skins to create standard weighted balls. In particular, Hippocrates’s patients were the major beneficiaries of these medical balls because they used them to manage their ailments. The durability of leather has remained unadulterated to this day. While you can still find genuine leather medical balls, they are difficult to find and require more intense care and maintenance than synthetic-leather and rubber fabrics.

Although genuine leather had been the primary material for the outer skin of medical balls, faux leather has since replaced it. Despite a tainted reputation, faux leather has developed popularity over time, most notably in the recent times. Faux leather may not be as strong or as durable as genuine leather, as it mimics the features of genuine leather but is easy-maintenance. You won’t have to clean it as often and it’s more affordable than genuine leather.

Textured rubber, on the other hand, is considered the most widespread medical ball exterior available today. Most products are made of this material because of its ability to withstand the harsh conditions that medical balls are frequently subjected to. Rubber makes the perfect exterior material regardless of the exercise equipment, and equipment that will have to stand up to various instances of abuse should that kind of exterior. While most of them are not engineered to take the intense hit associated with slamming, throwing them back and forth with a training partner, or hitting them against the wall while training solo, does not instantly damage them. However, consistent slamming may result in excessive wear and tear over time. In addition, rubber exterior medical balls have ultra-grip features to allow you to worry less about grip and focus more on the physical activity.

Different medical balls are of different weights and may range from 2lbs to 12 lbs or even more. Weighted medical balls are made of different sizes and colors. Often, a company that makes medical balls assigns a different color to each weight category for easy identification or differentiation. Lighter weight medical balls are mostly used by beginners who advance to heavier weights as they become stronger and more skilled. Advanced athletes prefer to use heavier weights to add more resistance to their training sessions. Regardless of your skill level, you can still choose a weighted medical ball of any weight you are comfortable with for your crunches or other exercises.

The medical equipment is weighted differently. Most methods prefer to concentrate the weight of the ball in one or more spots, which can result in off-balance products that pose a serious health hazard. If the ball behaves contrary to the athlete’s expectation, then injury is highly likely. Manufacturers of quality balls will often test their products to ensure they are balanced or meet specific set standards before they are released to the ultimate consumer. Only balls that are well-balanced and could not cause injury are packaged for consumption. Regardless, many companies have taken the necessary precaution to ensure their products are safe, as product safety has become a top priority in every company’s quality assurance department. In addition, customers would not be willing to buy and use a product that poses a serious health risk.

Most medical balls tend to deform or lose shape over time even if you use it properly. Many companies strive to take the necessary precaution to ensure their products avoid deformation and retain their shape for longer. While some company brands choose to design medicine balls with rigid exterior to get rid of some slack that may allow the internal contents of the ball to shift, some balls still end up with ‘loose’ contents. Others subject their designs through rigorous testing procedures before production to ascertain that the product would retain its form over time.

One of the most common challenges that athletes experience while using a medicine ball is the inability of some balls to retain their shape for longer. Most medicine balls are perfect spheres with equally distributed weight. However, these balls are stuffed with some material inside them to add the much-needed weight that adds resistance during training. Continued use of your exercise equipment may cause it to shift the stuffed weight inside. In particular, slamming and continuously hitting the ball hard against hard floors or walls tend to cause minor wear and tear that becomes more pronounced over time. Perhaps this is one of the major reasons why slamming of medical balls is often not recommended. Regardless, some people still find themselves slamming these balls despite knowing that they are not engineered to withstand the pressure of wear and tear that come with the activity.

This is yet another important aspect of durability that companies use to make their medicine ball products last longer. Reinforced seams help to protect the ball’s interior content by holding it together. In fact, the first thing any reasonable medical ball company would do to boost durability is to reinforce one or more seams of the exercise equipment. Many companies today design their products with double or sometimes triple reinforced seams for an extra layer of durability. This also strengthens a weak point on the fabric and prolongs the life of the exercise equipment because this reduces the chances that it will split at weak points along the seams.

When you are considering investing in a good medical ball that you intend to use for an extended period of time, durability becomes a priority. You do not want a product that will pop open within the first week of use after you spend several dollars on it. This is why the material used to craft the ball’s exterior is as important as the weight of the ball. Exercise equipment with reinforced seams tends to outlast those without. Therefore, double or even triple reinforced seams might be a very significant factor to consider when shopping for your next training equipment. However, note that not all medical balls have double/ triple reinforced seams; it all depends on the material and design of the ball.

Being new at the gym may seem like an intimidating event. Not only are there multiple different exercise machines with countless different benefits but there are also free weights and medicine balls to chose from. Just like any other gym equipment, dumbbells and medicine balls both work to help you achieve your weight goals. However, although they may seem similar, they're actually quite different.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells have not only become a staple at the gym, but they are a key component of weight training. They traditionally come in a large variety of weight sizes and offer a short handle which is traditionally used one hand at a time while training. Some dumbbells come in different colors, styles, and even materials, but one thing that always remains the same is their ease of use. You do not need to know much about dumbbells in order to use them correctly. However, do not confuse dumbbells with barbells. Barbells offer a much longer handle with detachable weights at the very end and also require both hands when being used, whereas dumbbells do not.

Dumbbells can be used with an extensive list of exercises that center around strengthening the upper body, from common arm curls that specifically target your biceps to arm extensions that focus solely on your triceps. Furthermore, many gym-goers enjoy incorporating a dumbbell or two in each during aerobics, yoga, Zumba or even while jogging. It is also common to see dumbbells being used by boxers while shadow boxing in order to achieve more strength in their upper body.

Medicine Balls

Using medicine balls to exercise with is an ancient practice, yet it is now back in the spotlight as more people are seeking different ways of getting a full body workout in the least amount of time. Medicine balls are just that, they are balls filled with sand, and/or other components that add weight. Just like dumbbells, they come in numerous different sizes, which gives you the option to select which one is more comfortable for you.

Adding a medicine ball to your workout is an excellent way of building overall muscle. Due to its ease of use a medicine ball can be incorporated into almost all exercise routines from walking and carrying the ball back and forth to playing catch, the options are truly endless. Not only are there numerous ways to use a medicine ball to get a killer workout but using the ball helps create lean muscle. Lean muscle is always a good idea as it helps speed up your metabolism.

What are the differences between the two

The main difference between using a medicine ball and a dumbbell is where you would like to build the most muscle. For example; if you are interested in focusing on building upper body muscle you would prefer a dumbbell and gradually increase its weight, whereas if you are interested in building full body muscle you would want to incorporate one or two medicine balls instead.

Another difference to keep in mind is, it is easier to add two or more dumbbells to your routine then it is to add an additional medicine ball. The main reason being dumbbells were created mainly to be used with one hand, while medicine balls typically require the use of both. Additionally, considering your preferred exercise routine will help you select which tool will work best that day. Medicine balls work best for HIIT exercises as it adds another layer of strength training.

While both tools offer excellent options as to where they can be incorporated in, it truly comes down to you and your personal preference. We recommend trying both of them out and seeing which one works for can best. Furthermore, do not be afraid to ask a trainer questions about what will work best for you and your goals. Keep in mind, everyone at the gym is there with the same goal of becoming the very best version of themselves just like you.