You may have heard that the medicine ball is popular with athletes, partly because of its utility in providing resistance for intensive training. But how do the pros use this fitness tool?

It might not be a surprise that professionals in sports like football bring an endurance perspective to working out with the medicine ball. After all, training for this sport is generally a study in pushing the limits. But when you hear about routines like the “Med Ball 400”…the 400 represents, you guessed it, 400 reps! That’s a lot of work. But that’s the kind of regimen followed by college football players, popularized by coaches like Jonas Sahratian, and used by players on teams like the UNC Tar Heels.

If 400 sounds like an unreal number, keep in mind that this isn’t just for one or two activities. The sets are broken up into a variety of poses and movements, making this a kind of ‘medicine ball decathlon’. All you need is the medicine ball – and some free time. Okay, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to go for 400 reps, start at a number like 200. Cut the pro workout in half, and you might have something you can fit into your busy schedule. At least you don’t have to lug around a lot of gear! In fact, going to a medicine ball workout for one day of your week could help you get an extra session in at work or anywhere you need to be.

So what’s involved in this diversified medicine ball routine? A lot of the activities are similar constructions, where the limbs use the ball as a kind of counterweight to the body for getting advanced responses from muscle groups. There’s also the idea that loading muscles with weight during a movement makes it a more “explosive” or powerful motion, and some call this study “plyometrics”.

A starting activity, big circles, demonstrates this idea: the user stands with the medicine ball held in their arms straight out in front of them. The user then brings the ball in a full circle, from above the head to the right, down to the chest area, to the left and back up.

 Other sets in this program, like the Toe Touch or the Standing Russian Twist are simple two-position motions, where the body moves one way with the ball before returning to its original position. Others include three positions. Most are very simple and not difficult to understand and follow. They all come from the same basic idea of using the ball as a counterweight, and they all add up to muscle gain if practiced correctly.

Next time you are at the gym, take a look at the medicine ball and consider trying your own version of the “pro’s game” for getting muscle tone and improved capability with this handy fitness item.