JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================s" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?5RL *϶^ݰprbB2(69W>ƺt.UVcUj45:gI.nZG\hf;Wq%"9 Xr:g+ҁȳŸ+bê@G1HuH@Q}Z?U F9Ғ`S֏?+QVdFdPGbht?i!y Fs͸M,p$rM?0j19|d`ʤ%@P8B#f.u+ c ~QS䁃U{8dzU8 U3%.>>1Qk YIvT(lr}#MWNn[s9pwo{%զl,6vg:cky_'fybycӞ/VY7^qpYq߶?Z\ғ5ׇ),8_,7Op1'matz]ߑ nt7~aQ~S抲!rr}NnY$̗wlmɸ_NA΋blqz?ﴈ#{"VIņP}~Hnt;T;C##b=2TXiF*nf9T"lʒI.K퀋v.!Ӯ9j:#\ZGsF[imoRd8ۚm6eP&Ťݢcu31EƋ^a!+aZEo1F?Ӱ-zIC gqƳ>"$xhGOAnOJr9/uuk|;"~[uj20<]Aa4<n\;f-.̰6@~oqWx jK[oƱY|2N닆9 hLm_Q]N}J(F0@Vmh][[B[`qU]F8WF*3mQC4ޣH\~W8|2;PǃJ-3Xxڸ2yBAt$K·\) kV;Pf tcV(63 42*X5.6?ֲ[HÁm恠LA#9ؤ'5Տ WC#Adwⴅǎ&s591#"[^'Za=MGzw2'Ýw=6v|1ShyR$XpE$Ein[ƱŸup;RoR91#@w4R,hlGu2 ]3(Rlb;cgM]7y,#7zR9:_"=b݂L|.˚36^,0#\cnsխBhN6`xi$"3?% u5u- v 3’?1P sޟk IͨaA#ri[S?YIٮtR{ip[{V[W89JQ .nnqDdrf$c>[nOZ-{CEUĥҊyfPvbN:~=)㎙4rH{#(IӔ n4Tt%aR8\u uR[_z2X.#H֚.i#>ާpA L6w 2psz gIOjsu#T;V -`z/WiX][yG&rqN:sX&MzшԀSoB@y/n߅;8M'N$~T׮Iyx QNP &W)Eх"1uVF'z[<6*n#5w #1pF ?ʹӛ /Rg*9d~UnH%x5b0#MH< rAִHrui?+8?X۴r߇2; vAvEܭ ݹ| r1h 9.a$p?HV1J=6?^)1ɍҽcG9we ?G՛9P TT@#L[s,m,6溁Lg Oq;GbyɤaZW 3֞m{M:sj"0ji[KyNĸ{ .EGqE#6S QSsF\ӄaQWs6ɀSKǘrGJ( +qְym#X->T(̘`KrFk.վG(`k2Gsܚn:UERerinor increase in strength levels because the balls seldom weigh more than 16 pounds (the heaviest BFS ball weighs 30 pounds). A 6- to 12-pound medicine ball would be fine for a very young athlete; in fact, the beginning pre-teen female athletes I coach perform a few strength training exercises with such light medicine balls. For example, front squat with a medicine ball. For this exercise, however, even the heaviest ball would quickly become too light for most athletes. For a higher-level athlete, medicine balls would be more useful to help them achieve an effective, enjoyable warm-up.<br><br>Warm-ups and General Conditioning<br><br>One of the goals of a warm-up is to raise the working capacity of the muscles to the level of the activity to be performed. Most importantly, the warm-up should raise body temperature, a key to preventing muscle pulls, and increase respiration. One of the problems with using only static stretches is that they are usually performed on the ground, causing body temperature and respiration to decrease. More importantly, this type of stretching is not dynamic. <br>To understand the relevance of the dynamic component in conditioning exercises, consider that during sports activities, muscle groups and their opposing muscles are involved in a complex pattern of contracting and relaxing at high speeds. In fact, because angular limb velocities reach values often greater than 300 degrees of movement per second, there are very few weight training exercises that can truly be called sport-specific. Many dynamic movements with a medicine ball can be performed at high speeds and will keep the body warmed-up and ready for serious athletic training.<br>Let me give you an example of the value of adding medicine balls to traditional training from my years as a strength coach at the Air Force Academy. During the off-season the  skill players on the football team would lift on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and perform speed, agility and endurance drills on Tuesday and Thursday. A major portion of the Tuesday and Thursday workouts was spent in dynamic medicine ball exercises to provide resistance during traditional calisthenics, especially those designed to work the abdominal and lower back muscles. <br>Remember how boring sit-ups are? One partner exercise especially popular at the Academy was partner sit-ups with a medicine ball. As shown above, the athletes lock their ankles together and