{"product_id":"original-nicely-worn-early-20th-century-stitched-and-laced-leather-covered-weighted-gymnasium-medicine-ball","title":"original nicely worn early 20th century stitched and laced leather covered weighted gymnasium medicine ball","description":"largely intact american made antique weighted gymnasium medicine ball possibly fabricated by a.g. spalding \u0026amp; bros., chicago, il. the outer skin or cover is comprised of timeworn stitched and laced leather cover. the interior likely is horse hair or the like. discovered hidden away in an old y.m.c.a. gymnasium. medicine ball training is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training – the first reference to wrestlers training with sand filled bladders appears in persianearly 3000 years ago. in ancient greece the physician hippocrates had them sewn out of animal skins and stuffed with sand. his patients threw them back and forth for injury prevention and rehabilitation. in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the words \"health\" and \"medicine\" were synonymous. the so-called \"four horsemen of fitness\" were the dumbbell, the indian club, the wand and the medicine ball. this is where the beginnings of the modern medicine ball originate. a 1914 audio exists of jack johnson delivering a simple exercise routine using a medicine ball.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669676265770,"sku":"UR-14076-12","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120608-20120608-20120608-003m_2.jpg?v=1760328734","url":"https:\/\/urbanremainschicago.com\/products\/original-nicely-worn-early-20th-century-stitched-and-laced-leather-covered-weighted-gymnasium-medicine-ball","provider":"Urban Remains Chicago","version":"1.0","type":"link"}