How to Get the Most Out of a Medicine Ball Workout

Many of us pass over the medicine balls at the gym, but they can be a great tool for strength training the whole body. Since you have to work to grip the medicine ball this provides an extra element of toning and balance. Here are some ways to work it into your current routine.

Trunk Rotations

A great way to work the core is to do some seated trunk rotations. Get into a seated position with your legs extended out in front of you, with your knees slightly bent. Keep your back straight and the ball close to you and you rotate it side to side. If you need to step up the burn you can also lean back to work more of the core, but continue to engage the abs so that you don’t stress the back. Part of the challenge might be keeping your heels on the ground and not letting them pop up as you twist.

Lunge With Overhead Press

The lunge with an overhead press is an effective way to work the arms, shoulders, abs, hips, legs, and butt all at once. Start standing with your feet together and the medicine ball in front of your chest. On the move you will step forward with the lead leg and move into a lunging position, while at the same time lifting the medicine ball over the head into an extended upright position. When you step back to the beginning position, you will pull the medicine ball back down to your chest as well. Keep in mind when you are lunging to keep a 90 degree angle with your knee so that you do not overextended and put unnecessary pressure on it.

Explosive Ball Slam

Unlike a lot of the weights you might use in a strength training routine, throwing the ball is actually encouraged when done right. To work on your upper body strength you can do the explosive ball slam, which just requires you start with the ball raised above your head and then slam it down in front of you as hard as you can. Most of them won’t bounce too much. Then you just pick it back up and repeat.

The Medicine Ball Push Up

You can also use the medicine ball for a variety of different push up moves. The basic one will begin in a normal pushup position except that one of your hands is on the ball. Once you extend after the push up, you will step the hand off of the ball and step the other hand onto the ball, and repeat the process. The act if using the medicine ball provides an instability that will engage more of your core and muscles to remain balanced and effectively play out the move. If it’s too challenging to switch hands as you go, try focusing on one side at a time and then switching when you get through a certain amount of reps.