10 Medicine Ball Workouts You’ll Love

With such diversity in workout equipment, machines, and training techniques, no two workout routines need look the identical. It’s worthwhile to try your hand at several to see what you’ve got probably the most fun with—and one humble yet mighty piece of strength-training equipment that’s a must-try is the drugs ball. 

The flexibility of this weighted ball might just make it your next go-to training tool. Plus, if you happen to’re wondering easy methods to stay motivated to workout, trying latest exercises and equipment, like the drugs ball, might just be the important thing. To present you some inspiration, we’ve compiled ten medicine ball workouts that may make planning your next gym session a breeze. 

What Is a Medicine Ball, Anyway?

Even though it’s a staple in any modern gym, the drugs ball is nothing latest to the fitness world. These weighted balls date back to the time of ancient Greece. Hippocrates supposedly gave his patients animal skins filled with weighted material and instructed them to toss these around as a part of their healing.1 Even gladiators used them of their training practice.

The medication balls of today have advanced quite a bit from their animal skin cousins. Now, the bulk have a firm rubber outer surface and vary in size and weight. You may discover them by searching for a workout ball that the majority resembles a basketball in shape and feel. 

The American Council on Exercise approves of this training tool, affirming that training with the mighty medicine ball can assist you to improve:2 

• Strength 
• Posture 
• Movement 
• Athletic Skills 

Convinced yet? Grab your closest medicine ball, and let’s get to figuring out. 

10 Medicine Ball Workouts 

Whether you’re trying to refresh your warmup routine or break a sweat with a full body workout, there’s something for everybody in these following ten med ball workouts. 

Before you start, you’ll wish to select the suitable medicine ball for you. Although they’re easy to make use of, they aren’t necessarily one-size-fits-all—depending in your fitness level, you possibly can select a lighter or heavier fitness ball. The secret is that you’re feeling your muscles working, but aren’t having to stop the exercise just a few reps into each set. Our basic guide is as follows: 

• Beginner – As much as 6 kilos 
• Intermediate – 6 to eight kilos 
• Advanced – 12 kilos or more 

If that is your first time using a medication ball, deal with maintaining good form, selecting a snug weight, and controlling your movements to stop injury. When you’ve mastered the drugs ball exercises themselves, you possibly can adjust your variety of reps and sets to fit your fitness goals. Let’s jump into the primary one!

#1 Medicine Ball Overhead Pass 

Dynamic warm-ups are essential to stopping injury during a workout. Beyond stretching and warming your muscles, warm-ups increase your blood flow, body temperature, and heart rate, steadily preparing your body for what’s to are available the predominant workout.3

Either seated or standing, do this upper body medicine ball workout during your next warm-up routine: 

1. Start with a medication ball in a single hand by your side, with an engaged core and a straight back.
2. Raise the ball above your head and take it along with your other hand.
3. Bring the ball down after which raise it again, continuing this pass-off above your head.

Variation: You may toss the ball from hand handy above your head if you happen to’re searching for more intensity. 

#2 Hamstring Extension 

Wish to workout your lower body? One other medicine ball exercise to assist prep your body for the upcoming sweat sesh is a hamstring extension. It would just have you ever wondering if you happen to’re only within the warm-up section of your training. 

Here’s easy methods to complete this exercise:

1. Start in a standing position with the ball held above your head, arms fully prolonged. 
2. Keep your back and arms straight as you lean forward from the hips. 
3. Extend one leg forward and your arms down, tapping the ball to your toe.
4. Bring the ball back as much as the starting position and repeat. 

#3 Reverse Lunge and Overhead Reach 

A novel alteration to the standard lunge, this warm-up exercise may also help open up the hips and shoulders. Here’s easy methods to perform it:

1. Start in a standing position with the drugs ball between each hands at your waist.
2. Drop right into a lunge, bringing the ball above your head. 
3. Lean the ball to the other side of your forward leg. 
4. Return to the starting position and repeat. 

#4 Knee Lifts 

To extend your heart rate without having to set foot on a treadmill, grab a medication ball and tackle this next exercise. Don’t be fooled by its easy appearance—this one is a body burner in disguise:

1. Start in a standing position with the drugs ball high above your head.
2. As you lower it down, lift your right knee in order that it touches the ball around hip height. 
3. Return to the starting position and repeat in your left leg, alternating legs. 

#5 Triceps Extension with Partner 

A triceps extension is a classic exercise that you’ll have tried before with a dumbbell. But using a medication ball gives you the choice of tossing it to a partner in between reps, increasing intensity—and delight! Catching exercises are a superb option to practice hand-eye coordination as well. 

Select your partner and follow these instructions together:

1. Start either from a seated or standing position, facing your partner, with the drugs ball held behind your head.
2. Raise the ball over your head and toss it to your partner. Their hands must be raised above their heads, able to catch. 
3. They may lower the ball to the identical starting position and toss it back to you.
4. Make sure that to maintain your elbows as near your head as possible while you’re holding the ball, and keep your triceps engaged as you lower, lift, and throw the ball.

#6 Abdominal Twists 

If you happen to’ve ever worked out with medicine balls before, you’re probably acquainted with using them to amp up the abdominal twist and work out your core muscles. If not, you’ll soon feel why. Boost the intensity of your twists with these steps:

1. Start from a seated position with bent knees. You may plant or raise your feet, depending on the intensity you wish. Lean your upper body back barely. 
2. Holding the drugs ball with each hands, twist from left to right, controlling the movement. 

Variation: To make this a partnered exercise, sit parallel to your gym buddy and pass the ball to one another in between twists. 

#7 Medicine Ball Slams 

The medication ball slam is an important exercise that may also help strengthen multiple muscle groups in your upper and lower body. This exercise helps you develop power and strength, but also can raise your heart rate, allowing it to even count as cardio. Because this exercise involves slamming your medicine ball against the bottom, it could actually help to do that one outside—akin to in a grassy area—to attenuate the noise and soften the impact. Then, follow these steps for the overhead slam exercise:

1. Start in a standing position along with your feet shoulder-width apart and the exercise ball held above your head. 
2. Slam the ball down on the bottom just in front of your feet. 
3. Squat right down to pick it up.
4. Bring the ball back over your head and repeat.

#8 Upwards Toss

If you’ve got a wall in your property or gym that’s sturdy enough to take the impact of the drugs ball, check out this upward toss for a twist on the previous slam. It goes like this:

1. Start in a standing position facing a wall, holding the drugs ball to your chest. 
2. Squat down, and as you come up, use the force to toss the drugs ball up toward some extent high on the wall. 
3. Because it falls, catch it and squat down, repeating the identical movement. 

Variation: Gym partner looking a bit bored? Grab them to exchange your wall so you possibly can work out together. They simply must hold their hands up above you, able to catch the ball as you toss it upwards.

#9 Superman 

Don’t turn your back in your back when training. Although the drugs ball-free superman exercise is difficult by itself, you possibly can add some extra upper body weight to amp up the problem. This added medicine ball exercise targets the glutes and back.

1. Start by laying on the bottom face-down with the drugs ball out in front of you. 
2. Reach forward along with your hands to grab the ball.
3. Lift the ball and your legs as high as they will go, pausing for one second. 
4. Lower the ball and your legs to the bottom and repeat. 
5. You should definitely maintain your neck in a neutral, still position as you perform this exercise to avoid injury. 

#10 V-up 

A set of v-ups with the added weight of a medication ball is certain to make you’re feeling the burn. This exercise combines sit-ups with leg raises to construct your core strength and stability. Here’s easy methods to perform them:

1. Start by laying flat in your back with the drugs ball in your hands. 
2. Engage your core muscles to bring your legs and arms up until your body forms a V. 
3. Pass the exercise ball out of your hands to your feet and lower your body down.
4. Repeat, passing the ball from feet to hands and back again. 

Don’t forget to have interaction your core and use your breath during this exercise. Engage and exhale as you lift up into the V and have interaction and inhale as you lower yourself back right down to the bottom. 

Find Your Fitness Community at Chuze

After just a few tosses, twists, and turns, the drugs ball is certain to change into one in every of your go-to fitness tools. If you happen to feel unsteady to start with, don’t fret. Recent equipment and exercises can take some getting used to—and if you happen to need some help, you possibly can all the time depend on your local gym.

At Chuze Fitness, fostering an inclusive community is our priority. Regardless of your fitness experience, level, or goals, Chuze Fitness experts wish to assist you to master any piece of kit and construct an exciting routine that has you running to (and never away from) the gym. 

Find out about our membership plans and find your closest Chuze by searching “gyms near me” to hitch the fun fitness community that you simply deserve. 

 

Reviewed By:

Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ 12 months profession in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives together with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.

 

 

Sources:

1. Huffpost. Medicine Balls Are Actually Ancient Fitness Tools. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/medicine-balls-history_n_5937664
2. American Council on Exercise. A Medicine Ball Workout for Your Clients. https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/certified/march-2017/6267/a-medicine-ball-workout-for-your-clients/
3. NSMI. Importance of Warming Up before Sport – Sports Injury Prevention. http://www.nsmi.org.uk/articles/injury-prevention/warming-up.html