Try These Medicine Ball Exercises for Superior Strength

10. Medicine Ball Pushups Pushups are great at putting your back muscles and arms to work. It’s an easy exercise to get into, and there are… Trista - April 15, 2022

10. Medicine Ball Pushups

Pushups are great at putting your back muscles and arms to work. It’s an easy exercise to get into, and there are many ways you can change the difficulty of the activity to match your training level, such as doing one-handed pushups or adding claps between each one. Adding a medicine ball is one way to change things up too. Doing medicine ball pushups adds another element of forcing you to focus on your balance so that you don’t fall over. There are multiple ways you can put the medicine ball to use: you can use a small one on one hand to do your pushups, or you can use a larger one and use both hands on it to engage your core.

Start by kneeling on the ground like you’re about to do a pushup. Place your hands on the sides of the medicine ball. Shift your weight until your shoulders are over your hands; put all your weight on the medicine ball. Stiffen your torso and keep your back straight. Then slowly move your body towards the ball without allowing your back or hips to sag. Lower yourself until your chest is near the ball or touches it, ensuring that you keep your elbows close to your sides. Press upwards against the ball until you return to the starting position. Then repeat 7 to 12 more times.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

9. Overhead Squat

The medicine ball overhead squat helps develop the lower body muscles and increases shoulder mobility, balance, and core strength. Squats alone are good at improving your glutes, so when you add a medicine ball, they will be even stronger and more impressive. Start with a weight you can handle first to work yourself up to a heavier weight over time. It is also a great exercise if you need to get your back muscles engaged without putting a lot of weight on them.

Grab your medicine ball and stand with your feet apart, wider than your shoulders. Hold the medicine ball over your head and do a squat, swinging your hips backward. You must keep your back straight. Squat until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Then return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10 to 15 more times. Keep reading for more medicine ball exercises to strengthen your body.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

8. Chest Push

Have you ever tried this medicine ball exercise? The medicine ball chest push focuses on the muscles of the chest specifically. That is because you’re not only throwing the medicine ball, but you’re also catching your weight on your hands as you give in to gravity. You can do this exercise with a partner or throw the medicine ball against a wall. Exercise care when doing this exercise, as there will be some strain on your elbows, and you don’t want to injure those muscles.

Start by kneeling on the floor with the medicine ball in your hands. You should hold it close to your chest. Then, explode forward, throwing the ball as hard as feasible to your partner or the wall you’re facing. Follow through by falling forward and catch yourself on your hands. Ease yourself back up and retrieve your medicine ball, then repeat as many reps and sets as possible. It is a high-intensity exercise, and you should avoid it if you’ve suffered an injury recently.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

7. Medicine Ball High-To-Low Chops

The medicine ball high-to-low chop can strengthen your back, legs, and core. It’s a great way to burn many calories by increasing your heart rate. In turn, that increases your endurance as well. In the end, you can exercise for much longer in the future. By engaging in an exercise with an extensive range of motion, you put multiple muscle groups to work so that you’re not only focusing on one area of your body. This exercise is a great way to get in both your strength training as well as your cardio.

Start standing with your feet apart, a little wider than your shoulders. Hold the medicine ball above your head and up over your right shoulder. Bend your knees and lower yourself into a squat position as you pull the medicine ball down towards your left ankle, twisting your body in the process. Remember to keep your arms straight throughout the movement. Return to standing and bring the medicine ball back over your right shoulder. Repeat for about thirty seconds and then switch sides.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

6. Seated Knee Tuck

A seated knee tuck affords you some great benefits, but a seated knee tuck with a medicine ball increases those benefits a few times over. The primary muscle groups that it focuses on are the ones in your abs, and it also targets secondary muscles, such as the transverse abdominis, which is the muscle at the center of your core. For this reason, doing seated knee tucks can help you improve your core strength and posture. By forcing you to straighten your back throughout the exercise, you’ll never feel like slouching ever again.

Sit on a bench or the ground with your legs straight. Position the medicine ball between your knees or balance it on your ankles. Place your hands out by your sides to provide you with some balance. Then bend your knees and tuck them towards your chin as you tuck your torso up towards your thighs. Keep the medicine ball in place and hold the pose for seconds. Then return to the starting position. The added weight to your leg will put your abdominals to work.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

5. Medicine Ball V-Up

The medicine ball V-Up is quite a challenging move that will put your core muscles to the test. It’s a very advanced move that is not for the faint of heart. You should learn the moves before you decide to get a medicine ball involved. It’s an excellent exercise for your hip flexors, allowing for greater mobility while doing other activities. Stick with a medium or light ball at first, and then gradually work your way up to a heavier ball to avoid injuring yourself. The last thing you need is to stop your exercises before you’ve even started putting the actual work in.

Start by lying on the ground on your back. Hold the medicine ball in your hands with your arms straight behind your head. Your legs should be on the floor, too, your knees straight. Tighten your abdominals and lift your legs and your arms together to form a V with your thighs and lower torso. Hold this pose for a few seconds and lower back to the ground. Inhale slowly in the resting position and then exhale while in the V position.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

4. Reverse Crunch

The reverse crunch with a medicine ball may sound confusing, but the name makes more sense once you see how to do this activity. A crunch is a short situp, putting your abdominals to work by raising your torso off the ground while your legs remain bent. On the other hand, a reverse crunch is where you raise your legs while your torso remains flat on the floor. The medicine ball adds more difficulty to the exercise since there’s added weight on your legs to make you work against gravity.

Start by lying on the ground or a bench. Bend your knees to hold the medicine ball between them. Ensure that your grip on the medicine ball is tight so that you don’t risk dropping it on your chest. Lift your knees to your chest as far as you can go. You can also increase the difficulty by raising your lower back off the ground, intensifying the crunch. Hold the position for a few seconds, and then carefully lower your legs back to the starting position.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

3. Mountain Climbers

Medicine ball mountain climbers will improve your back, chest muscles, and core. You’ll increase your shoulder strength as you try to maintain your balance on just your hands and arms, providing you with a fabulous back you’ll want to put on display. Another benefit to an exercise like this is that the more muscles you have engaged simultaneously, the more calories you’re going to burn in the long run. Furthermore, mountain climbers get all parts of your body moving. This exercise usually requires some kind of equipment, but you can do it without it. Just a medicine ball will do.

Start in a plank position with your hands on the medicine ball. Ensure that you have found balance, so you don’t fall over and injure yourself. Then, while tightening your abs, pull your right knee up to your chest. Straighten your right leg back to the ground and raise your left knee to your chest. Straight your left leg, and you’ve done one rep. Do 10-12 of these, or however many you’re comfortable with.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

2. Double Crunch Pulse

The double crunch pulse with a medicine ball is a great way to keep your abs engaged throughout the entire workout. The added weight of the medicine ball will further increase the burn but stick with a ball that weighs between 5 and 8 pounds. You’ll also be putting your glutes to work, giving you that round bum you’ve always wanted. Don’t worry; having this in your exercise regimen will get all of those essential muscles working so that you’ll see the unnecessary fat start to melt away.

Lie on your back and point your legs up in the air, your toes extended towards the ceiling. Hold the medicine ball in your hands with your arms straight. You should position it over your chest. Tighten your abs and lift your upper back, neck, and head off the floor. Lift your lower pelvis off the ground at the same time. Try to get the medicine ball as close to your ankles as possible. Inhale as you return to the starting position.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

1. Medicine Ball Slams

When you’re first working with medicine balls, medicine ball slams are one of the easiest exercises you can start with. They primarily work your upper body, including your abs, back, and shoulders, and are also an excellent way to get out a lot of pent-up frustration you might be having. You can channel all of your anger into the medicine ball slams so that you’re no longer keeping it bottled up inside. Just exercise caution about where you’re doing them, as you don’t want to break anything in your immediate surroundings.

Stand with your knees slightly bent and about a shoulder-width apart. Hold the medicine ball above your head with your arms straight. Bend forward at the waist and, while tightening your core muscles, throw the medicine ball at the ground as hard as you can a foot in front of you. Allow your arms to follow through to keep your balance. Catch the ball after its bounce and raise it above your head to repeat the exercise. Feel free to try any of these medicine ball exercises after stretching and carefully approaching each one slowly to avoid injury.

<< Previous