Try These Medicine Ball Exercises for Superior Strength

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… Trista - April 15, 2022

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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