4 Medicine Ball Exercises to Work Out your Entire Body

If you've never tried all the different workouts you can do with a medicine ball, you should check out our list to get started!

The medicine ball is a popular element for workouts, especially in physical therapy. But aside from therapy, they’re also amazing for regular routines. Try them out for yourself with these exercises!

Medicine balls come in a variety of sizes and weights ranging from one to eleven kilograms. They’re designed for rehabilitation therapy or preventing certain conditions and diseases. But you can also use them to keep your body in shape with dynamic, effective exercises.

Work out your entire body

Using medicine balls gives you a better workout for your muscles because they add weight into your routine. What sets them apart from kettlebells or dumbbells is the fact that you can throw and catch them. They can serve a variety of workout purposes.

Additionally, adding medicine balls to your routine can improve your flexibility, psychomotor capacity, proprioception, strength, and control. In light of all those benefits, don’t think twice about getting started:

1. Wallball

Wallball is a calisthenics exercise popular in CrossFit. The ball you use needs to be light enough to throw around yet heavy enough to really make your muscles work.

Wallball works your legs, glutes, shoulders, arms as well as your coordination and speed. Here are the steps:

• Stand a couple of steps in front of a wall. Make sure you’re not too far away. You’ll need to be able to throw the ball up against the wall and catch it after.
• Grab the medicine ball with both hands and lower into a deep squat. Now, quickly throw the ball up towards the wall as you get back up from the squat.
• Catch the ball and repeat (squat, throw…). Don’t stop between movements. Keep up an energetic pace throughout the exercises.
• Try doing 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

2. Plank with a medicine ball

Planking exercises your abs, arms, and legs. Now, try planking with a medicine ball to increase the burn. You have to have stronger control over your body and contract your ab muscles more to keep balanced. Here’s how to get started:

• Lay face down on the floor and set the medicine ball at your feet as shown in the image at the top of this post.
• Support your weight on your hands and carefully lift your feet onto the medicine ball.
• Hold the plank position for thirty to sixty seconds.
• If you want to increase the intensity, bend one knee towards your chest and after, push it back towards the ball. Repeat on your other leg.

3. Back extension

This next exercise burns fat and develops your back, chest and shoulder muscles. Get started with these steps:

• Lay face down on a mat and have a medicine ball near your arms. Stretch out your legs.
• Extend your arms out sideways so your body forms a “T” shape. Then, lift your chest and arms from the ground.
• Now, hold the position while pushing the ball with your hands from side to side.
• Don’t put too much pressure on your lower back. Try keeping the pressure in the upper area.
• Try 8 to 16 repetitions or doing the exercises for thirty seconds.

4. Russian twist with a medicine ball

You can do the Russian twist with or without a medicine ball. But the latter will give you better results. This workout works your abs, especially your obliques. So if you want an hour-glass shape, this one’s for you:

• Sit on the ground with your knees slightly bent and your back upright.
• Hold the medicine ball up at the level of your chest.
• Lift your feet off of the ground until your calves are parallel to the floor.
• Now, twist your torso as you move the ball to the same side you’re twisting towards. Your knees should be pointing to the opposite side.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Alternate and complete eight to twelve reps.
• Don’t pool all the pressure onto your neck. Your abs should be getting the hardest workout in this exercise. To make sure that happens, use your abs to power through the movements.

Medicine balls are a great way to exercise and for getting the most out of using weights in workouts. Now, it’s your turn! Carve out a knock-out body and enjoy optimal health!