Medicine Ball Exercises
Medicine ball exercises are a great way to get in shape at the gym or at home. I used medicine balls a lot when I trained for my boxing fights. Why? Medicine balls are an integral part of developing explosive power
The great thing about medicine balls is their versatility and they make a great addition to any plyometric or circuit training workout. Also, they are very cost effective, making them a great addition to your at home gym.
How should I use a medicine ball?
Medicine balls should be used for building strength. However, this does not mean that they should take the place of a traditional strength-training program.
Looking for a great Medicine Ball?
I will discuss a number of different medicine ball exercises that you can incorporate into your daily workout routines.
Medicine Ball Requirements
Make sure you have plenty of room. Medicine ball exercises require lots of space to make sure you have enough to move around freely and not be constricted.
Perform exercises after a good warm-up. As with any workout, you should start off with a proper warm up.
Use lighter weight. Medicine ball exercises are not about building lots of new muscle mass. Keep you weight lower and your reps higher. Concentrate on trying to the exercises as quickly as possible without losing proper form.
Do not hyperextend your joints.. Since you will be concentrating on quicker movement there is the tendency to hyperextend your joint or even your spine. This is why we use a lighter weight as well. If you keep proper form, you will be alright.
Make medicine ball the first part of your day. If you are going to perform a small medicine ball routine, try to make it the first part of your routine. This way you can maintain better form when you are fresh.
The Best Medicine Ball Exercises
Over head Lateral Flexion
Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, raise the medicine ball above your head with your arms locked. Bend at the waste to the side and return to standing position. Repeat for the other side.
Russian Twists
Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, hold the medicine ball at waist level. Swing the ball from side to side across your body. Make sure to twist all the way to each side.
Front Lateral Raises
In standing position, hold the medicine ball between both hand with you arms straight down in front of you. Keeping you arms extended lift the medicine ball to shoulder height and return to starting position.
Do not lift your hands above your shoulder or you could injure yourself.
Diagonal Chop
Standing with the medicine ball up and behind one of your ears. Chop with the medicine ball by coming across you body from you shoulder down to your opposite knee. Then return to the starting position.
Slams
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your knees bent. Holding the medicine ball over your head, forcefully throw the ball onto the ground.
Medicine Ball Push Up
Start in a push up position with a medicine ball under one hand. Perform a push up. When you gain enough strength, you can try to force you push up higher so you can pass the ball between your hands.
Standing Tricep Extensions
Standing with feet shoulder width apart, hold the medicine ball behind your head. Extend your arms upward and return to starting position.
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