Medicine ball is often an overlooked exercising tool that can add a great variety of challenging exercise to your workouts. In this post we will go over the most well-known medicine ball exercise variations as well as describe a few “less mainstream” variations. If you are interesting in discovering a bit more about other exercising tools like kettlebells and dumbbells, have a look at our previous blog posts here and here.
Superman Extensions
Lie down on the floor with your hand extended in front of you. Raise your upper body and legs at the same time while holding a light medicine ball in your hand. Pause and slowly return back to the starting position. This is an excellent exercise for building lower back strength and stability.
Triceps Extensions on the Bench
Lie down on a bench with your hands extended in 90 degrees in front of you. Bend your elbows and shoulders and slowly lower the medicine ball behind your head. Pause and bring it back to the starting position. This exercise will really help you to strengthen your shoulders and increase joint mobility.
V-ups
Lie down on your back and make sure your body is fully extended and your hands stretched behind your head. Press your legs together so that you can use your ankles to hold a (small and light) medicine ball. Use your core muscles to simultaneously lift your legs and upper body. Try to touch the ball with your fingertips. If your current flexibility level doesn’t allow it, don’t worry. Keep on working within your range of motion and the flexibility will gradually improve.
Rotate Around the Waist
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and medicine ball in one hand. Make sure that the medicine ball is on the small side. You need to be able to comfortably hold it with one hand. Try to rotate the ball around your waist from one hand to another. This exercise is great for joint mobility and coordination.
Woodchoppers
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hold the ball with both hands. Keep your hands down and twit your body to one side so that the medicine ball is below or at the same level as your waist. With a rapid motion turn your upper body in the opposite direction while lifting your arms up. You should find yourself in a position where the ball is lifted above your shoulder and your upper body is fully twisted. Note: Make sure to properly warm up before performing this exercise. It can be very demanding on your core region and lower back.
Russian Twist
Sit down on the floor with your knees slightly bent. Keep the ball in front of you and make sure that your upper body is positioned in roughly 45 degrees. While keeping a good posture start to twist your body from left to right. Note: Make sure to properly warm up before performing this exercise. It can be very demanding on your core region and lower back.
Squats
Keep your feet shoulder with apart and the medicine ball in front of you. While maintaining a straight back, perform a regular squat. Make sure to use weight you can handle. You don’t want to lean too much forward since it might put unnecessary strain on your lower back.
Squat to Press
Perform a regular squat (as described previously). When you reach the upper part of the motion, lift the ball above your head, pause, bring it back to the chest level and lower yourself into squatting position.
Lunges With Rotation
Place one leg in front of you and press the medicine ball against your chest. While maintaining a straight posture, squat down until the knee of your back leg touches the floor. Pause and bring yourself back to the starting position. Remember to switch your legs and perform the same amount of repetitions on each side.
Overhead Squats
Perform a regular squat (as described previously) while keeping the ball above your head in fully extended arms. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.
Squat With Extended Arms
Perform a regular squat (as described previously) while keeping the ball in front of you in fully extended arms. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.
Halo
Keep the ball in both hands just above your shoulders. Slowly circle the ball around your head while maintaining the same height. Remember to change directions.
Figure of Eight
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hold the medicine ball in front of you (around the level of your bellybutton). Now bring the ball up to your right ear, circle it around the front of your face, bring it back to your bellybutton, lower it down to your right knee, move it to your left knee and bring it back to the level of your bellybutton. Imagine that you are drawing a figure 8 in the air in front of your body.
Triceps Extensions Behind the Head
Stand straight in a relaxed position. Lift your hands straight up, so that the ball is just above your bead. While holding your upper arm in the same place, bend your elbows and lower the medicine ball behind your head. Pause and bring it back to the starting position.
Crunches
Sit down with your knees slightly bent and the ball placed in front of your chest. While maintaining a straight lower back and a good posture, lift your upper body until the medicine ball touches your knees, pause and return back to the starting position.
Standing Twist (straight arms)
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Fully extended your arms so that they are parallel to the ground. While maintaining a straight and strong posture, twist your body from one side to another. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.
Diamond Push-ups
Get into a regular push-up position and place both hands on the ball. While keeping straight back lower yourself until your chest touches your palms, pause and push yourself back up.
Staggered Push-ups
Assume a regular (military) push-up position. Place one hand on the medicine ball while the other hand remains firmly placed on the ground. Lower yourself as low as you can, pause and push back up. Remember to change your hands after each 5 or 10 repetitions. Note: this is a great exercise for avoiding uneven chest muscle development.
Push-ups on Knees
Perform a regular push-up (as described before) with your knees bent and placed on the floor. This is a great exercise for beginners and can also be used as a finisher after performing a hard workout routine.
Biceps Curls
Stand tall with your back straight and fully extended. Grab the ball with both hands and keep it in front of you. While keeping your upper arms in the same, vertical position, bend your elbows and lift the ball up towards your chest, pause and lower it back down.
Lie flat on the ground with a medicine ball squeezed in-between your ankles. Raise your legs up to around 70 – 80 degrees without bending your knees. Pause and lower them back in a smooth motion. Make sure to use a rather light medicine ball. This exercise is a lot more about being in control than raw strength.
Back Extensions
Safely secure yourself in the back extension unit. Place the ball behind your neck (you can also hold it in front of you pressed against your chest if you wish so) and slowly lower your upper body. Make sure that movement happens only in your hips and waist. Your lower back muscles should be fully engaged throughout the motion. Pause at the bottom and slowly bring yourself back to the starting position.
Crunches on the Exercise Unit
Safely secure yourself in the exercise unite. Press the medicine ball against your chest and slowly lower your upper body. Your abdominal muscles should be fully engaged throughout the motion. Pause at the bottom and slowly bring yourself back to the starting position.
Chest Press
Lie down on your back and make sure your body is fully extended. Grab the ball with both hands and hold it on top of your chest. Press it up like you would do when performing a regular bench press. Pause and slowly bring it back down.
One Hand Chest Press
Lie flat on the ground with a medicine secured in one palm. Perform a regular chest/bench press. Don’t use a heavy weight (especially in the beginning) since this exercise is mainly focused on developing hand-eye coordination and strengthening your shoulder muscles.
Deadlifts
Keep your feet shoulder with apart and the ball in-between your legs in fully extended hands. Squat down while maintaining a completely straight back and try to touch the floor with the medicine ball. Pause in the lower position and push yourself back up. If your current flexibility level doesn’t allow to touch the floor, don’t worry. Keep on working within your range of motion and the flexibility will gradually improve.
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and a medicine ball in front of you in fully extended arms. Without bending your knees lower your upper body until the medicine ball is just below your knees. Pause and slowly return to the starting position. Make sure that your lower back is straight and fully engaged throughout the movement. Warning: be very careful if you have issues with lower back.
Good Mornings
Good morning is very similar to the straight leg deadlift. Just instead of holding the ball in front, you will have to place on the back of your head. Please use a lighter weight than you would when performing a deadlift, since due to the position of the ball, the leverage is significantly increased.
Side to Side Leans
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the ball lifted above your head in fully extended arms. Slowly lean your body from side to side while maintaining the extension in your arms. Go as low as it’s comfortable for you. Don’t push too much, since this is a rather demanding exercise that in the long run will improve your flexibility and core muscle strength.
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