Must Try Medicine Ball Exercises

2,000 years ago Hippocrates used sand-filled animal skin pouches to help patients recover from injuries. Hippocrates was onto something. The modern equivalent of a sand-filled animal skin, a medicine ball, is one of the most useful tools in your arsenal. Medicine balls can help improve muscular power and sports performance. The fitness team at Greatist recently developed 25 exercises to perform with a medicine ball.

Before you begin:

• You will need a medicine ball for this workout. We recommend trying one of our CanDo medicine balls
• For each move, aim for 10 – 15 reps or as many you can do with good form
• Consult with your primary healthcare physician before starting a new exercise routine

Full-Body Medicine Ball Exercises

1. Rock and roll up – lie down on your back and knees bent. Hold a medicine ball on the ground with your arms fully extended overhead. Pull your knees into your chest, preparing to use the weight of the ball and your core to help bring you into a controlled squat position. From the squat position stand straight. Slowly lower back into a squat and ease back onto the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.
2. Lunge with overhead press – stand with your feet together holding the medicine ball in front of your chest with both hands. Lift your right foot off the floor, bending the knee. Hold this position for one count before stepping forward into a lunge. With your bodyweight shifting to the right leg, reach the medicine ball straight overhead. While still in the lunge, pull the ball back to your chest. Bring your leg back to the starting position and repeat.
3. Lunge with a twist – start with your legs hip-width apart and your shoulders relaxed. Engage your core. Hold a medicine ball a few inches in front of your chest. Step forward into a lunge with your right leg, making sure your knee does not slide past your toes. While in the lunge, extend your arms and reach the medicine ball to the right, rotating your torso at the same time. Maintain the lunge for a count and then return to the center. Repeat on the left.
4. Squat press and throw – begin in a squat position. Drive through the heels and throw the ball straight up as high as possible. QUICKLY move out of the way so you don’t get hit with the ball. Let the ball drop to the ground and repeat.
5. Reverse swing – Perform this move with caution. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a medicine ball directly in front of your chest with your elbows pointing towards the floor. Lower into a squat keeping your back flat and head facing forward. Reach the medicine ball back between your legs. Explosively swing the ball up overhead to the point that it reaches behind the head and neck (do NOT let go of the ball and throw it backward). Keep your abs contracted as the ankles, knees, and hips extend.

Legs and Glutes

1. Single-leg squat – stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Lift your foot off the ground and extend it forward. Hold a medicine ball in front of your belly button. Lower your body into a squat position. Return to the start position and switch legs.
2. Reaching Romanian deadlift – stand in your right leg while holding the medicine ball in both hands. Bend your right knee and hinge forward at the hips extending your left leg straight back. Return the extended leg to the floor, repeat, then switch legs.
3. Single-leg hip bridge – lay on your back and place the sole of your foot onto the medicine ball. Push your hips to the sky with your left leg straight in the air. All of your weight should be supported by the right foot and shoulders. Hold for one count and then return to the starting position.
4. Step jump – hold a medicine ball to your heart and hold onto it while straddling the middle of a low bench or step. Squat until your bottom makes contact with the bench. Stand about six inches from a low bench or platform and jump onto it so the feet land in a natural, wide stance. Carefully return to the start position and repeat.
5. Circle squat – hold the medicine ball at your right hip. Circle the ball overhead to your left while stepping out the left leg into a squat. Circle the ball all the way to your right hip while still in the squat. Step the feet back together and repeat on the right.

Chest and Back

1. Rolling push-up – start in a push-up position with the medicine ball in one hand. Lower your chest to the floor to perform a push-up. Return to the starting position and roll the ball to the other hand. Repeat.
2. Medicine ball push-up – start in a traditional push-up position. Place your palms on the medicine ball and shift your body weight forward until you are in a plank position. Keeping your core tight and your head aligned with your spine, lower your chest to the ball until it nearly touches. Keep your elbows pinned to your side. Finish the move by pressing upward and returning to the start position.
3. Weighted superman – lay face down with your arms stretched out in front. Hold onto a ball with your hands. Slowly raise your arms and legs as high as possible, engaging your back muscles. Hold this position for a few counts. Lower your body back down to the mat and repeat.
4. Lying chest toss – Lie face up on a stability ball with the head and shoulder blade resting on the ball’s center. Keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your neck in a neutral position while you hold a medicine ball with both hands just above the chest. Your elbows should be bent and pointed out to the sides. Push the ball out, in line with the chest, and toss it straight up to the ceiling. Don’t toss the ball too hard. What comes up must come down and you don’t want it coming down too hard on your face.
5. Wall pass – find a medicine-ball safe wall to perform this move. Stand about 3 to 4 feet in front of it, holding the ball with both hands. Stand with your knees slightly bent and with your core engaged. Bring the ball to your chest and firmly throw it at the wall. (Note: this is why you need a medicine ball-safe wall). Catch the ball on its return and repeat.

Shoulders and Arms

1. Shoulder press – hold a medicine ball at your chest. Extend your arms upwards to the ceiling, reaching the ball overhead and slowly lower the ball back to the starting position.
2. Figure 8 – stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold onto a medicine ball with both hands to one side of the head with your arms fully extended. Move the medicine ball in a controlled motion forming a figure 8.
3. Ball fly – This move requires a stability ball. We recommend using a CanDo stability ball for this move. Lie face-up on the stability ball with your neck and shoulder blades resting on the ball’s center. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle. With your abs engaged and hips raised, extend your arms while holding a lightweight medicine ball to the ceiling. Shift the ball to your left hand and slowly lower the ball until the left arm is parallel with the floor. Bring the ball back to the starting position and shift to the right hand. Lower the ball on the right until it is parallel with the floor. Bring back to the starting position to complete on rep.
4. Triceps extension – stand in a comfortable stance or sit in a tall chair with your core engaged. Hold a medicine ball in both hands with your arms extended overhead. Your inner arms should be grazing your ears. Bend your elbows, lowering the ball behind your head until the arms form a 45-degree angle. Squeeze your triceps to straighten the arms, bringing the ball back to the starting position.
5. Biceps curl – stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding the medicine ball in both hands at the chest. Keep your elbows close to the body and lower the ball toward the group until your arms are full extended. Curl the ball back to your chest. Lower the arms back to the starting position and repeat.

Core

1. V-Up – lay flat on your Back with your legs extended. Reach your arms overhead with the medicine ball in both hands. Engage your core to life the hands and feet so the body forms a “V” position. At the top of the V, pass the batt from the hands to the feet. Squeeze the ball between your feet and return to the starting position. Repeat, but this time pass the ball from your feet to your hands.
2. Overhead slam – stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Hold a medicine ball in both hands and lift it overhead. Bend slightly at the hips. Be careful not to arch your back and slam the ball directly in front of you. If you’re at the gym, be curious and ask if it is all right to slam the ball several times. Control is key so don’t slam too hard. Retrieve the ball and repeat.
3. Crunch with medicine ball hold – lie on your back with your legs in a table top position (bent 90 degrees). Holding the ball over your head, crunch if and place the ball on your ankles. Try to keep your legs as steady as possible. Lie back to the starting position and hold the ball in place between your ankles. Crunch back up and grab the ball from between your ankles. Return to the start position, holding the ball overhead.
4. Straight leg sit-up – lie flat on your back on a mat with a medicine ball in both hands. Extend your arms straight so the ball is directly over your hips. While keeping your legs together, raise them directly over your hips to the ceiling (your body should form a giant “L”). Control your body and the movement as you return to the starting position.
5. Hay Bailer – Kneel on your right knee with your left foot back and toes curled under to form a 90-degree angle. Hold a medicine ball in both hands close to your body. Keep your torso tight and perpendicular to the floor. Bring the medicine ball to your right hip. Keep the rest of your body forward. Transfer the medicine ball diagonally up and across the body. Hold this position for one count before returning to the starting position. This is one rep. Repeat the movement on the opposite foot and direction.

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