Medicine balls can help you improve strength and coordination. They're a great training tool because you can add it to almost any exercise to challenge your core stability and improve coordination. Blast your arms and ab muscles by carrying a medicine ball while doing lunges or squats. They're small enough to hold while you exercise, yet heavy enough to challenge your muscles.
Try these beginner medicine ball exercises today! You can check out our medicine balls for sale here.
Seated Medicine Ball Trunk Rotations
Step 1
Starting Position: Sit on a mat/floor with your knees bent, feet together, and heels on the floor. Start with a light ball (1-2 lb) and increase the weight of the ball as your fitness level improves. Sit as tall as possible with your back erect so that your torso is perpendicular to the floor.
Hold the medicine ball close to your body between your navel and your ribcage. Use your breath to help engage the muscles of your core. On your exhale, imagine you are tightening a belt around your waist and deepen the contraction of the abdominals.
Step 2
Rotation: Keeping the spine erect, exhale and slowly rotate your torso to one side – imagine that the ball is buttoned to your torso. It should stay in place through the entire exercise. Do not allow the ball to drop toward the floor. Pause briefly at the end of the twist, inhale and then gently exhale while rotating completely to the opposite side. Repeat the movement back and forth.
Exercise Progression 1: When you can perform the movements in Step 2 easily and without strain, you can modify the starting position by slightly leaning back while keeping your knees bent and heels on the floor. Keeping the ball buttoned to your torso, try to enhance rotation so that the elbow is close to, but not to resting on the floor. Keep your core and abdominal muscles active to prevent arching the back or low back discomfort during the exercise.
Exercise Progression 2: Incorporate even greater challenge by modifying the starting position again. Lean back halfway to the floor and lift your feet off the floor. Keep your knees bent and feet together. Enhance the rotation by attempting to bring the elbow close to, but not to resting on, the floor. Try to keep the shoulders relaxed. Your back should remain straight. Keep your core and abdominal muscles active to prevent arching the back or low back discomfort during the exercise.
Medicine Ball Push Up
Step 1: Get into a push up position resting your left hand on a medicine ball and your right hand on the floor.
Step 2: Lower your chest to about an inch above the floor and then press up. From the up position, move your right hand onto the ball and your left hand onto the floor.
The offset hand position forces your shoulders, chest, and core to stabilize your body while you do the push up. The side the ball is on works through a longer range of motion, increasing muscle activation.