A medicine ball is a tool many of you may have experienced, seen about or perhaps are unfamiliar with. Although possibly familiar with the trusty medicine ball, a mainstay of your programming, it likely is not. The medicine ball is a weighted ball, roughly the size of a basketball, some may have handles, some may be leather, some may be a hardened rubber, some may be a soft rubber, some may bounce, some may come to a dead stop, some may be small and some may be large. Its versatility lies in not only its variation in types but its overall exercise choices. Medicine balls can be thrown, bounced, lifted, carried and lept over. Its shape is obscure in comparison to many other weight room utensils due to its lack of handles, testing one's balance and grip, unlike any other utensil.
This blog piece will run through the medicine balls advantages, disadvantages, exercise options and a few of many possible workout routines. Hopefully, this blog piece shines a light upon a utensil, the crowd has frequently glossed over, enjoy.
ADVANTAGES
Grip variation, the medicine ball’s lack of handles forces the user to grip with an open palm, opposed to the clenched fist, used to grip most utensils.
Instability, the medicine ball, is obviously the shape of a ball, resulting in an unsteady surface.
A great tool for plyometrics, as is designed for impact with the ground and solid walls.
A very versatile tool, the medicine ball can be thrown, slammed, lifted, carried, lept over and pressed off of.
Provides a different stimulus to other more traditional training tools.
The medicine ball is relatively cheap in comparison to other loaded utensils.
DISADVANTAGES
Can’t be as heavily loaded as some other utensils.
The awkward grip of a medicine ball reduces its exercise pool in some aspects.
EXERCISES
Power
Legs
Medicine ball jump squats
Medicine ball hurdles
Medicine ball push press
Medicine ball thrusters
Upper body
Medicine ball plyometric push-ups
Medicine ball alternating plyometric push-ups
Medicine ball slams
Medicine ball chest throw
Medicine ball overhead throw
Medicine ball single arm throw
Core
Medicine ball lateral throw
Medicine ball seated lateral throw
Medicine ball sit-up into chest pass
Muscular endurance/conditioning/hypertrophy
Legs
Medicine ball goblet squats
Medicine ball Zercher squats
Medicine ball overhead lunges
Medicine ball Single leg squat
Medicine ball lunge and twist
Medicine ball overhead Bulgarian split squat
Medicine ball Bulgarian split squat
Medicine ball overhead reverse lunge
Medicine ball hip thrust
Medicine ball frog pump
Core
Medicine ball overhead carries
Medicine ball Zercher carries
Medicine ball Russian twists
Medicine ball sit-ups
Medicine ball horizontal wood chops
Medicine ball diagonal wood chop
Medicine ball mountain climbers
Medicine ball V-sit
Medicine ball plank
Chest
Medicine ball push-ups
Medicine ball one arm push-ups
Medicine ball alternating push-ups
Back
Medicine ball rows
Medicine ball prone overhead hold
Shoulders and arms
Medicine ball shoulder press
Medicine ball Medicine ball overhead rotations
Medicine ball bicep curl
Medicine ball tricep extension
EXAMPLE SESSIONS
Legs
| ORDER | EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Medicine ball hurdles | 3 | 20 | X |
| A2 | Medicine ball jump squats | 3 | 5 | X |
| B1 | Medicine ball Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 10 | 2:0:1 |
| B2 | Medicine ball overhead reverse lunge | 3 | 10 | 2:0:1 |
| C1 | Medicine ball hip thrust | 3 | 30 | 2:0:1 |
| C2 | Medicine ball frog pump | 3 | 30 | 2:0:1 |
Upper body
| ORDER | EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Medicine ball push ups | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| A2 | Medicine ball row | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| A3 | Medicine ball lying overhead prone hold | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| B1 | Medicine ball shoulder press | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| B2 | Medicine ball overhead rotations | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| C1 | Medicine ball bicep curl | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
| C2 | Medicine ball tricep extension | 3 | 12-15 | 2:0:1 |
Core
| ORDER | EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Medicine ball v-sit | 4 | 12 | 2:0:1 |
| A2 | Medicine ball Russian twist | 4 | 12 | 2:0:1 |
| B1 | Medicine ball sit-up | 4 | 12 | 2:0:1 |
| B2 | Medicine ball lateral woodchop | 4 | 12 | 2:0:1 |
| C | Medicine ball plank | 2 | 1-2 minutes | - |
Power
| ORDER | EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Medicine ball thrusters | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| A2 | Medicine ball hurdles | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| B1 | Medicine ball chest throw | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| B2 | Medicine ball overhead throw | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| C1 | Medicine ball alternating plyometric push-ups | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| C2 | Medicine ball slams | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| D1 | Medicine ball seated lateral throw | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
| D2 | Medicine ball sit-up into chest pass | 3 | 5-8 | 2:0:X |
Circuit
Proceed from exercise A to H and then repeat sequence 2-3 times.
| ORDER | EXERCISE | ROUNDS | REPS | REST | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Medicine ball Zercher squat | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
| B | Medicine ball alternating push-ups | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
| C | Medicine ball row | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
| D | Medicine ball overhead lunges | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
| E | Medicine ball chest throw | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | X |
| F | Medicine ball slam | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | X |
| G | Medicine ball diagonal woodchop | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
| H | Medicine ball v-sit | 2-3 | 45 seconds | 15 seconds | 2:0:1 |
Standard
| ORDER | EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Medicine ball goblet squats | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| A2 | Medicine ball overhead reverse lunge | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| B1 | Medicine ball push-ups | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| B2 | Medicine ball rows | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| C1 | Medicine ball lying prone overhead raises | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| C2 | Medicine ball Medicine ball overhead rotations | 3 | 10-12 each direction | 3:0:1 |
| D1 | Medicine ball bicep curl | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| D2 | Medicine ball tricep extension | 3 | 10-12 | 3:0:1 |
| E1 | Medicine ball mountain climbers | 3 | 20-30 | X |
| E2 | Medicine ball plank | 3 | 1-minute | - |