Medicine Ball Routine

This is a great routine because the only equipment you need is a medicine ball. This can be done at home or while traveling. Repeat the exercises as a circuit with no rest until after the last exercise. For beginners, do the circuit twice. More advanced – do the circuit 3 times. Enjoy!

Warmup:

Repeat twice:

• 20 Free standing squats, no weight
• 20 Pushups, on knees if you have to

Repeat the following circuit, rest and repeat twice. For each exercise, perform 15-20 repetitions:

1. Medicine Ball Squat & Press
2. Medicine Ball Side-To-Side Lunge
3. Medicine Ball Woodchopper
4. Medicine Ball Bench Press
5. Medicine Ball Side-To-Side Twist to Crunch

Medicine Ball Squat & Press:

Stand in an upright position with feet shoulder width apart. Hold Medicine Ball with both hands firmly against chest.
This is a 2 part exercise: A squat plus shoulder press. First, hold the ball in front of you at or just below chest level. Squat down and back up. When you return to start position immediately press the ball above your head and then back down to chest level, that is one rep. Do 15-20 reps in a row before moving onto the next exercise. The movement is done so you flow from squat to press back to squat and press, etc. in one fluid movement. Advanced: Use a heavier ball or add a toss after the press movement.

Medicine Ball Side-To-Side Lunge:

Stand with feet wide, toes out at about a 45-degree angle and hold the medicine ball or weight at chest level. Lunge to the right, bending the knee and taking care to keep the knee behind the toe. Touch the ball to the floor while keeping the abs engaged and the back flat (don’t round the shoulders). Stand up, bringing the weight to the chest. Repeat the lunge on the left side. One rep is a lunge to the right and left. Tips: Keep your knee in line with your toe as you lunge. If the knee angles in or out, adjust the angle of your toes. Press through the heel of you foot as you push up from the lunge to engage your glutes. Avoid letting the knee bend over the toe by sitting back into the heel.

Medicine Ball Woodchopper:

Hold a medicine ball with both hands standing with legs shoulder width apart. Hold the ball on a 45-degree angle in front of your body so that it’s closest to the right hip. Now swing the ball diagonally and upward over your opposite shoulder (do not let go). Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete all your reps on one side, and then switch legs and sides and repeat.

Medicine Ball Bench Press:

Lie flat on floor holding ball in both hands and press the ball up at chest level. If you have a bench or ball you can lie do this exercise on them.

Medicine Ball Side-To-Side Twist to Crunch:

Stand in an upright position with feet shoulder width apart. Hold Medicine Ball with both hands firmly against chest. Twist torso in either direction at 45 degrees. Hold form for one second and repeat movement. 15-20 reps each side. Lie on the floor with knees bent, ball held with both hands against the chest. Commence a standard crunch by lifting upper torso off the ground with chin erect. Hold form for one second and descend to starting position, allowing half and inch cushion between the shoulder blades and the floor.