All You Need Is A Medicine Ball And 20 Minutes To Tone All Over
If you’re looking to revamp your workouts, you might try different training methods or switching up your equipment. Instead of only grabbing (beloved) dumbbells and kettlebells, it’s time to spice things up with a medicine ball. Once you do, there are oh so many benefits waiting for ya.
“Training with a medicine ball develops explosive power, increases body strength, increases speed, and provides more versatile movement in different planes,” says Tatiana Lampa, CPT, ACSM-certified trainer at Fithouse and SLT, and creator of the app, Training With T. That's why many athletes train with a medicine ball. The versatility of the ball helps you nail down mechanics and ultimately perform better.
Meet the expert:
Tatiana Lampa is an ACSM-certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, creator of the Training With T app, and instructor at Fithouse in New York City.
Rebecca Stewart, CPT, is a certified personal trainer, mobility coach, and pain-free performance specialist.
Gina Newton, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and holistic body coach.
Medicine ball workouts are also great because they engage the *entire* body in all three planes of movement, says Rebecca Stewart, CPT, a certified personal trainer, mobility coach, and pain-free performance specialist. “The majority of people complete exercises in only the sagittal plane (front to back and up and down movement like squats, deadlifts, and pushups), while neglecting the frontal (side to side movement) and transverse (rotational and twisting movements) planes,” she explains.
Training in all planes of movement helps reduce the chance of injury, especially in the case of balance, coordination, and core strength, says Stewart. In fact, medicine ball workouts significantly improve static and dynamic balance which is key for preventing falls and instability, studies found.
Another perk? Most medicine ball exercises have little to no impact, which makes them a great choice if you want to increase power without stressing your joints, adds Stewart.
How To Select The Right Medicine Ball Weight
If you're a newbie, grab a light ball that weighs 4 to 6 pounds.
If your goal is speed, start with a light ball that weighs 4 to 6 pounds.
If your goal is improving power, use a heavier ball that weighs 8 to 12 pounds.
Now, you may be wondering…why can’t I just use plain hand weights for these exercises? They are both weighted tools, but there are major differences in what you can do with them. “You can’t slam the weights to generate power the way you can with a medicine ball,” Lampa says. “You are definitely working muscles differently with weights and the medicine ball in different planes.”
Ready to power up your workout with all those perks? Here, the best medicine ball exercises recommended and demonstrated by Lampa for challenging your entire body and building explosive power.
23 Best Medicine Ball Exercises
Time: 18 to 25 minutes | Equipment: 8 to 12 pound medicine ball | Good for: Total body
Instructions: Choose six moves below. Do as many reps as you can for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest. Repeat that three to four times. Then continue to the next move.
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