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10 Medicine Ball Exercises

June 20, 2011 | Tiffany Quach

Looking for a full body workout? Why don't you try using a medicine ball. It helps build your core muscles, burn fat, and improve your sports endurance. The great thing about the medicine ball is that you can throw, catch, lift, and hold this piece of equipment, and because of its versatility, there's many different types of exercises you can do. Try these (good for men and women - use a weight that's comfortable for you) exercises:

	1. Big Circles - stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the ball with your arms above your head [A]. Rotate your arms counterclockwise without bending your elbows [B], drawing large imaginary circles in front of your body [C,D]. Do 10 circles, then do the reverse direction for an additional 10 times.
	2. Standing Russian Twist - hold the medicine ball with both hands in front of your chest with your arms straight [A]. Without dropping your arm, pivot on your right foot and rotate the ball and your torso as far as you can to the left [B]. Afterwards, do the reverse direction, pivoting with your left food and rotating to the right.
	3. Ball Slam - stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart and hold the ball above your head. With your arms slightly bent and back flat, brace your core and slam the ball to the group between your feet. Be sure to bend your knees as you follow through. Quickly squat, pick up the ball, and return to start.
	4. Medicine-Ball Situp - grab the medicine ball with both hands and lie on your back. Bend your knees 90 degrees, placing your feet flat on the floor, holding the ball against your chest [A]. Perform a classic situp by raising your torso into a sitting position [B]. Lower yourself back to the start.
	5. Ab Jackknife - lie faceup on the floor, holding the medicine ball overhead with your arms and legs straight. Brace your core, then simultaneously lift your torso and left leg as you bring the ball toward your left foot. Lower your body back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
	6. Side Kick - hold the ball at your chest and shift your weight onto your left leg. Raise your right knee and turn it slightly inward. In one motion, rotate your hips to lean toward the floor, kick your right leg to the side, and push the ball in front of you. Return to start and switch sides.
	7. Rocky Solo - sit on the floor with your legs straight, holding the ball with both hands just above your lap [A]. Twist your torso to the right and place the ball behind you [B]. Then twist all the way to your left and pick the ball up, bringing it back to starting position [C]. That's 1 repetition. Do 10 repetitions, then switch to the other side and do an additional 10 repetitions.
	8. Toss and Lunge - stand, holding the ball with both hands at your chest. Toss the ball slightly in front of you, then step forward with your left foot, lower into a lunge, and catch the ball at the bottom of the lunge. Push back to start. Repeat on the opposite side.
	9. Toe Touch - grab a medicine ball, lie on your back, and raise your legs so they're straight and perpendicular to the floor. Hold the ball above the top of your head with your arms straight [A]. Do not move your legs or bend your elbows as you simultaneously lift your arms and torso until the ball touches your toes [B]. Lower to starting position.
	10. Suitcase Crunch - lie on your back with your legs straight. Use both hands to hold the ball above the head and barely off the floor [A]. Simultaneously raise your torso and bend your right knee towards your chest as you bring the ball over the knee and toward the foot. Reverse the movement and repeat on your other knee [B].

These 10 workout exercises will help you shape your full body. Remember to do 10 repetitions for each side to meet optimal results.

Sources: Men's Health & Women's Health