Medicine Ball Moves Anyone Can Do at the Gym

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

A medicine ball is your old-school tool for full-body conditioning. Geoff Wintonyk, a senior instructor at Fit Factory Fitness, offers five medicine ball exercises that can be performed by anyone, whether you’re a gym newbie or total pro.

Move #1: Ball slam

Plant your feet, hold the medicine ball overhead and reach back until you feel your abs stretch out. Slam the ball straight down to the floor as hard as you can. Squat down, lift the ball up again and repeat.

Move #2: Squat Toss

Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder width apart. Hold the ball in front of your chest, engage your core and sit back into a squat position. Stand up with quick, explosive movement, toss the ball over head and catch it. (Find out how many squats it actually takes to see results.)

Move #3: Deadlift

Place the ball on the floor directly in front of you and stand with your feet shoulder width apart. As you bend down to grab the ball, push your hips back and drive your knees out. Keep your back flat, core engaged and chest forward. Drive through your heels, extend out of the squat and stand up with the ball.

Move #4: Sit-Up

Lie face up, with your knees slightly bent and feet flat on floor, and extend the ball overhead. Squeeze your abs tightly to raise the ball in front as you sit up. Lower yourself back to your starting position, allowing the medicine ball to touch the floor, and repeat.

Move #5: Split Jump

Hold the ball and assume the bottom of the lunge position: front foot forward, knee bent but not over the toe and back knee almost touching the floor. Extend out of the lunge, pushing off with both legs. Jump as high as possible and swing the ball to gain momentum and height as you switch legs.

Once you’ve finished up with these medicine ball exercises, check out the resistance band workout you can do absolutely anywhere.