The medicine ball is not just an accessory to use when hitting abs. One simple med ball can pack a heavy punch if you know how to use it, making for an intense, physique-shredding workout that can be done virtually anywhere. It even travels well. Throw a med ball in the trunk of your car before your next business trip or vacation for a portable gym you can bust out at a hotel or campsite.
If you’re rolling your eyes right now, still thinking a medicine ball won’t do anything to help you level up your physique, it’s only because you’ve never done more than core work and maybe some wall balls with it. But take on one or both of these workouts designed by trainer Jim Ryno and you’ll be singing a different tune—that is, if you’re not gasping for air from the intensity.
“One of the major benefits to training with a medicine ball, as opposed to weights, is that you’re able to minimize unwanted stress on the body while at the same time increasing volume,” Ryno says. “Due to their dynamic nature, med balls allow you to challenge a wide range of muscle groups through multiple planes, leading to greater athleticism. Even a light medicine ball can help you build strength and increase power.”
Ryno’s med ball programming hits all body parts through a combo of full-physique exercises, focused compound movements, and isolation exercises. “The 30-minute workout is guaranteed to burn fat while building power,” Ryno says, “and the other is a short but challenging endurance and conditioning session.”
So what are you waiting for? Time to have a ball.
The following routines were designed to be performed with a medicine ball weighing 15 pounds or more. Any type of medicine ball will work (leather, rubber, with handles, without handles), but slams are best done with a nonbouncy ball.
Perform the exercise pairs (marked A and B) as supersets—completing one set of exercise A, then immediately doing a set of exercise B, then resting for one minute. Repeat until all sets are complete, then move to the next superset.
Perform the following exercises as a circuit (one set of each exercise, resting only as long as it takes you to set up for the next exercise). Each set consists of 20 seconds of nonstop reps. Complete five rounds total, resting 10 seconds between rounds.
Perform a standard burpee, but also hold a medicine ball throughout. Do the pushup portion with your hands on the ball on the floor. This makes it a narrow (close-grip) pushup. At the top, jump with the ball overhead.
