5 must-try medicine ball exercises

Develop power, strength and speed with this simple piece of equipment

Fancy switching up your routine? Next time you hit the gym, be sure to give this efficient, full body workout a go!  If you've not never picked up a medicine ball before you're in for a treat as this is one of those exercises that is so much fun you won't realise you're working out!

We've come up with 5 exercises you can do with a medicine ball that target different areas of the body, leaving you with a full body workout.

To take the Medicine Ball Workout Challenge, do each of the following exercises for 30 seconds and see how many slams you can complete. Rest for 10 seconds between each exercise.

All you need is a weighted ball which you can find in our gyms. Try testing out a few weight options before deciding which you're most comfortable with. We recommend starting with a lighter ball first (around 4kgs) to see how you feel performing the exercises, and then increase the weight if you want to make it more of a challenge. Just make sure your chosen ball isn't too heavy - it should be easy to pick up. 

 

 Exercise 1: squat throw

Targets: upper body, core and lower body 

With your feet shoulder width apart, pick up your slam ball with your hands on the sides and lift towards your chest. Squat down. When you return to the start position push your arms forward and throw the ball as far as you can. 

 

Exercise 2: Weighted squat

Targets: lower body

With your feet shoulder width apart and knees in line with your feet, pick up your slam ball with your hands on the sides and lift towards your chest. Squat down until your hips are lower than your knees then return to the start position. For best results, clench your bum and keep your heels on the ground throughout.  

 

Exercise 3: Bear crawl

Targets: shoulders

Get in a bear crawl position (on your hands and feet with bum in the air) with your slam ball in front of you. Start crawling forward and use alternate hands to push the slam ball along with you.

 

Exercise 4: Russian twists

Targets: core

Sit on the floor with your legs bent at the knees. Lean backwards so your body makes a v-shape, then pick up your slam ball and twist your upper body from side to side. If that's too easy, try doing it with your feet off the ground.

 

Exercise 5: Thrusters

Targets: upper and lower body

With your feet shoulder width apart and knees in line with your feet, pick up your slam ball with your hands on the sides and lift towards your chest. Squat down until your hips are lower than your knees then push from the hips to thrust the ball upward. Return to the start position and lift the ball above your head so your arms are in line with your ears and your core is tight. Then return the ball to your chest and drop into a squat.  

 

And that's it! Don't forget to let us know about your success with the challenge on social media using the hashtag #PureGymSummerSessions. Have fun!

For more moves you could try with the medicine ball, check out our blog on How and Why You Should Use A Medicine Ball.

Looking for more workouts to try in the gym? Check our our free workouts section.