HoodiaPharm HungerAway
Sunday, April 22, 2007 Medicine Ball Exercise

Combining a medicine ball with an exercise ball is a great way to strengthen your abdominal muscles and work on endurance and stability. Here are some exercises that you can do with your medicine ball that work your entire body. First you should warm up with 5 minutes of light cardio, and then take on each exercise. You should do 1 set of 10 - 16 reps if you are a beginner. Intermediate should do 1-3 sets of 10 - 16 reps. Steady the ball against a wall or chair for extra support in some of the following exercise.

Leg Extensions with Medicine Ball

Position the ball under upper back to engage your abs and to stabilize the hips while. Hold a medicine ball straight up over chest and make sure knees are at 90 degrees. Lower arms behind you while simultaneously extending the right leg straight. Return to start and repeat, alternating legs for 10-16 reps. For less challenge to balance, do the leg extension without the medicine ball.

Sit & Squeeze

Place your back against a wall with hips & shoulders squared. Slide down until knees are at 90 degrees, knees over ankles and weight in heels. Squeeze a medicine ball or towel just above your knees and hold for 15 or more seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

Ball Squeeze & Lift

Lie on right side with ball between shins, squeezing it to hold it in place. Keep hips stacked and abs tight to stabilize your body. Squeeze inner thighs and contract the waist and hip muscles to lift the ball in the air. Lower and repeat before switching sides.

Medicine Ball Lunge

Begin in a lunge position with right leg forward, knee over ankle. Lower into a lunge bringing the ball down towards right hip. Straighten knees, bringing ball straight up overhead and then lower back into a lunge, sweeping the ball towards the opposite hip. Movement of medicine ball will be like a figure 8. Repeat other side.

All Around Crunches

Lie face up on ball and hold medicine ball in both hands. Begin with body draped over the ball, arms extended behind you. Contract the abs to lift upper back off the ball and bring the medicine ball towards your right thigh as you twist to the right, contracting the right side of waist. Repeat for all reps and then switch sides.

Ball Balance

Sit on Exercise Ball with strong abs and straight spine, arms extended on either side of you and one foot resting on medicine ball. Once you feel stable, lift other foot off floor and hold it for a few seconds, then rest it on the medicine ball with the other foot. Hold for 15 or more seconds and repeat.

Chest Squeeze with Med Ball

Sit on the ball or chair, back straight and abs in. Hold a medicine ball at chest level and squeeze hands to contract the chest. While continuing to squeeze the ball, slowly twist towards the left while simultaneously pushing the ball out a few inches. Pull the ball back in, return to center and repeat on the other side, alternating sides.

Medicine Ball Crunches


Lie on your back with knees bent, medicine ball right below the knees. Squeeze inner thighs to hold ball in place. Put hands behind head (cradle your head gently) and without straining the neck, lift shoulders and hips off the ground in a crunch, flattening the belly like a canoe at the top of the movement. Lower back down without completely relaxing and repeat.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:57 PM :: 0 comments

Post / Read Comments

---------------oOo---------------