Achieve Superior Core Strength with These 5 Med Ball Exercises

Visit any fitness center, and you're likely to spot a collection of colorful, weighted spheres languishing in a corner. These often overlooked tools are medicine balls, or "med balls," a versatile piece of equipment that can significantly enhance your workout routine. By incorporating these into your fitness regimen, you can boost your core strength and overall power.

A Look Back at the Origin of Medicine Balls

The roots of medicine balls trace back thousands of years. Persian wrestlers reportedly utilized these weighted balls to enhance their strength around 3,000 years ago. Meanwhile, in Ancient Greece, the renowned physician Hippocrates filled animal skins with sand, creating the first versions of med balls. He believed these tools could aid in the recovery of injured individuals by improving their strength and mobility and help others maintain their health.

Fast forward to the 20th century, and med balls gained popularity due to a game known as Hooverball. Much like volleyball, this sport involved tossing a med ball over a net. The then-president Herbert Hoover's physician even advocated using a medicine ball as a fitness tool.

Today, med balls are a staple in nearly every fitness center, offering a plethora of benefits for those willing to make use of them.

The Advantages of Med Ball Training Exercises

The addition of med balls to your fitness routine can bring about a host of benefits. Here are four significant advantages of med ball training:

1. Enhanced Calorie Burn: Med ball exercises stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers, which can lead to an elevated calorie burn during your workout and for up to 14 hours afterward.

2. Ease of Use: Traditional powerlifting exercises indeed build full-body strength, but they require a lot of time to master the technique. On the other hand, med ball power exercises are simpler to perform, with a much shorter learning curve.

3. Boosted Strength: Power exercises using med balls, such as slams, stimulate rapid contractions of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which can lead to improved hypertrophy and strength gains.

4. Improved Athletic Performance: Med ball drills can enhance your movement speed and precision both inside and outside the gym. The freedom of movement and the multi-planar capability of med balls can prepare your body for real-world movements, reducing the risk of injuries.

Top 5 Med Ball Exercises for Boosting Strength and Power

While med ball slams and various crunch variations are fantastic exercises, we've compiled five med ball exercises that will give you a fresh perspective on this versatile piece of equipment.

1- Med Ball Single Leg Hip Extension

Muscles trained: Obliques, glutes, and hamstrings.

Set & reps: This is best performed as an accessory exercise on leg day. 8-12 reps per side for two to four sets will have you screaming enough.

2- Med Ball Pass The Bell

Muscles trained: Hip flexors, lower back, obliques, rectus abs, and shoulders.

Set & reps: Keep your chest up and pass the ball slowly from side to side. Do not throw the ball, as this reduces the exercise’s effectiveness. One to three sets of 30 to 60 seconds will have you loving life.

3- Med ball Push Up

Muscles trained: Triceps, anterior deltoid, chest, core, and glutes.

Set & reps: Depending on your strength level, performing anywhere from eight to 15 reps in two to four sets as an upper body accessory exercise.

4- Med ball Shot Put Throw

Muscles trained: Obliques, shoulders, chest, and triceps.

Set & reps: Six to eight reps per side for one to two sets at the beginning of your training works well.

5- Med Ball Rotational Throw

Muscles trained: Adductors, glutes, rectus abs, obliques, upper back, deltoids, and chest.

Set & reps: One to two sets of six to eight reps per side at the beginning of your workout will have you juiced for your workout ahead.

CLICK TO GET YOUR MED BALL NOW