The medicine ball has become a staple in most gyms. You can do infinnite exercises with a medicine ball and they don’t take up much space. Anybody can use them and benefit from them, regardless of training age or ability. One of my favorite ways to get clients to develop more power is through the utilization of medicine ball throws and slams.
Unlike Olympic lifts, throwing medicine balls are easier to pick up and use. Additionally, this form of training is one of the only tools to develop torso power. Developing torso power is essential for tennis and golf athletes (just to name a few) and even for general fitness clients just wanting to be more fit, active, and injury resistant. All ages and fitness levels can pick up and train with medicine balls.
Benefits of Med Ball Training
Power training via plyometrics and Olympic tend to focus on a singular plane of motion while power training with med ball can allow your client to work through multiple planes of motion on a single throw. Plyometrics and Olympic lifts certainly have their place in training but neither can have the same effect on core power.
Types of Medicine Balls
There are two types of medicine balls, one that bounces and one that doesn’t bounce. The medicine balls that bounce are great for developing concentric power only. Probably the best application for this type of ball would be to throw in a wide-open space. The medicine balls that I use for clients are the non-bouncing balls. This is because you can throw the ball as hard as you can (concentrically) against a masonry wall (or reinforced wall) and it will have very little rebound effect coming back to you, making it beneficial for eccentric power and safety of catching off the wall (without risk of face injury!).
Considerations for Medicine Ball Training
In order to get the most benefit from medicine ball throws, it’s important to throw the ball hard and to be aggressive. Power is the product of strength and speed {P=(Force × Distance) ÷ Time} so it would make sense to get the medicine ball from point A to Point B as fast a possible.
The second consideration would be to keep repetitions on the lower side– 20-30 total throws per workout which permits focus to remain more on the quality of throws versus chasing fatigue. Always opt for a lighter medicine ball because you can throw a lighter ball faster than you can a heavy ball which is the whole point of power: think speed!
Lastly, with any type of power work, try to do it at the beginning of the workout when your client is most fresh and it will work the nervous system more efficiently.
Start Using a Medicine Ball
Medicine balls can be a much safer and easier tool to implement for all ages and abilities than other heavy equipment. Remember to consider the ball that you are using (bounce vs non-bounce balls) and train smart: fewer repetitions, throw hard as if you were trying to break through something (like the wall or floor), and use a lighter ball versus a heavier ball. Have your clients implement medicine balls in their training and help them to become more powerful!
Solo Medicine Ball Exercises
Rotational Scoop Throws
Close Facing Throws
Overhead Step and Throws
Shotput Rotational Throws
Ball Slams
Diagonal Ball Slams
Partner Work
Personal trainers often need to think of fun ways to keep fitness partners engaged, and what better way than to do so with a medicine ball and/or a half-ball (otherwise known as a BOSU). All of the exercises mentioned below can also be done as static exercises by simply taking the half-ball out of the equation.
To begin, clients should go through their regular warm-up and select a medicine ball weight that they are comfortable working with.
The following five exercises are great for partners using both a medicine ball and a BOSU ball.
Squat ball toss
Partners each stand on their own BOSU and begin with a few squats to become comfortable with their balance.
Then, the medicine ball is introduced.
Both participants squat, and as they come up, the one holding the ball tosses it up and away. The other partner catches and repeats. It is important to cue the weight to stay between the heals and ball of the foot, and to engage the core muscles, glutes, and quads. Not only is this exercise is great for balance, but it will work the abs, delts, biceps, quads, and hamstrings.
Crunch ball toss
Partners each sit on their own BOSU towards the front and with their toes touching.
They should do a few crunches first to prime the abs.
As soon as the base of their shoulder blades reaches the back of the ball, they crunch up.
After a few repetitions to get steady, the medicine ball is added in.
Each participant rolls back into a crunch and, on the forward motion, one will toss the ball to the other person. The cue should focus on a tight core, breathing out on the way up and while tossing the ball to engage the core properly, and keeping flat feet on the floor.
Torso twist ball pass
For this exercise partners bring their BOSU balls close together and stand facing away from one another.
The ball is held slightly away from the body to engage the core and upper body muscles. As partners twist to the side towards each other, one will pass the ball to the other, then twist all the way to the other side, passing the ball back. Repeat going in both directions.
This is great for the obliques, abs, transverse abs, delts, quads, adductors, abductors, and low back.
Back-to-back, high-low pass
Just as the partners do in the previous exercise, arrange two close BOSU balls, partners standing on top, facing each other.
Partners squat low and pass the ball low. Then they stand up and pass the ball up high.
Weight in between heels and forefoot, knees should not lock out at the top. Use the abs, obliques, serratus, delts, glutes, quads, and hamstrings for this exercise.
Push-up ball pass
Partners have the option of placing the BOSU under their toes, or they can put it under their knees to regress.
Both participants start with hands are on the floor directly below the shoulders in push-up position. One partner will place a hand on the medicine ball (which will raise that hand higher than the other while resting on the ball). They each do a push-up. After one push-up, the partner with the ball rolls it to the other partner to then do a push-up on the ball.
The core should be engaged to support the spine. The pectorals, delts, biceps, triceps, rhomboids, traps, and lats are all being worked in this exercise.
Learn more in our Functional Training Specialist as a part of our Continuing Education Course Series.
These are just a handful of ideas to get you started with exercises utilizing weighted balls and balance trainers. The possibilities are endless. What unique and fun exercises have you come up with?
