Medicine ball training is a versatile and dynamic way to mix up your program and make it more fun and challenging.  Medicine balls come in many sizes and weights that vary from 2lbs up to 15lbs for most use.  They are a safe way to add exercises that you can’t duplicate with tubing or dumbbells.  Here are some different ways you can use a medicine ball to add variety to your workout.  Bobby Hiatt, online trainer says that adding medicine balls to your workout is one of the best ways to build lean ab muscles.

• Warm up- The medicine ball is a great tool for warming up before the workout.  Because it is weighted, it allows you to perform an active warm up full of dynamic movements through your entire range of motion to thoroughly prepare your body for exercise.  Here are a few examples of warm up exercises you can add to your program while using a medicine ball.  Use a smaller ball for the warm up such as a 2lb, 4lb or 6lb medicine ball.
o Wood chops
o Side twists
o Overhead press
o Bicep curl
o Squat and press

• Balance and Stability- practice balance and stability exercises with a medicine ball to improve these areas of fitness as part of your entire program.  Some examples include….
o Single leg stance, place the ball in your palm and move it out to the side of your body, then switch legs and hands.
o Pushups- Place 1 hand on the top of a small ball and the other hand on the floor.  Perform pushups while stabilizing the medicine ball under your palm.  Try 2 hands and 2 medicine balls for a more advanced exercise
o Toss- with your workout partner about 5-10 ft across from you, stand on 1 foot and have your partner challenge your balance by tossing the ball to your sides and challenging your balance and stability.  Stand on an unbalanced surface such as an Airex pad for more stimulation.

• Power- Improve your speed and power for sports by using a medicine ball in your training program.  You can combine strength and speed movements to improve your power related to sports movements to improve your game day performance.  Here are some examples…
o Speed twists- stand about 2 ft from a wall standing sideways.  Hold a 6lb medicine ball in 2 hands at your belly.  As fast as you can, throw the ball against the wall and catch it.  Repeat 4-6 times. 
o Chest pass- Perform a chest pass into the wall, or pass to a partner as fast as you can with the medicine ball to improve upper body power.  Repeat 4-6 times.
o Sit ups- Perform sit ups while your training partner tosses the ball to you as you begin to descend to the ground, then return to the up position and pass the ball back to your partner.

These are just a few of the many exercises for warming up, and improving strength, stability, balance and power in your fitness program. 

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