Who uses a medicine ball?

[atgatt]

After getting introduced to the medicine ball a few months ago, I just love using it now. Makes me wonder why it took me so long to discover it after knowing about it for so many years.

Anyone else use it?

[riqal]

After getting introduced to the medicine ball a few months ago, I just love using it now. Makes me wonder why it took me so long to discover it after knowing about it for so many years.

Anyone else use it?

I have been using medicine balls as part of my workout for several years. I had a variety of sizes but recently traded in the lighter ones and now I have 15lb, 20lb, and 30lb medicine balls. I use the 30 for squats and swings and the lighter ones mainly for abs. They are great for total body exercises. during the spring and summer I take the balls in the garage and do slamming exercises on the garage floor.

What kinds of exercises do you do with your medicine balls?

[atgatt]

I have been using medicine balls as part of my workout for several years. I had a variety of sizes but recently traded in the lighter ones and now I have 15lb, 20lb, and 30lb medicine balls. I use the 30 for squats and swings and the lighter ones mainly for abs. They are great for total body exercises. during the spring and summer I take the balls in the garage and do slamming exercises on the garage floor.

What kinds of exercises do you do with your medicine balls?

Riqal, you have quite a collection. Since using the ball, I've watched vids and read about various ways of using them. Mine is a 10 lb dead ball (no bounce) and I use it to hold over my chest, arms straight doing sets of crunches. In between that I use it while still on my back to throw up in the air as hard as I can, catch it and repeat as fast as I can. What I really like about that is I can do it throwing it up from my stomach area, then chest area and then head area, working different muscles. The 10 lbs feels light at first but as the reps add on, well, it ain't so light anymore.

Your 30 lb medicine ball sounds more like a weapon than exercise tool. Please never throw it at a light wimp like me.

What I may do is get a cheap rebounder, attach it to a wall about chest height, get a 5 lb small medicine ball and "punch" the ball at the rebounder to catch again and repeat. I've seen a guy do that and it looked like a great way to build speed with power for punches. If anything, it will add to the noise I make now with the bags.

How does slamming the medicine balls into the garage floor work the muscles? Or does it keep the roach population down?

[riqal]

The slamming always seems to work my chest muscles more than anything. I lift it overhead and then as hard as I can Slam it to the floor, let it bounce once, catch again and repeat. It is also good cardio.

[Tim]

They are great for total body exercises. during the spring and summer I take the balls in the garage and do slamming exercises on the garage floor.

Slamming is my favorite for sure. Mine doesn't have much bounce which means unless I time it just right I have to squat down and pick it up, which really bumps up the intensity. These are also fun with a tabata style interval - i.e. 20 seconds all out and then 10 seconds rest, repeat for 4 minutest total.

What kinds of exercises do you do with your medicine balls?

I bought mine for ab work, but truth be told, ab work bores me to tears, or maybe it's the pain that I don't like For the most part I just slam mine on the floor.

The 10 lbs feels light at first but as the reps add on, well, it ain't so light anymore.

Haha, yeah, it's amazing how quickly it starts to feel heavy

How does slamming the medicine balls into the garage floor work the muscles? Or does it keep the roach population down?

The slamming always seems to work my chest muscles more than anything. I lift it overhead and then as hard as I can Slam it to the floor, let it bounce once, catch again and repeat. It is also good cardio.

yes, chest and arms, the key part is to put your whole body into it, not just let gravity do all the work but really SLAM it into the concrete. It won't make any fans with the rest of the household or neighbors (if they are close) but it is fun. You can also semi-squat down to catch it , then you are squatting it up, which will get the breathing going for sure.

[atgatt]

I've seen people do slamming with heavy sacks. They lift it up to their shoulders, slam it down, lift it up, slam it,.... It certainly looks like one heck of a workout.

Lately I've been reading about how the body needs "shocking" to keep the bones strong. I think hitting bags are great for shocking the upper body bones, but for lower body, I just jump more and even am jumping rope.

Just read yesterday how people who ride a bike a lot don't have the bone mass joggers do. Our bodies need that jolting.

[riqal]

An exercise that I forget mention (and probably counts as a "shocking" exercise) is jumping while holding a medicine ball. I hold the ball with my arms hanging down, legs slightly wider than shoulder width, squat down and then jump straight up as high as I can keeping the ball hanging low with my arms straight down.

[atgatt]

riqal, thanks, I will give that a try. Yes sir, that definitely counts as a shock exercise. A long time ago I saw a bit on TV that a doctor was saying if you can just jump in place about 5 or 15 times a day, that would really help bone growth.

[Tim]

I did a tabata interval last night as follows

20/10 - burpees
20/10 - burpees
20/10 - heavy bag
20/10 - heavy bag
20/10 - slam medicine ball
20/10 - slam medicine ball
20/10 - jump rope
20/10 - jump rope

15 minute warmup , then 4 minutes of pure hell. I was pretty thoroughly wiped at the end. I'd say that gave me a good amount of shock for bone growth.

[atgatt]

Well, it's good to know other people want to be shocked too.

Wish I did this kind of stuff years ago, but at least I am doing it now.

I mixed in what you two guys have shown. Thanks.

[metaldad]

I have a 6lb ball. I originally got it for pushups, planks and burpees. Want to go heavier for slamming and crunches when I get some $$$ saved up.

[Andrew]

Using Title Boxing Medicine Balls

I have a full set of Title Boxing Medicine Balls (10,13,15,20), and I love them. They are not too pricey and have taken a severe beaten. I posted a medicine ball warmup video if this could help with your general conditioning.

Cheers

[atgatt]

I have a full set of Title Boxing Medicine Balls (10,13,15,20), and I love them. They are not too pricey and have taken a severe beaten. I posted a medicine ball warmup video if this could help with your general conditioning.

Cheers

Andrew, I watched several of your vids. Good stuff. A bit too hardcore for an old man like me, but you sure are dedicated and have different techniques. Thanks for showing them. I may blend in some of your medicine ball jumps though.

[Simpleman]

I like using it during my heavy bag workout.

I just picked up the "Everlast Muhammad Ali Collection 9-Pound Medicine Ball" from Academy Sports for 17.98..

[Heppsan]

Can be used in a lots of great ways!

At 3:06 in to the vid I do a med ball sledgehammer with a towel.
Great exercise!