If you’re not a regular weight-lifter, the gym can be an intimidating place filled with equipment you don’t quite know how to use. Thankfully, some of the most effective total-body toning tools are the simplest ones. Take the medicine ball: This versatile piece of equipment accomplishes cardio and strength-training at the same time.
Like a medicine ball, a slam ball is weighted (anywhere from 5-25kgs), but it’s designed to be more durable so you can slam it. By hoisting a medicine ball overhead, twisting with it, or throwing it down to the ground, you’ll fire up your muscles and spike your heart rate—thus getting a head-to-toe workout with the power to rev your metabolism.
“Using medicine balls gives you the biggest bang for your buck,” says strength and conditioning specialist Ambyr Chatzopoulos. “You can get an insane strength AND cardiovascular workout in a short amount of time. Not to mention, you can really work out some aggression and stress that has built up throughout your day.”
Personal trainer Heather Tyler even recommends swapping your free weights for a medicine ball. “I like using [one] with my clients who have stiff or sore hands and fingers because they’re easy to pick up without stressing joints like gripping a dumbbell can do,” she says.
When using a medicine ball, always keep proper form in mind so you don’t injure yourself. For most exercises, you will hold the ball in front of your body, which makes posture key, says personal trainer Julie Lohre.
“Be sure that you are not leaning too far forward and placing extra stress on your back,” she instructs. “The best way to do this is to engage your core by tightening the abdominal muscles, retracting your shoulder blades slightly to bring them together, and lifting your chest up. That position will allow you to safely move with the slam ball without compromising your back.”
Begin with a lighter ball, Lohre recommends. Once you master your moves and feel comfortable with that weight, you can use a heavier one.
Ready to put this power tool to the test? Here’s a four-move circuit from Lohre that will challenge your whole body. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of easy cardio, then do 10 repetitions of each exercise below (on each side for sided movement). To make it a workout, rest for 1-2 minutes after your first circuit, then repeat through 3-4 more times.
Across Body Wood Chops
- Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hips slightly rolled under and medicine ball gripped firmly in your hands at stomach level.
- Squat down, twist at the waist, and extend your arms straight to bring the ball down to touch the floor or to move in that direction.
- Maintaining that straight arm position, bring the ball out and upward as you stand, reaching the medicine ball for the opposite upper corner of the ceiling. You will make a diagonal line from the bottom right to the top left as you rotate through this movement.
- Repeat in the opposite direction.
Abdominal Twists
- Begin sitting on the ground with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and the medicine ball in hand at abdominal level. Lean back a bit while maintaining a straight back and tight core.
- Twist to one side by rotating at the waist and bringing your shoulder to that side. The ball should come toward the ground through this side rotation.
- In a controlled manner twist around the front of the body and touch the ball to the other side of your hips. Complete the movement by returning to centre.
Standing Chest Press Squat Combo
- Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the medicine ball held at chest level with your elbows out wide.
- Slowly descend into a squat, keeping your chest lifted and maintaining your weight in your heels. As you move downward, simultaneously press your palms into the ball giving resistance in your chest.
- As you return to standing, relax your chest muscles, but still maintain that lifted ball at chest level.
Traditional Ball Slam
- Start in a standing position with the ball positioned between your feet. Sit back into a squat position by bending through your knees while keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- Reach down and pick up the ball. Rise back up, pressing through your heels and drawing the ball up the front of your body into an overhead position where your arms are extended up over your head.
- In a swift and forceful movement, slam the ball down to the ground with momentum. Once you have completed this first slam, return to the squat to cycle through again.
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