There’s a lot to be said for a medicine ball. Every time I see one, I think of wall balls, which are not one of the most fun medicine ball exercises you can do. Luckily, there are plenty more, so I came up with this five-move medicine ball workout you can do to supplement your running.
Do this medicine ball workout once a week to mix up your strength training. I recommend doing this as a circuit if you’re short on time, resting 90 seconds in between rounds. Don’t forget to warm up before your workout!
Two important disclaimers: Don’t start any workout program before getting cleared by a doctor. By doing this workout, you take full responsibility for any injury that might happen. For more information, please read my Liability Disclaimer. Additionally, this post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase from one of these links, I get a small commission. This is at no cost to you. For more information, please read my Disclosure Statement.
What You’ll Need for the Medicine Ball Workout
For this workout, all you’ll need is a medicine ball. I recommend this 10 lb. medicine ball from Pro Source, which doesn’t bounce and has durable stitched seams. It’s also great for checking depth on air squats. And you can save 15% with the code THEBOXFIT.
Front/Back/L/R Chopping Lunge
This move is actually two challenging medicine ball lunges in one! It’s kind of a fun move. Step forward with one leg and lunge down, rotating the chopping motion to the leg that’s forward. Step your feet back together, and step back with the other leg, chopping toward your forward leg again.
Do: 3 sets of 10-12 reps on each side
Single Leg Med Ball Deadlift
Want to add some balance training to your deadlifts? Grab a medicine ball. Standing on one leg, keep your weight forward and reach forward, hinging at the hip. Bring the ball forward, and keep your weight on your front leg as you reach forward and lift your back leg. This is really challenging, so to scale this medicine ball exercise, keep the toe of your back leg on the floor for balance as you reach out. You should feel this in your hamstrings, back, and glutes.
Do: 3 sets of 10-12 reps on each side
Medicine Ball Push-Ups
These medicine ball push-ups will challenge your strength and shoulder stability. Start with both hands on the ball and get in a push-up position with good stability and a good line from your shoulder down to your ankle. Push down until your chest touches the medicine ball, then push back up. It’s one of those medicine ball exercises that will definitely work muscles you didn’t know you had.
Do: 3 sets of 10 reps
Russian Twist
No medicine ball workout is complete without Russian twists! To do this,
- Sit on the floor, lean slightly back with your knees bent and heels on the ground, and hold the medicine ball with straight arms in front of you.
- Turn your chest and arms to the left, taking the medicine ball toward the ground.
- Return to start position and repeat on the right side.
- Be sure to: Keep your chest up and arms straight. Keep stomach tight. For increased difficulty, lift heels off floor.
You’ll feel this in your abs.
Do: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
Medicine Ball Clean
I saved the best for last! This clean is a great medicine ball exercise, and it helps improve coordination. Keep in mind, this is a quick movement, so you may want to practice it in slow motion before you add it in to your workout. I’ve included a video to show you what the med ball clean looks like:
Here’s how to break it down. First, deadlift the medicine ball to your hips. Then, keeping the ball close to your body, shrug hard and pull yourself into the bottom of a squat. Now stand up and lower the ball again.
Tip: Keep the stitching facing away from you.