Is it just me or do you guys have certain pieces of gym equipment you tend to gravitate toward over and over again? I defintiely have fitness equipment favorites (the BOSU ball, TRX and a jump rope immediately come to mind) and lately medicine balls have become increasingly common in my workouts. They’re incredibly versatile and today’s workout utilizes the medicine ball in eight different exercises that will work your whole body.
Total Body Medicine Ball Workout
I have good news for those of you who love decreasing repetition workouts! Though you’ll take yourself through three rounds during this workout, each round will slightly decrease in repetitions, so you’ll get the hardest round out of the way first. It’s like a mini victory every time you complete a round!
For the first round, you’ll complete 30 reps of each exercise, followed by 20 reps in round two and 10 reps in the final round. For certain exercises that work the right side of your body and then the left side, count each right/left combination as ONE rep. For example, for the Russian Twists, you’ll twist with the medicine ball to the right side and then the left side and that will count as one rep. There is one exception to this rule and that is the alternating medicine ball push ups. Each time you complete a single pushup, regardless of the side, it counts as one rep.
As always, please remember to listen to your body and rest as needed!
Exercise Descriptions
Alternating Medicine Ball Pushups: Begin on the floor in the pushup position. Engage your core, keep your back flat and your hips down. Place one hand on the medicine ball while the other remains on the floor. Bend your elbows and lower your body toward the floor. Push back up to the starting position. Roll the ball to the other side and repeat the exercise with the opposite hand on the medicine ball.
Medicine Ball Bridge: Begin on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place a medicine ball slightly in front of your hips on top of your body. Raise your hips off the floor, pausing briefly at the top before lowering your body back down to the floor.
Russian Twists: Begin by sitting on the ground. Lift your feet up and bend your knees. Lean slightly back, bracing your core and taking care to keep your spine straight. Grasp a medicine ball between both hands, suspending it right above the bottom of your ribcage. Twist slowly to the left, return to the center and twist slowly to the right.
Medicine Ball Jacks: Hold a medicine ball at your chest and begin standing with your feet under your hips. As you jump your feet out wide, press the medicine ball overhead. As you bring the ball back down to your chest, jump your feet back to the starting position.
Curtsy Lunges: Hold a medicine ball at waist height in front of your body with both hands and take a wide, lateral step behind your body with your left foot. Bend your knees, lowering your body into a lunge until your front knee is approximately 90-degrees. Push your body up out of a lunge, driving your weight through your right heel. Repeat on the opposite side.
360-Degree Toe Taps: Place a medicine ball on the ground. Stand facing the medicine ball and tap your left foot on top of the medicine ball behind a medicine ball. Quickly remove the left foot and replace with the right foot. Alternate toe taps as your make your way around the medicine ball in a complete circle.
Figure 8: Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend at the knees and weave a medicine ball in and out of your legs, behind and in front of the knees in a continuous figure-eight motion.
Medicine Ball Slams: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and old a medicine ball with two hands. Explosively press the ball overhead and in a fluid motion, slam it downward to the floor. Brace your core as you squat low and scoop the medicine ball back up on the first bounce and repeat the motion.
Details
Wearing:
- Top: Lululemon Cool Racerback Tank
- Sports bra: Lululemon Energy Bra
- Leggings: Fabletics Brogan Legging (I’m 5’8’’ but ordered this legging in “short” so it wasn’t crazy too long and was very happy with the ankle-length!)
- Shoes: Nike Free Flyknit
Photos: Stacey Lanier Photography
Location: Burn Boot Camp
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I can’t remember the last time I used a medicine ball for a workout. It’s such a great piece of equipment to have at home, too, so I should get one. This looks like a great one, as always, Julie!
I don’t know why, but I’ve never used a medicine ball. I always work out at home though and it seems like such an easy thing to have at home. Thanks for the workout!
I love medicine balls. My last gym didn’t have them though so it has been a while. Searching for a new gym so hopefully they will have them. I love the decreasing rep workouts also.
I love all these except the medicine ball slams. I don’t know if it is just me but everyone stares at me when I do these:/ I feel like I am making a ruckus! lol
Do you find the fabletics leggings to be of good quality? They’ve always intrigued me, but the price seemed too good to be true!
Definitely. I honestly LOVE their leggings. I do feel like he quality on the solid legginfs is better than the prints (the material is different) but love the thickness and the tightness of their leggings and crops. The Lisette high-waisted leggings are my new favorite!
Your outfit is so adorable! Thanks for sharing this workout, I love every one of your workouts that I’ve tried! Have a great day Julie!
i LOVE those leggings! i’ve been saying this for awhile, but i need to check out fabletics!
The make some of my all-time fav leggings! Definitely check out their new high-waisted leggings. They are the best!
It certainly has been a while since ive picked up a medicine ball. I use kettle bells a lot, but rarely medicine! This is a great and save-able workout!
Can’t wait to try this workout ? Looks amazing.
Ps I work at lululemon and I just bought a cool racerback and energy bra yesterday – too funny! We finally got in some awesome new spring colors of both.
I love medicine balls! I used one this morning for my ab workout, but I rarely think to use them for anything other than core work. This one looks so fun!
I don’t own a medicine ball and don’t go to the gym, so whenever I try workouts incoporating medicine balls I substitute dumbells! I’m eager to try this one! I might leave out the ‘slams’ though
ha! Same thing I was thinking! I don’t have medicine ball, but was thinking kettlebells would work for this… except for the slams!
LOVE those leggings! I don’t own a medicine ball, but have really wanted one for awhile. We definitely do gravitate towards the equipment we’re comfortable with, but anytime I try something new I’m always SO sore!
Do you prefer the workouts that start out with most reps and go down or vice versa? I think I prefer getting the harder stuff out of the way before I start to lose my energy. Love those leggings!
Definitely defending reps! Getting the most reps out of the way makes me feel like I completed the hardest part of the workout first and makes it easier for me to feel motivated to keep going!
Thank you for this! I love working with medicine balls but sometimes get stuck on how to mix it up. I love the idea of medicine ball jacks and the 360 degree toe taps.
I love workouts like this that don’t require a lot of equipment. It saves me time going all over the gym for different things.
This kicked my but today! I needed a good workout and it was satisfactory smashing that ball!! I love your workouts! I incorporate them into my weekly workouts. Easy to follow and seriously give a good workout.
Great workout! Thanks for sharing it. We are working on turning our garage into a small home gym, and medicine balls are definitely on my list of things to get!
I love this! Med ball workouts always get my heart rate up. Thank you so much for sharing. I love those med ball push ups!
Oh wow. I’m definitely looking forward to trying out this workout!
Take Me to the Bay
LOVE medicine balls! Russian Twists are some of my FAVE ab workouts!! They hurt so good!
Cant wait to try this workout! They are starting to bring more burn boot camps to Denver, and I hope one comes to the metro area soon!
Printing this out right now to hang in our basement gym! I can’t wait to try it!
Just recently discovered your blog, and I love it so far! I am new to blogging (almost hit my 6-month blogiversary) and am excited to read other fitness/health blogs. Thanks for posting such a great workout!
Random smoothie/toddler related question: I’m making the hidden cauliflower smoothie and praying my twins will love it… #mykidsareprotestingeveryveggierightnow . . .but we’ve never really done smoothies for them. What kind of a cup do you use with Chase?? I think mine will still dump it all over without a lid, but all of our straw cups I think will be too hard to suck a smoothie out of?! Thanks girl!
Love this workout! Any alternates to the ball slams? I hate to wake up hubby when do my early morning workout or god forbid a put a hole in my floor. LOL.
You could do medicine all mountain climbers! Place both hands on top of the med ball and then do mountain climbers — a great stability challenge and burst of cardio!
Looking forward to trying this one out! By the way, your arms are looking fierce! Get it girl!