Medicine Ball Exercises

Medicine Ball Abdominal Exercises are not just for boxers and wrestlers; they are also good abdominal exercises for the average person trying to increase ab strength and core stability.

The first time I saw a medicine ball it was in the movie Rocky. Rocky is one of my all-time favorite movies, and "Eye of the Tiger" is on my ipod.

Even though I was an athlete in high school and college, I didn't use medicine ball abdominal exercises regularly until I graduated physical therapy school and became a personal trainer. I have noticed that the medicine balls have become more popular in the gym since around 2000 and the whole "core training revolution".

In a big gym with tons of fancy exercise equipment, it's easy to forget how effective something as simple as a medicine ball can be at improving your abdominals, core strength, and athletic ability.

Medicine balls, which are simply weighted balls, come in many varieties and sizes. Some are filled with sand or another filler, and some are solid rubber. Generally, a beginner and/or someone with small hands will use a ball that is 2-6 pounds, and someone who has decent abdominal strength and big hands will use a ball that's between 6 and 12 pounds.

I often teach my clients medicine ball exercises, and here are a few of my favorites.

Medicine Ball Abdominal Exercises:
Russian Twist (V-sit with a twist)

Starting Position: Begin sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the medicine ball and extend your arms out in front of you, and recline back so that your body is angled about 45 degrees.

Form: Keeping your lower body still, twist your body to the right and then to the left.

Personal Trainer Tips: The more you lean back, the more challenging this exercise becomes.

Use an angle that is comfortable, yet still gives your abdominal muscles a challenge.

To make this exercise more challenging you can lift your feet about 1-2 inches off the floor and keep you feet in the air during the entire set.