Your chest muscles, also call pectoralis major or pecs, are important for appearance and shoulder function. It is the job of the pecs to draw your arms inward and downward from shoulder-height. Medicine balls are highly versatile training tools that are easy to use and are suitable for use in a wide variety of training environments. There are many exercises that you can perform with medicine balls that work the chest.
Medicine Ball Push-up
Push-ups are an effective chest exercise made more so when you use a medicine ball. Adopt the standard push-up position but instead of placing your hands on the floor, put your hands on a medicine ball. The instability of the ball will add difficulty to the regular push-up. Keep your body straight and your core tight. Bend your arms and lower your chest to the ball and then push back up to the starting position and repeat.
Plyometric Push-ups
This exercise will develop your chest and your push-up power. Place both hands on a medicine ball and adopt the push-up position. Drop both hands outward and land with your hands on either side of the ball. Immediately bend your arms and lower your chest to the ball. Without pausing, use your arms to "jump up" and land with your hands on the ball. Aim for minimal ground contact time---imagine the floor is hot. Repeat the drop/jump action until your set is completed.
Medicine Ball Push-pass
This exercise requires a training partner. Stand in a staggered stance with one foot in front of the other and hold a medicine ball at chest height. Keep your elbows high and your core tight. Explosively push-pass the medicine ball to your partner just like you are chest passing a basket ball. You partner should catch the ball and toss it back to you so you can repeat the exercise. If a training partner is not available, you can also perform this exercise by throwing the ball at a sturdy wall and catching the rebound.
Medicine Ball Drop Chest Press
Lie on your back on a sturdy exercise bench with a training partner stood close to your head. Hold a medicine ball in both hands. Lower the ball to your chest and then explosively push the ball away from you. Your training partner should catch the ball and then drop it into your outstretched arms so that you can repeat the exercise. Treat the ball as a "hot potato" and perform this exercise dynamically to develop chest power. Instead of merely catching and dropping the ball, your training partner and intensify the exercise by throwing the ball down toward your outstretched arms. This will require you to slow the ball down before chest passing it back up into the air.
Staggered Hand Push-up
Adopt a push-up position but instead of placing your hands on the floor, put one hand on a medicine ball. Starting with both arms extended, lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows. Push back up into the starting position by straightening your arms, ensuring that your core stays tight and your body remains aligned. Next, roll the ball under your body and place your opposite hand on the ball and repeat the exercise. Continue alternating sides until your set is completed.
References
- "High-Performance Sports Conditioning"; Bill Faran; 2001
- "Body Conditioning for Men: Get Fit and Stay Fit Using the Progressive 12-Week Program";Paul Steven Lubicz;2005
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