A medicine ball is an effective fitness tool that can be used to improve strength and muscular power. You can use medicine balls for added resistance as you perform traditional strength training exercises, or you can perform throwing and catching exercises that function as plyometrics for the upper body.
Seated Medicine Ball Throws
The seated medicine ball throw on a stability ball targets your abs and shoulders. Sit on a stability ball with your legs spread wide for support and your feet flat on the ground. Balance a lightweight medicine ball on your right palm, with your palm facing up toward the ceiling, your elbow bent at your side. Press your right arm up forcefully, propelling the ball into the air and across your body. Catch the ball with your left palm in roughly the same position as you were holding your right palm. After gaining control of the ball, press up forcefully with your left arm to propel the ball back into the air onto your waiting right palm. Continue tossing the ball back and forth over your head and between your hands until you have thrown and caught the ball 10 times with each hand.
Partner Rotations
The partner rotation exercise targets your back, abs and shoulders. Sit back-to-back with a partner on the floor, your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your shoulder blades touching. Keep your knees and feet in line with your hips to create stability. Start by holding a medicine ball in your hands with your elbows bent, the ball right at chest-height. Rotate your torso to your left while your partner simultaneously rotates her torso to the right, keeping your shoulder blades in contact. Pass the medicine ball to your partner's waiting hands, and rotate back to your right as your partner rotates back to her left, meeting on the opposite side to take the medicine ball from her hands. Continue passing the ball in a circle around your bodies until you have completed 10 full rotations. Rest, then perform the exercise again, this time passing it in the opposite direction.
Squat and Press
You can turn a lower-body exercise into a full-body routine by adding a medicine ball action with your arms. When you add a press exercise to a squat, you end up targeting your lower body as well as your chest, shoulders and triceps. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold a medicine ball between your hands at chest-height, your elbows bent at your sides. As you push your hips backward and squat down toward the ground, extend your elbows, pressing the medicine ball away from your body at shoulder-height. When you return to standing, draw the ball back into your body. Continue performing 12 to 15 repetitions.
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