Toning balls are small weighted balls that may also be called medicine balls, though toning balls are generally made of soft material unlike hard medicine balls. Toning balls and medicine balls are free weights just like barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells. They can be used for different types of workouts but, unlike other free weights, you are not limited to just holding toning balls in your hands.
Abs Workout
Toning balls make excellent tools for abdominal workouts because the ball can be held in your hands when you lift the torso to work the upper abs, held between the legs for lower ab work, or used to work the obliques on the sides of the abdomen by holding the ball or squeezing between the thighs and twisting the legs or upper body at the waist. Perform eight to 12 reps of medicine ball leg raises to work the upper and lower abs and then do eight to 12 lying torso twists for the obliques. Simply lie on your back with a toning ball between your thighs and the knees bent above you to 90 degrees and then rotate your legs from side to side to do lying torso twists.
Pilates Workout
Kick up the difficulty level of Pilates strengthening exercises by holding a toning ball in each hand while doing classic exercises. Adapt your favorite Pilates workout by holding onto the balls or do a short Pilates workout to target the powerhouse. The powerhouse are all the muscles around the waist that are the main focus of Pilates exercise. Complete the hundreds for the abs and back, the leg pull-back for the abs, thighs, chest and glutes and the seated spine twist for the obliques. Perform each exercise for up to two minutes with a weight light enough to allow you to exercise with good form.
To do the seated spinal twist, sit on the floor with your legs straight, arms out to your sides at shoulder level and holding a toning ball in each hand. Slowly twist side to side.
Upper Body Workout
The upper body muscles, including the biceps, triceps, deltoids, chest and back, can all be sculpted with toning balls. Holding onto a ball with each hand doing bicep curls and tricep extensions works the arms. You can strengthen the back by holding a ball in each hand and doing bent-over rows, and then move onto work the deltoid muscles of the shoulders by raising your arms straight out to your sides for lateral raises. Work the pec muscles of the chest by doing a chest pass by kneeling on the floor with a toning ball against your chest and then pressing your arms straight to throw the ball forward. Perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Lower Body Workout
The lower body muscles of the legs and glutes can also be worked with a toning ball. Exercises that you normally do with dumbbells or a barbell, such as squats, dead lifts and lunges, are adaptable for use with a toning ball simply by holding a ball instead of a dumbbell or barbell. A lower body workout includes squats for the quads, calf raises and seated calf raises for the lower legs and leg kickbacks for the hamstrings and glutes. Perform three sets of eight to 12 reps.
Perform the leg kickback by kneeling on all fours, squeezing a toning ball with your calf and hamstring behind the knee and lifting that leg toward the ceiling. Work both sides.
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