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A Medicine Ball Workout Will Help You Get Flat Abs

A medicine ball is essentially a weighted ball, approximately 14 inches in diameter and available in weights between 2 and 25 lb. These balls are mostly used for rehabilitation and strength training. This kind of training is actually one of the oldest forms of strength training and the first reference to this was seen nearly 3000 years ago when Persian wrestlers would train with sand filled bladders. There are so many different uses for this ball and so many medicine ball exercises to choose from.

It is easy to achieve a flat belly and toned abs by incorporating a medicine ball into your training regime. This technique has been used by boxers to condition and strengthen their abdominal muscles to be able to withstand a punch coming from an opponent.

Medicine balls don’t only work the abs but with the throw and catch exercise they can be used to strengthen the arms, chest and leg muscles. To play throw and catch you need a workout partner who you will throw the weighted ball back and forth. When throwing, make sure that you put in that explosive thrust and when catching, bend at the knees and perform a slight squat.

You need a little extra space when you are planning medicine ball workouts as most of them include some form of swinging or throwing. You also need to make sure that you focus on your technique as in order to achieve maximum results you need to do the exercises correctly.

Many medicine ball workouts use your body movements to target the different muscles. For instance the chopping motion is used quite often. By raising the ball above your head and bringing in down across your body towards your feet and back up you are engaging your muscles.

Another exercise is the figure of eights where you would begin with the medicine ball in the air over your right shoulder. Then, as before, bring the ball down and in front of you in the same sweeping or chopping movement, towards the opposite foot. Stand back up straight, raising the ball up over your left shoulder and continuing on to bring it down towards your right foot. With this exercise, remember to bend at the knees.

One of the most popular medicine ball exercises is the Russian Twist. For this exercise, begin with your feet hip width apart, holding the medicine ball with both hands and your arms slightly bent. To perform the action, you will swing the ball from side to side, over your hips. To make sure you are using your abdominal muscles correctly, keep your stomach pulled in and the muscles engaged.

If you are looking for an alternative to the regular crunch you can incorporate the medicine ball to add intensity. Lie on your back with your knees bent as you would for a regular sit up. Lie with your hands back behind your head holding the ball. Life the ball into the air, contract your stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor. To add a little extra you can alternate by lifting one leg at a time up to the ceiling to meet the ball.

When working your abdominal muscles, remember that you need to work all the muscle groups, including the oblique muscles. One example of a medicine ball exercise to work these muscles is as follows; lie on your back and lift your legs at a 90 degree angle. Place the medicine ball between your knees and rotate your legs to one side and then back to the center and down to the other side. During this exercise, engage your muscles at all times to support your back.

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