When I talk about the use of a medicine ball with my gym clients, the first reaction I get is being skeptical. But now most of the gym clients are more than satisfied with the results that came from using a medicine ball.
Being skeptical about the effects of the medicine ball is totally understandable, but give it a try for once and you will love the results.
Training with a medicine ball will give you ultimate resistance that will not just take your abs workout to another level but will also help in shedding fat faster.
We use resistance in training every muscle group of the body, we do Bench press for the chest, Squat and Lunges for legs, Bicep curls for biceps, Deadlift for the back, and many other thousands of exercises for each body part.
Then why you never thought about adding resistance to your abs workout regime?
Most of the people are doing those boring crunches for ages and have never used any sort of resistance while training their abs. Medicine ball is a perfect answer to add resistance to your ab workout.
Benefit of doing ab exercises with a medicine ball
Added resistance
Like all the muscle groups, muscles from the core also need extra resistance for better development. Your core muscles are tired of doing thousands of bodyweight crunches, not it’s time to give them more resistance.
Some time to stack up more muscle, you need to lift heavier. And medicine ball can be the best solution to train your abs and obliques.
Versatile
Doing ab exercises with a medicine ball is not confined to one or two exercises. You can perform any number of ad workout routines with the help of this single weighted ball. We will be listing the best 11 ab exercises with a medicine ball in this article.
Portable
Another reason to buy a medicine ball, it’s portable and can be carried easily.
Whether you like to work out outdoor or indoor, a medicine ball can be your best tool to train your abs better.
Engage more muscles
Due to the weighted resistance, you are not training only core while doing ab exercises with a medicine ball. You are also involving other muscle groups to perform tasks.
Like when you do overhead medicine ball crunches, you don’t just train your abs, but you are also putting significant pressure on your shoulders too.
Suitable for all
Whether you are a newbie or a professional athlete, whether you are male or female; there is always a suitable medicine ball. Medicine ball are available in different weights and sizes, they are available from 5 lbs to 150 lbs.
So you will always find a suitable medicine ball according to your needs.
Let’s discuss 12 best ab exercises with medicine ball-
1# Medicine ball swings
Medicine ball swing is a highly efficient compound movement that targets more than just your core. Medicine ball swings will majorly train your core, Shoulders, back, quads, and glutes.
Medicine ball swings is a great alternative to kettlebell swing as well.
How to perform medicine ball swing-
- Stand on your feet slightly apart
- Now hold your medicine ball
- Get into squatting position
- Keep your back arched and tight
- Bend your hips back until the medicine ball is between your legs
- Extend your hips and swing the ball up.
Check the video below for a better understanding.
2# Medicine ball crunches
Medicine ball crunches are performed in the same manner as ordinary crunches, the only twist is now you added resistance to your crunches.
How to perform medicine ball crunches
- Lie down on the floor with knees bent
- The weight of the ball doesn’t need to be very heavy
- Hold the ball with arms extended overhead
- Not squeeze your core as you raise the ball overhead and in front of you as you situp.
- Allow the ball to get back into the starting position as you release the pressure from the core.
- Perform at least 15 reps in a single set.
3# Planking with Medicine ball
It’s an ab exercise with a medicine ball as an add-on. If you are tired of performing conventional planking then you should try this variation of the plank, you need a medicine ball to put your hands-on while planking.
Although planking on a medicine ball will increase the height it will add-up the resistance by challenging you to balance on the ball. Planking with a medicine ball will not just train your core but will also help in training your shoulders and lats.
How to perform a plank with medicine ball-
4# Medicine ball Russian twist
This is one of the most effective abs workouts; the medicine ball Russian twist is a wonderful exercise to train your oblique with extra resistance. If your obliques are underdeveloped then you should definitely try this variation of Russian twist.
How to do this ab exercise with a medicine ball –
- Sit on a yoga mat with knees bent.
- Hold a medicine ball to your chest
- Lean back, at around 45 degrees from the ground, I know you have already started feeling pain.
- Now rotate to the right while keeping the ball to the chest.
- Now get back into starting position.
- Not rotate to left.
- Get back into starting position again.
- Repeat the alternate rotation to right and left.
5# Mountain climber with a medicine ball
Mountain climber is a great exercise for abdominal fat loss, but you can make the effects better if you add a medicine ball to it.
How to perform Mountain climber with a medicine ball
- Assume a ball push-up position
- while your both hand will rest on a medicine ball
- your body should form a straight line from shoulders to your ankle
- lift your right foot and bring your knee close to your chest as you can
- return to starting position
- Perform the same repetition with another leg.
- Keep doing this for at least 1 minute
6# Windshield wiper with a medicine ball
Windshield Wiper has always been a fun exercise for those trying to give their abs an extra shape. This workout works perfectly to train your abdomen from a different angle.
Adding a medicine ball to the windshield wiper will get you the extra resistance for better sculpting your abdomen.
How to do windshield wiper with medicine ball-
- Lie down on your yoga mat with straight legs.
- Hold a light weighted medicine ball between your legs
- Raise your legs to make them perpendicular to the ground
- Now rotate your legs to your left side
- Bring back your leg to a perpendicular position
- Now rotate your legs to the right side.
- Repeat the rotation to both sides 10-12 times
7# Leg lift and toe touch
This variation is my personal favorite because it concentrated on strengthening every muscle in the core. And performing leg lift and toe touch with a weighted medicine ball is like a cherry on the cake.
How to perform this leg lift and toe touch with medicine ball-
- Lie down on the ground with a medicine ball in your hands positioning overhead.
- Lift your legs and bring than in the perpendicular position to the ground.
- Now squeeze your core and perform a half crunch
- Try to touch your toe with a medicine ball.
- If you are not flexible enough, don’t try hard to touch toe; performing half crunch will be enough.
8# Medicine ball side plank lift
While performing a side plank, place your legs on a medicine ball instead of putting them on the ground.
Balancing on the medicine ball will make the side planking more difficult and fruitful for your obliques
9# Suitcase with a medicine ball
Very effective lower ab exercises with a medicine ball, hold a medicine ball between your legs and perform suitcase crunches can be awesome ab exercise with a medicine ball.
Doing suitcase crunches has always been my favorite to train my lower abs, and with the added resistance of a medicine ball, you can get the abs of your dreams.
10# Total body crunch with a medicine ball
Another effective lower ab exercises with a medicine ball, we have discussed leg lift and toe touch with a medicine ball, where we hold the medicine ball through our both hands, that exercise put more emphasis on your upper section of core.
Now through total body crunch, you are doing to put more emphasis on your lower abdominal development. You need to hold a medicine ball between your legs this time
How to perform Total body crunch with medicine ball-
- Lie down on the floor with straight legs and hand placement should be overhead.
- Hold a medicine ball between your legs
- Now raise your legs and swing your hands to touch the medicine ball.
- Get back to starting position
- Repeat it 10-15 times.
