Best Beginner Upper Body Workouts With Medicine Balls

The Medicine Ball Russian Twist is a core exercise using a medicine ball to increase resistance. This variation challenges your stability and strength while twisting side to side, engaging your core effectively.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor and hold a medicine ball with both hands at your chest.
2. Lean back slightly and lift your heels off the ground a few inches.
3. Engage your core to stay stable.
4. Twist to one side, bringing the ball toward your hip.
5. Return to the center and then twist to the other side.
6. Repeat the movement, alternating sides.

The Alternating Medicine Ball Push Up is a challenging push-up variation that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Using a medicine ball helps improve balance and strength on both sides of the body.

How to do it

1. Place your right hand on a medicine ball and keep your arms shoulder-width apart.
2. Raise your knees to form a straight line from your heels to your shoulders.
3. Bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor, keeping your elbows at 45 degrees.
4. Push back up and roll the ball to your left hand.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

The Medicine Ball Push Up is a challenging twist on a standard push-up that uses a medicine ball to engage your chest, shoulders, and core more effectively. It helps improve your balance and coordination while increasing the difficulty of your push-up routine.

How to do it

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands on a medicine ball.
2. Keep your body straight as you bend your elbows to lower your chest to the ball, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
3. Push back up to the starting position after your chest lightly touches the ball. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

The Medicine Ball Slam is a full-body exercise that builds strength and improves cardiovascular fitness. It involves lifting a medicine ball overhead and slamming it down, engaging your arms, shoulders, core, and back.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the medicine ball overhead.
2. Breathe in, brace your midsection, and slightly bend your elbows.
3. Hinge at your hips, bending your knees to bring the ball down.
4. When elbows reach waist level, slam the ball to the ground with force.
5. Squat down to pick up the ball and return to start.