You do not have to own an entire arsenal of equipment to enjoy a great workout. Just one reliable tool is enough. The medicine ball, commonly known as the med ball, is a great alternative when you feel like using something other than shared equipment or working with other lifters. My friend Mallory had an injured shoulder, and now she is ok thanks to med ball shoulder exercises.
Which are the best med balls exercises to do?
The five best shoulder exercises are shoulder press, figure 8, around the world, ball fly, and russian twist. The advantage of the balls is they are easy and quick to perform. The exercise’s drawback is that it takes several people to complete it. The shoulder press works the shoulder muscles.
Do you want to give this shoulder exercise a trial? Keep reading.
Med Ball Shoulder Exercises: The Best Shoulder Exercises
Med ball shoulder exercises are undeniably the most versatile tools for building strength. A 2018 research found that ball interval training may produce the same cardio demand as running or cycling. With this in mind, the following are the top five shoulder exercises.
Shoulder Press
Hold the med ball in front of your ribs approximately an inch away from your chest.
Reach it overhead with your arms extended, then slowly return it to the starting position.
Is it not that simple?
Figure 8
Place your feet shoulder-width apart as you stand. With your arms fully extended, hold the ball in one hand on one side of your head.
It forms a figure 8 while slowly moving it in a fluid, controlled motion. Turn around and perform reps in the opposite direction. Try this exercise with a lighter ball because it can be very tiring.
Ball Fly
As far as balance goes, this can get a little challenging, but once you have got it down, I guarantee you will look like a total champ. Besides, it’s one of the most effective med ball shoulder exercises.
How to do it? Lie face-up on an exercise ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your neck and shoulder blades resting on the ball’s center.
Around the World
Around the world is among the most effective med ball shoulder exercises you should try today. How to do it? While holding the medicine ball overhead, place your feet hip-width apart.
With your arms extended, slam the ball into the ground with your right foot turned to the left, catching it as it bounces back.
Russian Twist
Sit with your legs extended and slightly bent knees, holding the ball in each hand. Drive your heels into the ground about two feet away from your butt to assist in balancing yourself.
Lay back until you can feel your lower abs contracting. Twist to the right side while contracting your oblique muscles, and let your ribs move.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Medicine Ball?
Some of the most common advantages of medicine balls include being cheap and easy to store. Besides, they provide extra resistance to help build and tone the required muscles. Sadly, there is a disadvantage, too: They are large and heavy. Hence if mishandled, they may increase your risk of injury.
Below, let me discuss the advantages and cons of using a medicine balls so that you can decide whether to do med ball shoulder exercises.
Advantages
Convenient: You can find the med balls at the gym or buy one for home use at your neighborhood sporting goods store and online retailers at an affordable price compared to other workout equipment.
Core Strengthening: You may improve your performance by adding greater strength to a range of motion with medicine balls. Most boxers use med balls to train, receiving blows to the stomach. A training partner will drop the ball on their tummy while lying on the floor with strained abs.
Improve Rehabilitation Efforts after Injuries: Med balls assist in the recovery of patients after accidents or operations. It also helps restore the body’s stamina and reaction. Injury to the spine, shoulders, and knees are the specific body parts medicine balls treat effectively.
Disadvantages
Versatile: They help grow power across a range of muscle groups, but they need more versatility of free weights like kettlebells or resistance bands.
Strategy: You risk hurting your shoulder if you mishandle a medicine ball. A chest pass can be difficult when a heavy ball is thrown back at you. Therefore, you must use your upper body and core muscles to get results when doing the med ball shoulder exercises.
What Muscle Does Medicine Ball Shoulder Press Work?
The muscle worked by the med ball shoulder press is the chest and core muscles. While the press motion works the chest and upper back muscles, the shoulder does most of the work required to hold on to the heavy ball due to how far away the arms are from the body.
This movement is easier for new beginners. Increasing general strength is one of the most significant benefits of using the med ball slams in your workout.
Most of your body’s primary muscular groups, including the legs, hips, stomach, shoulders, arms, and many back muscles, are used in a straightforward activity. This intense movement works your entire body.
While doing the med ball shoulder exercises, be careful. Make sure to pick your ball wisely. Due to the lengthy arm stretch and the utilization of your shoulders or anterior muscles, the ball may feel a little lighter than in other ball workouts. One of the balls may be highly flexible but also quite risky, causing an injury.
Once you are confident in adding more weight, start with a lesser ball and work your way up to a heavier one.
What Does Throwing a Medicine Ball Over Your Shoulder Do?
Throwing a medicine ball over your shoulder builds an explosive upper body, shoulders, and triceps. It is a simple exercise that works the entire body. It helps develop a strong body by generating power to Your lower body which your upper body transmits.
It is a fantastic exercise for athletes looking to improve their overhead power. Besides, throwing a med ball requires a lot of force, which will teach you how to produce more energy.
Moreover, the exercise aids in developing power without requiring the highly coordinated movements necessary for Olympic lifts. What’s more? They are simple to perform and take little time to learn.
Throw the ball by lifting the core and the chest slightly to avoid rounding the spine, bending at the knees, and squatting down low enough to scoop up the ball with both hands. Also, engage the legs and glutes to stand up explosively, rolling the ball over your right shoulder so it falls to the floor behind you.
It may look simple to throw the ball over your shoulder, but after a few reps, you will understand why it is a full-body move that strengthens your muscles and increases your heart rate. However, doing the exercise incorrectly may result in muscular pull and soreness.
How Heavy Should Med Ball Be?
If you want to reap all the benefits of med ball shoulder exercises, don’t exceed the recommended weight: Med ball should be 10 – 25 pounds for females and 20 – 40 for males. However, consider your experience level and fitness goals when choosing a medicine ball to incorporate into your workout. Beginners doing med ball shoulder exercises should opt for balls that weigh 8 pounds, and experienced athletes opt for 15 pounds or more.
Take the time to get comfortable with these new movements using a lighter ball since the workout routine may include rotation, jumping, tossing, or other quick activities you are not used to. There are little, heavy exercise balls and large, light ones.
Additionally, the weight of the medicine ball that is best for you will depend on how you plan to use it. It is wise to test a couple of sizes with workouts you can do before buying one. A ball that offers resistance but is not too hefty to restrict your movement is best for your shoulder exercise.
Practice the slam ball workout in front of a mirror until you have perfected your form. Also, always check your ball’s weight; it is printed on the object’s surface.
How Effective Is a Medicine Ball?
Several muscle groups can be powered up using the medicine ball. The fitness tools enhance movement speed and precision through increased awareness and perception of your body’s posture and placement. The balls compel you to move deliberately by using your core.
Lifters can also use Med balls for rehabilitation and strength training, which can be highly helpful in older people prone to falling. You are more likely to lose coordination and balance as you age. On the other hand, prevention is always better than cure, so keep your body in as good shape as it was when you were young, and you will be fine.
Medicine balls can significantly improve the body’s tolerance and recovery after injuries or surgeries. The most typical injuries are the knee, shoulder, and spine. Usually, patients start with a light ball and raise its weight throughout their healing.
There is a good reason med ball shoulder exercises have been around for so long: They can improve the flexibility and strength of the thigh or calf muscles with several workouts created explicitly for that purpose.
The balls come in various weights and forms and have straps and handles, which give users a flexible and portable tool to help them shape up and lose weight.
How Many Reps Should I Do with a Medicine Ball?
When doing the med ball shoulder exercises, do at least 2 – 4 sets of 6 -10 reps with a medicine ball. Choose your settings, repeats, and weight based on your ability to maintain proper technique throughout all stages and reps. However, warm up for about 10 minutes before beginning this workout.
After practicing these moves, use a heavier ball to test your strength and endurance. Combine at least five explosive movements for a full-body workout and cycle through them for 20 minutes.
Did you know that the medicine ball lunge with toe touches is an excellent way to increase heart rate while working the lower back and arms? Well, now you know!
Keep your arms extended as you smash the med ball into the ground as hard as possible. While at it, bend at the hips. Pick up the ball and move back to the initial position, doing ten repeats in three sets.
You will also improve your balance and hamstring flexibility, making this a great all-around workout. Repeat on each side for 1-3 sets of 10-16 repetitions.
Make each move as quickly as possible while maintaining proper form, moving from one exercise to the next with little or no rest. Once you have completed the last activity, take a break and repeat the entire circuit one or two more times.
How Often Should You Do a Medicine Ball Workout?
It would help if you did the med ball shoulder exercises one to three times each week. Perform this exercise before or after your regular activities or on a different power and conditioning day. Also, include these workouts in your weekly routine as they work in other body regions.
Keeping this in mind, here is how you typically program med balls. Strength program 3 – 4 sets of 5 – 8 reps, two days per week. Strength training 3 days a week, three sets of 5 – 8 reps. These exercises target different body parts, giving you a killer full-body workout.
You can also spice up your workout by performing various exercises with the balls. What are the benefits? They allow you to bounce, roll and accomplish other everyday free-weight activities. Due to the diversity they offer, they make it hard to become bored. People of all fitness levels can use them, from newbies to athletes.
Med balls are a great way to meet new people since they allow two or more people to perform various exercises. The balls can be passed, tossed, rolled, and bounced back and forth to each other.
It is simple to develop a routine of performing heavy reps of med ball work only for metabolic benefit. Additionally, they can improve your productivity; do not use med balls only for this purpose.
To get the most out of med balls, practice using them in shorter, more intense sets.
FAQ
Do Medicine Balls Tone Arms?
To tone your arms, do med ball shoulder exercises. Why? Medicine balls tone the arms by throwing and hurling them to give you an explosive plyometric workout. Remember that control is essential to a medicine ball routine as you perform the following exercises.
- Straight-arm standing throws
- Lay back double arm throw
- Wall throws
Do your arms look more like Jello than J-Lo? Do not give up just yet. A medicine ball could be the key to developing solid and sculpted arms and shoulders. The balls may appear simple, but they can work out your shoulders effectively.
Studies have shown them to improve upper body strength and even other sports-specific training. While having defined arms may make you feel more confident in sleeveless tops, pay attention to the other benefits of strength training.
It can reverse the natural decline of your metabolism that begins at around 30 if done consistently and at a high enough intensity.
It will also help to strengthen your bones, lowering your risk of osteoporosis. So, while your arms will be tighter and more defined, you are also improving your health.
Can Medicine Balls Build Muscle?
Indeed, medicine balls help build muscle mass when performing specific exercises. For example, while performing shoulder exercises, squats, or lunges, you can hold a medicine ball to increase the intensity of the movement and thus build muscle strength.
Your training should mix what you need to do every day and what you need to do occasionally to build a well-rounded body.
Even if you are not using the power you gain from training daily, the explosive strength you gain helps with even the most minor tasks, like, delivering a slight bounce or even when walking.
Medicine balls are helpful in strength training, especially when developing sport-specific strengths.
However, bodybuilding is different from strength training for sports. On the other hand, med ball shoulder exercises can provide the explosive power most athletes require in a workout.
Also, since the ball is light, lifters can complete the exercise quickly. Abdominal workouts are one of the most effective ways to use your med ball. Holding the ball over your head while crunching will add resistance training to your activity, and when done correctly, resistance training builds muscles. However, muscles require more calories to maintain even at rest.
Conclusion
Always use med balls for your shoulder exercises. Nonetheless, if you notice that your form is deteriorating, stop resting, and start the next set.
Include the med ball shoulder exercises in your regular exercise program for a great workout. You can do things you could not do with the conventional equipment you have used. For the best results, do the best med ball exercise, for example, shoulder press, figure 8, ball fly, around the world, and Russian twist.
Besides, sometimes working with it can be very enjoyable, reminding you of when you were a child running around with your friends while tossing and rolling the ball in the park. It makes you feel young once more while giving you great benefits thereof.
