Balls, Balls, Balls...

Do you ever feel like gym memberships or workout classes are too expensive?  One of my favorite workouts is one that I can do in my own home and only involves one piece of equipment, a medicine ball.  Medicine balls can be used by anyone looking to excel in sports, lose weight, or for general fitness.  The most brilliant thing is that you can involve a partner or simply use a solid, sturdy wall.  Here are five great benefits of a medicine ball workout:

1. Cheap: You do not need to purchase expensive or complicated equipment for a great workout. Medicine balls are available for less than 35 dollars. You cannot find many other pieces of gym equipment cheaper that will provide as much versatility.

2.  Versatility: The key to a good workout is variety. There are hundreds of medicine ball exercises to explore. Because the balls are portable you can workout at home, the beach, outdoors, or on the road. Exercises can be tailored for specific sports or to target specific muscle groups.
3.  Functional Strength: It is one of the most effective tools to train all of the muscle groups in your body.  Over time, your body will learn to become more efficient with full body exercises.

4. Provides Unique Loads on Your Muscles and Increases Hand Eye Coordination: When a medicine ball is thrown to you or by you, the path it travels is never exactly the same. Therefore, you catch it at a different place every time. You use different muscle groups to balance your body and control the ball for each catch. This trains your body to react faster to catch and control the load.
5.  Combined Cardiovascular and Strength Training: Who has hours and hours to work out? I like using efficient gym equipment that lets me shorten my workouts. Medicine ball workouts done properly will have your heart pounding out of your chest and highly fatigued muscles. You will increase your cardiovascular capacity, build strength, and improve muscle stamina all at once.
Try these fabulous, efficient works out ideas:

·         Lunge with Overhead Press

Works: Abs, butt, hips, legs, shoulders, and arms

·         Standing Lift

Works: Abs, shoulders, and arms

How to Do It: Stand up straight with feet apart, left foot forward. Hold a medicine ball with both hands directly in front of you, close to your body. Without moving your core, slowly rotate your arms to the right so the ball is low and to the side of your right hip. Then, slowly rotate your arms up and across your body while keeping torso and hips still. Hold the ball above your left shoulder for a moment before bringing the ball back down to the side of your right hip. Do 10 to 12 reps on that side, then repeat the move to the opposite direction with your right foot forward. Complete two sets.

·         Seated Medicine Ball Trunk Rotations

Works: Abs and arms

How to Do It: Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet together, and heels on the floor while holding a medicine ball close to your body. Keep your back straight and upright. Rotate your torso to one side, keeping the ball close to you. Pause briefly and turn to the other side. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

·         Russian Twist (Sitting in a V-position)

To begin: sit on the ground with your knees bent to form a V, hold the medicine ball on one side, and slightly recline your back to about 45 degrees, then twist from one side to the other while hold the medicine ball. This works great for your obliques as well as your abs. To make this work out more effective, lean back more to increase resistance.  I like to do 2 sets of 30 and then go into the next workout.

Also, try climbing stairs while holding the med ball. Not only will you be increasing difficulty and working out your upper body for a full body routine. Step Up Your workouts!

Work out song of the Week, "Bulletproof by La Roux"

Happy Monday!