A medicine ball isn’t only good for a spot of end-of-session core work; used correctly it can provide an intense workout for your whole body. Get the ball rolling and try this full-body medicine ball workout for men from online PT Luke Grainger…

Check out the best full body dumbbell workout to try at home

How to do this full-body medicine ball workout for men:

  • Exercises 1a to 1d are warm-up exercises. They are to be done back to back with no rest between the four exercises.
  • Do 10 reps of each and repeat the round three times.
  • Exercises 2a to 2c and 3a to 3c are working sets. Again, these are to be done back to back with no rest between each of the three exercises.
  • Complete 10 reps of each and repeat three to five times. 

Medicine Ball Warm-Up

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK

1a. Twist 

Areas worked: internal and external obliques, quadratus lumborum (QL), erector spinae, lats 

  • Stand tall with soft knees, holding the ball in front of you. 
  • Twist from side to side, keeping your eyes on the ball and allowing your ankles to go with the movement.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK

1b. Chop

Areas worked: delts, internal and external obliques, traps, pecs, lats 

  • Begin with the ball up in the air on your right-hand side.
  • Chop it down to your left while bending your legs, turning your shoulders and allowing your lower body to go with the movement.
  • Immediately return to the start position and go again.
  • Once you’ve completed 10 reps, switch sides and go again.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK

1c. Reverse Lunge with Overhead Reach

Areas worked: quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, core, delts, traps, lats 

  • With the ball at chest height, step back into a deep reverse lunge while stretching your arms up and over your head.
  • Return to the start position and go on the other leg.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK

1d. Figure of 8

Areas worked: abs, obliques, QL, erectors 

  • Sit on the ground with your legs bent, feet apart and the med ball in both hands.
  • Leaning back slightly and keeping your feet from touching the ground, pass the ball in a figure of eight around, under and over each leg. That’s one rep.

Full-Body Medicine Ball Workout For Men

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK

2a. Plyometric Split Squat with Twist

Areas worked: quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, core, biceps, lats 

  • Begin with your right leg bent behind you, your left leg bent in front and the med ball held to your left.
  • Drive up explosively through both legs and while in the air switch both feet over and twist the ball to your right side.
  • Land, then reverse the movement, finishing with your left leg in front of you and the ball to your left.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK wall ball

2b. Wall Ball 

Areas worked: quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, core, delts, traps, lats, triceps 

  • Choose a spot on the wall approximately 6-10ft above you.
  • Stand a little way back and squat down with the ball held at your chest.
  • Keeping good posture through your spine, the moment your elbows touch your knees drive up explosively through your heels and throw the ball in the air at your chosen spot.
  • Catch the ball through soft knees and immediately go into the next rep.
  • Avoid leaning backwards when catching the ball. Catch it at the top of your chest and hold your form together.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK v up

2c. V-Up

Areas worked: abs, lats, quads, hip flexors 

  • Lie flat on the floor with your feet together, your arms straight and the ball between your hands.
  • Simultaneously lift your arms, torso and legs off the floor.
  • Try to touch the ball to your feet before slowly returning to the start position.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK press up and switch

3a. Press-Up and Switch

Areas worked: pecs, triceps, core, delts, traps

  • With one hand on the ball, do a deep press-up. 
  • Once complete, change hands by moving the hand on the floor up onto the ball and then moving the hand that was on the ball down to the floor.
  • Perform another deep press-up, then repeat the process.

Find Full-Body Fitness With This Medicine Ball Workout | Men's Fitness UK slam

3b. Slam

Areas worked: lats, core, biceps, triceps, quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves 

  • With the med ball between your feet, do a deep squat to grab the ball from the ground.
  • Stand all the way up onto your toes while stretching the ball up over your head.
  • Explosively drive your hips back while simultaneously dragging the ball down and smashing it into the floor, just in front of you.

russian twist

3c. Russian Twist

Areas worked: obliques, rectus abdominis, QL

  • Sit on your backside with the ball in your hands and your feet just off the floor.
  • Keeping your chest up, twist to touch both hands on one side of your body, then the other, without moving your head. That’s one rep.

 

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Ben Gregory

 

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