15 exercises to do with the medicine ball in boxing

Medicine balls

They are a perfect tool for a sports facility. It is a very versatile material that can be helpful in all types of group classes or personal training.

Medicine ball exercises typically do not involve very complex technique, which helps students become familiar with the ball and develop empathy for the material, which is not the case with other materials.

Precisely because of the materials and characteristics of these medballs, they are easily accepted. Their rounded shape, their soft-touch but non-slip synthetic leather exterior, and the weighted but moldable filling make them easy to use and transport.

These same characteristics translate into enormous versatility and can be used in Endurance, Weightlifting , CrossFit, Core classes…

Their use in recent years has had a lot of visibility in the world of CrossFit. There is no box in the world that does not have them, and they are very commonly used in WODs several times a week.

Best Medicine Ball Exercises:

The exercises most commonly done with medicine balls in CrossFit are:

• Wallball Clean or Medicine Ball Clean

  This is the step prior to the clean with the pike in beginner or On Ramp classes. It helps athletes become familiar with the full squat clean by eliminating the complexity of the bar.

• Wallball Shot or Ball Throw

  This is perhaps the one most commonly seen in sporting events, and consists of throwing the ball at a target after first performing a squat with it.

• Using the ball as ballast

  Due to its different weights, it allows for scaling its use in WODs, becoming an “odd object” because it does not have a single way of being held.

• Using the ball as an obstacle

  You can do dips or push-ups on it unilaterally alternating arms.

But as we mentioned, we can also introduce it in specific classes such as Endurance. The medicine ball in Endurance classes allows you to maintain a high pace of execution with added ballast.

• Race with ball

  It is an uncomfortable item, but with a relatively light weight. This allows athletes to cover longer distances than those usually done with sprints. If the distance is very long, the ball can be alternated with teammates in team or pair WODs.

• Weight in bodyweight exercises

  It allows us to increase the difficulty of resistance exercises in a controlled manner, without turning them into strength exercises. Some examples could be burpees with a ball or box steps with a ball. The ball slows us down, but it does not become a penalty in the WOD activity.

• Abdominals with a ball

  By using this so that it hits behind our head when we go to bed, and in front of our feet when we get up, we not only get exercise but also set 2 goals that avoid the no-reps of the most energetic.

In weightlifting classes, the medicine ball is the ideal complement for newcomers. The pike, despite being lighter, is more difficult to handle and the ball provides another perspective.

• Diana in squat.

  The ball on the floor as a reference for squatting is a high-quality aid for beginners. As it is soft, if we go overboard we will sink with it, the key will be to try to just touch it to understand the concept of “breaking parallel”.

• The Clean, like in CrossFit, is easier to understand with a ball.

  It also allows us to better visualize the rotation of the elbows without spinning the ball, as if we were holding a fish tank that cannot be emptied.

If you have core or accessory exercise classes, or you like “after-parties”, those mini-workouts that are often held as a surprise after classes, the ball is your best ally.

• Russian twists

  or leg raises take on a different color with a medicine ball in between.

• Jumping Lunges with Twist

  Balance, core and itchy leg muscles. This exercise has it all.

Want to get your students warmed up and feeling like they're doing new things? Introduce the medicine ball into games.

• Bear crawl with ball

  The ball only moves when the forearm is passed over it. In other words, the ball is not hit, it is made to roll.

• 3 in a row.

  You only need 2 teams and mark the board on the ground, each one must form 3 in a row running in relays.

• Ball battle.

  Create a wall with boxes and place half of the class on each side. Set a timer of 30 seconds. The team that has the most balls on their side when the timer goes off loses.

• Wall ball Volley

  Place the athletes in pairs on either side of the rack, with the pull-up bar being the net. Each athlete must do a wallball over the bar for it to count as valid. The opposing athlete catches the ball directly in a squat. The athlete who makes the most passes wins.

As you can see, the ball offers many options in group classes, both for individual use, as well as in groups or in pairs. And its weight is sufficiently demanding so that when used intensively it generates stimuli but does not become a limitation for the most novice athletes.

Have you tried these exercises in your classes?