full body medicine ball workout

Workout Inspiration: 15 minute medicine ball workout for total stability and strength

This 15 minute medicine ball workout has been designed by Louise as a total body, all round workout to get your blood pumping, your heart beating and your core working.

There are 4 parts this workout including the

  • Squat and press
  • The chest press
  • The woodchop
  • Lunge and twist
  • Rolling push-up
  • Sit-up and press

Not got a medicine ball yet? Get the OFC recommended medicine ball here.

Medicine balls have been around since the stone ages when cavemen realised that using a heavy round  rock was a way safer way to do their chest presses than baby dinosaurs.

Before we get started though, lets have a look at why working out with a medicine ball is so great:

Advantages of medicine ball workouts

Nowadays medicine balls comes in one shape, but many sizes. In this video Louise is using 5kg medicine ball. If you are new to working out with a medicine ball then we recommend not going heavier than this just yet. Why? Because a medicine ball is all about mobility, stability and core...

1. Mobility

One of the most natural movements of humans is picking things up from the floor and the majority of patients I see as an Osteopath who have hurt their backs will have usually done so doing some variation of this movement.

Why is this? Its because they lack strength and they lack mobility. Medicine balls help facilitate this natural movement by using strength training principles in full range of motion.

2. Core stability

Expanding on the above top, medicine ball workouts provide an excellent opportunity to build and maintain core strength and stability.

By using weights at full range of movement i.e the chest press shown below, the core has to be worked the whole time meaning fantastic results.

3. Rehab

Due to the mobilising and stabilising advantages of medicine ball training, they constitute an important aspect of any lower back rehabilitation program.

For lower back pain recovery and rehabilitation we recommend starting with lower back mobility exercises.

The workout

Now we know why we are doing it, let's get on with it!

You can either do these exercises individually, or do the whole 15 minute workout. If you are going to do the full thing then we recommend do 3 sets of ten. So go all the way through for 10 reps, and repeat 3 times through.

1st exercise: Squat and press

This is the classic medicine ball exercise working upper and lower body at the same time. If you are struggling to squat then checkout our video on how to squat properly and safely.

Hold the ball underneath in two hands and then squat down, push back up and push the ball into the heavens. make sure you movement is nice and controlled, there are no points for speed.

Medicine ball workout, squat and press
Medicine ball workout, squat and press

2nd exercise: Chest press

The chest press is a all about shoulders and back and trust me, this is not as easy as it looks. Keep you form good at all times and do less reps if you have to.

Hold the ball into your chest and then push it outwards to full range in front of you and then bring back to your chest.

Medicine ball workout, chess press
Medicine ball workout, chest press
Medicine ball workout, chest press

3rd exercise: The woodchop

The wood chop exercise epitomises why this 15 minute medicine ball workout is so powerful; this is a full body exercises all in one movement, encouraging power and mobility together.

Start in a squat position with the ball resting on you right hip, then push, in one movement, upwards into the air so the ball finishes up above your head on he left. repeat 10 times on both sides.

Medicine ball workout, the woodchop
Medicine ball workout, the woodchop

4th Exercise lunge and twist

Working your core is what it is all about. Lunge forwards hold the ball out in front of your chest. Once you gained control, slowly rotate to the left and to the right. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Medicine ball workout, lunge and twist
Medicine ball workout, lunge and twist
Medicine ball workout, lunge and twist

5th Exercise: The rolling sit-up

Unlike a normal sit-up, the medicine ball puts your abdominal muscles to full stretch before engaging them - a sure fire way to get absolutely ripped!

Sit upwards and forwards bring the medicine ball into the air in front of you. And repeat.

Medicine ball workout, rolling sit-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling sit-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling sit-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling sit-up

6th Exercise: Rolling and press-up

A novel take on your standard press-up, the rolling pres sup involves placing one hand on  the medicine ball, do the press-up and then rolling the ball over to the other hand and then doing another press-up. Repeat 10 times, or until you drop.

Medicine ball workout, rolling press-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling press-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling press-up
Medicine ball workout, rolling press-up

And there you have it, 6 of the best medicine ball exercises put into a great 15 minute workout for you to try!

We reckon that if you do all the reps for 3 sets it should take you 10-15 minutes to work your way through it making it a fantastic workout to do in your lunch hour or before breakfast. Not got a medicine ball yet? Get the OFC recommended medicine ball here!

Check out the our homepage for more information about what the OFC can do for you in terms of posture, pain management, rehabilitation, inspiration and technique.