What’s going to fire up your abs more than situps, planks, and V-ups? How about situps, planks, and V-ups WITH a medicine ball. Yep, get ready to feel the burn: Tatiana Lampa, ACSM-certified trainer at FitHouse and SLT, shares 12 effective medicine ball abs exercises below.
Time: 18 to 25 minutes
Equipment: 8- to 12-pound medicine ball
Good for: Abs, core
Instructions: Choose six moves to create a full medicine ball abs workout. Do as many reps as you can for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest. Repeat that three to four times. Then continue to the next move.
How to: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, knees bent, and feet hip-width apart. Place a medicine ball under one foot and, keeping your thighs aligned, straighten one leg so that your toes point up. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips evenly off the floor, then lower. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest. Repeat on the other side.
How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your legs and arms straight. Hold a medicine ball in your hands. In one movement, lift your torso and legs as if you’re trying to touch your toes. Lower your body back down. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Hold a medicine ball in both hands, in front of your chest. Raise your torso to a sitting position, then extend the medicine ball over your head. Slowly lower it back down, and then lower your torso to the starting point. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Lie on your back, and bring your legs into the air, creating a 90-degree angle with the ground. Hold a medicine ball above your head. Lift your shoulders off the ground, and reach the ball toward your feet. Do as many as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Lie faceup on the floor. Hold a medicine ball between your hands. Bring your knees into your chest, shins parallel to the ground. At the same time, lift your torso and bring your arms overhead and toward your legs. Place the medicine ball on your shins. Pause, then lower torso to the ground while balancing the ball on your shins. Then rise back up, and grab the ball. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Hold a medicine ball in both hands, in front of your chest. Raise your torso to a sitting position. Slowly lower your torso to the starting point. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet in the air, parallel to the ground. Hold a medicine ball in front of your chest. Lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Brace your core and rotate to the right as far as you can. Pause, then reverse your movement and twist all the way back to the left as far as you can. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Hold a forearm plank, palms directly below shoulders, legs shoulder-width apart straight out behind you, spine neutral, and abs and glutes engaged. Place the medicine ball in front of you. While keeping your body still, tap the ball with your right hand. Return to start. Then tap the ball with your left hand. Continue alternating for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Come down into the top of a pushup position, placing one hand on top of the medicine ball. Do a lopsided pushup, then roll the ball from one hand to the other—use your core to stabilize your body as you go. Repeat on the other side. Continue alternating for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Get in a pushup position with the medicine ball underneath your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Keeping your core tight and back flat, bend your right knee and raise it toward your chest. Reverse the movement to return to start, then repeat with your left leg. Continue alternating for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds of rest.
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Hold a medicine ball directly above your chest. Curl your upper body, and at the top of the crunch rotate your torso so that your left elbow meets your right knee. Extend your left leg at the same time, as if you’re pedaling. Return to start and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do as many reps as you can in 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds rest.
How to: Lie on your back with a medicine ball in your hands. Hold the medicine ball over your head with straight arms. Raise your legs up in the air so they form a 90 degree angle with the ground. Slowly lower your left leg to the ground. As you bring it back up to start, slowly lower your right leg to the ground. Continue alternating legs for 45 seconds, then take 15 seconds rest.
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