Monday, March 8, 2010

The Varied Benefits Of Working Out With A Medicine Ball Workouts

by Nick Valenko

Originally practiced by boxers to improve upper body strength, medicine ball workouts have increased in popularity over the years. These workouts are an excellent way to produce awesome abs! This exercise equipment not only improves upper body core strength, but helps to reduce dangerous stomach fat.

Medicine ball workouts does not cost much, is small enough to be stored easily, and is very durable. It is weighted, because it is filled with sand. The ball is covered with thick rubber. It comes in varying weights, from two to fifteen pounds, and is fairly indestructible. For example, use all of your strength to throw the ball against a wall, and it will not break. Versatility is an added benefit. This equipment is used for a variety of workouts in addition to different stomach exercises. This is such a simple object, but is valuable tool in strengthening abdominal muscles.

Before beginning any exercises, you should carefully select a properly-weighted ball compatible with your physical condition. Additional equipment is unnecessary when using a medicine ball. Exercises can be done in almost any location. Following are some examples of exercises using this equipment.

One exercise is called abdominal crunch with a toe touch. To do this, lie on your back with your legs pointed straight up. Keep your arms straight while holding the medicine ball. Exhale as you lift your shoulders off the floor, trying to touch the medicine ball to your toes. Be careful not to stress your neck. If you cannot perform an entire set, then do 5 repetitions and rest.

Another exercise is the Russian Twist. Start by sitting on the floor with knees bent, feet flat in front of you. While holding the ball, extend your arms straight out in front of you, then lean back as far as you can to make a 45 degree angle. While at this angle, twist torso left, then right. The more you lean back, the more challenging the exercise becomes!

The following exercise is a change to the classic stomach workout of crunches on a stability ball. Begin on the stability ball as you would when usually performing crunches. The change is that you also hold a medicine ball overhead when bending forward and lifting the shoulders. As you lift up, hold the position momentarily, and then slowly lower your upper body.

A last sample exercise culminates in bumping the ball on either side of a wall behind you. Begin by standing with your back two feet in front of a wall. Hold a ball with the arms straight in front of you. Bend your arms and legs slightly. Rotate your chest to the left, bump the wall with the ball, and then rotate your chest to the right. Bump the wall again.

Medicine ball workouts effectively produce awesome six pack abs! It also simultaneously tones muscles in the arms and back. This item is also very affordable and easy to store and use. A person can do many exercises as well as the examples above. The way it works is the ball helps to tone abdominal muscles by adding simple resistance to stomach exercises. The level of resistance changes as heavier or lighter balls are used. Overall, this fitness regimen should be an integral part of a workout with the goal of reducing stomach fat.

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