Men’s Fitness Australia – June 2017

●Body Book Med ball

112 MEN’S FITNESS JUNE 2017

Have on hand two

medicine balls of

different weights

and bounces (see

specifics, right). Do the

workout once a week,

on a separate day, to

supplement your regular

weight training. Rest

two to three minutes

between sets.

Directions

How It Works

Guys often forget
to include a power
component in their
training programs.
Power, for those who
flunked physics, is the
ability to express force
over time — or, for our
purposes, the ability to
complete a weighted
movement rapidly (and,
occasionally, angrily).
That’s where
medicine ball training
comes in. Tossing a
med ball in different
directions trains your
body to generate power
without applying the
brakes. You don’t have
to slow down at the
end of the range of
motion like you do when
using weights — you
can just let the ball
fly. On top of that, it’s
easy to learn and helps
improve explosiveness
immediately.
The result: a body that
performs and a lean six-
pack inside of a month.
Also, research from
Evolution and Human
Behaviorfound that
throwing a med ball
engages the cerebellum
and posterior parietal
cortex of the brain —
meaning it can improve
your attention span and
ability to concentrate.
Plus, what other
resistance workout
lets you beat the living
shit out of something
without hurting yourself
(or anyone else)?

■For Exercises 1 to 3, use a ball that weighs 7kg

to 10kg and doesn’t bounce. Perform these moves

outside if possible, so you have room.

SQUAT

PUSH

THROW

Sets: 5–6

Reps: 3–5

Stand with feet

shoulder-width

apart and hold

the ball at chest

level, with

your elbows

underneath it.

Squat as low

as you can

while keeping

your back flat.

Explode upward,

throwing the

ball as high as

you can. Allow

the ball to hit the

floor, pick it up,

and reset.

1

2

REVERSE

SCOOP

THROW

Sets: 5–6 Reps: 3–5

Stand with feet

shoulder-width

apart and hold the

ball at arm’s length

in front of you. Bend

your hips back

and lower your

torso toward the

floor while keeping

your lower back

in its natural arch.

Explosively extend

your hips and throw

the ball overhead

and behind you.

Walk to the ball and

begin the next rep.