The push-up medicine ball is a challenging variation of the traditional push-up that requires you to place both hands on a medicine ball. This increases the demand on your chest, triceps, shoulders, and core, while also challenging your balance and stability.
Quick Facts
How to Do Push-up Medicine Ball
Follow these step-by-step instructions to perform Push-up Medicine Ball with proper form and technique.
- Start in a high plank position with your hands on the medicine ball, shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your back straight.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Understanding which muscles Push-up Medicine Ball targets helps you integrate it effectively into your training program.
Target Muscles
These are the main muscles responsible for performing the movement and receive the greatest training stimulus.
Secondary Muscles
These muscles assist in the movement and receive secondary training benefits.
Benefits of Push-up Medicine Ball
Incorporating Push-up Medicine Ball into your workout routine offers numerous advantages for strength, muscle development, and overall fitness.
- Pectorals Development: Push-up Medicine Ball directly targets and strengthens the Pectorals, promoting muscle growth and improved functional strength.
- Secondary Muscle Engagement: This exercise also works the Triceps, Shoulders, and Core, providing additional training stimulus without extra exercises.
- Functional Strength: Strength exercises like Push-up Medicine Ball build real-world strength that transfers to daily activities and athletic performance.
- Advanced Training Stimulus: This challenging exercise provides the intensity needed for experienced athletes to continue making progress.
Safety Tips and Precautions
Performing Push-up Medicine Ball safely is essential for preventing injuries and ensuring long-term progress.
- Warm Up Properly: Before performing Push-up Medicine Ball, complete 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches targeting the Pectorals and surrounding muscles.
- Prioritize Form Over Weight: Never sacrifice proper technique for heavier weights. Poor form significantly increases injury risk and reduces the exercise's effectiveness.
- Shoulder Protection: Avoid flaring your elbows excessively, which can strain the shoulder joint. Keep your shoulders packed and stable.
- Respect Your Range of Motion: Work within your current mobility limits. Gradually improve flexibility over time rather than forcing deeper positions.
- Don't Hold Your Breath: Maintain consistent breathing throughout the exercise. Exhale during the exertion phase and inhale during the easier phase.
- Know When to Stop: End your set when you can no longer maintain proper form. Training to absolute failure on every set increases injury risk.
- Allow Adequate Recovery: The Pectorals typically need 48-72 hours to recover after intense training. Avoid training the same muscle group on consecutive days.
Tracking Your Progress
To make consistent gains with Push-up Medicine Ball, track these metrics during your workouts:
Track the number of sets you complete. Most training programs recommend 3-5 sets per exercise.
Record your repetitions per set. Adjust rep ranges based on your goals: 1-5 for strength, 6-12 for hypertrophy, 12+ for endurance.
Log the weight used for progressive overload. Aim to gradually increase weight while maintaining proper form.