medicine ball throws benefits: Quick and easy Workout in Your Home
Medicine ball slams or medicine ball throws are good for home gym. It does not take space and it will build your muscles and train your heart and lungs.
However medicine balls and slam balls are different, I have trained with both.
I like medicine balls to develop speed. These are generally lightweight than a dead ball and it is easy to do aerobic workouts with them.
But be careful, if you are slamming with one. It can bounce back from the floor and hit your face.
For slamming I prefer my dead ball. I can barely do 15 slams with my 12 kg USI slam ball. I like to throw it around though.
I often place two layers of EVA mats and paper on the floor and slam the ball there. I do throws as well.
It is fun and might help you take a break from usual barbell or machine-based gym workouts.
So for a home gym, a medicine ball is great if you want to train your muscles and cardio.
You will not grow a lot of mass but it will be a kind of functional training.
What are the benefits of medicine ball throws as a home gym exercise?
- Less time consuming workout.
- They improve strength, power, and endurance
- They work a range of different muscles
- They are an effective cardio workout
- Put yourself through a Different Challenge
- Burn a Lot of Fat
- Build core strength and Improve Balance
- They might improve hand-eye coordination and dexterity
- A full-body exercise
| Benefits | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Full-Body Workout | Engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing a comprehensive full-body workout. |
| 2. Power Development | Helps build power in the muscles through explosive movements, leading to improved athletic performance. |
| 3. Core Strength | Requires core stabilization during throws, leading to increased core strength and stability. |
| 4. Coordination and Balance | Challenges coordination and balance while aiming and releasing the ball, enhancing overall body control. |
| 5. Versatility | Offers a wide range of exercises due to various weights and sizes of medicine balls, accommodating different fitness levels and goals. |
| 6. Cardiovascular Endurance | Incorporating medicine ball throws into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can improve cardiovascular endurance. |
| 7. Functional Training | Mimics real-life movements, making it ideal for functional training and enhancing performance in everyday activities. |
| 8. Joint Stability | Strengthens joints and improves stability through controlled movements, reducing the risk of injuries. |
| 9. Convenience and Affordability | Can be performed in the comfort of a home gym with minimal equipment, providing a cost-effective workout option. |
| 10. Enjoyable and EngagingAdds variety to exercise routines, making workouts more enjoyable and motivating consistent participation. |
1. They improve strength, power, and endurance
Medicine ball throws can be a great way to improve strength, power, and endurance.
Medicine ball throws involve rapid contractions of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for improved hypertrophy and strength. (1)
You can do agility training and exercises like Russian twists will increase your core strength as well.
A study done for over 6 weeks has found that regular participation in a progressive medicine ball training program has resulted in significant gains in speed, agility, power, and muscular endurance compared to regular physical activity.
2. Train different muscles in a unique way
Medicine ball training works through all 3 planes of motion: frontal, sagittal, and transverse, which allows for multi-planar training that can help to build fitness effectively and enhance athletic performance.
You can do overhead presses, goblet squats, and more.
I like to throw them away or slam them. Either way, I will gain some muscle, speed, and burn some calories.
3. Medicine balls are a good alternative to traditional cardio workout
The fast, explosive movements of medicine ball throwing work the entire body, while also increasing the heart rate and getting the lungs working.
Considering cardiovascular health, I believe the med ball slam requires the same cardio demand as running or cycling. As per some websites med ball workouts can burn around 300-320 calories, that is around the same ballpark of cycling calorie burn.
You will also develop explosive power and strength, while also burning calories and spiking the heart rate.
Never overdo it though.
4. A different type of Home Workout
Med balls are great when you are bored af with typical gym workouts.
Throw the ball around, do some slams and you will be refreshed.
I often do med ball or slam ball training in between 4 weeks of weight training.
Just a 20-minute of med ball workout for 3 days a week is enough for me to reset my body for the next workout cycle.
5. Burn a Lot of Fat in a Fun Way
Medicine ball exercises engage the entire body, increasing both cardiovascular health and overall body training.
The sustained effort of performing 10-15 repetitions of the medicine ball throw helps to burn a significant amount of fat.
How much fat?
I have not measured but while doing slams and throws for a month or so I could see more of my muscles.
6. Build core strength and Improve Balance
I like to do Russian twists, high-to-low wood choppers, and rotational throws with a med ball to improve my core strength.
Since these movements will be dynamic, you will also improve your balance in the long run.
[Ab roller can do wonders for your core!]7. Med balls improve hand-eye coordination
Medicine ball throws can improve hand-eye coordination and dexterity by engaging the core muscles and allowing people to react to the moving trends of the ball.
For example, if you are doing well based upward throw you are throwing the ball up and catching it.
Or throwing the ball over your head. These workouts will improve your coordination capabilities.
This type of exercise also conditions agility and helps to boost the speed and accuracy of movements.
8. Easily do a full body exercise in less time
A simple exercise like a med ball slam targets the glutes, thighs, upper body, and core while also providing a cardio workout.
I always gasp for air after just 10-12 reps of slams or throws.
So if you just have 10 minutes to spare then you can just throw and slam a med ball around.
But again it is useful for short workouts only, you should not make this your primary workout.
[Do barbell thrusters work?]How to use a medicine ball for throwing exercises at home?
Step 1: Choose your throwing exercise
Throwing exercises are an effective way to develop power, strength, speed, burn calories and improve cardiovascular health.
In the YT channel from Phil Daru, you will see him teaching fighters to throw a med ball to the wall.
For developing power and strength, medicine ball throws against a wall or to a partner are great choices.
Stand a few feet away from a sturdy wall, hold a medicine ball in both hands and throw the ball powerfully against the wall.
Use a lightweight med ball to develop speed and not to break the wall :p
For developing speed, you can perform medicine ball throws to the side. Stand with feet wider than shoulder width, hold the ball below your chest, lift the ball above the head, and throw the ball straightly to the right side. Squat to pick up the ball to restart.
[Resistance bands for hand speed]Step 2: Protect your Floor and Walls
Get some thick rubber mats to slam a med ball to the floor.
To protect the floor you can do a good paint with putty on it. This will protect the wall from med ball damage.
At my home gym, I set up a stack of EVA yoga mats and then put old newspapers when I slam the ball.
I live in an old house so I often avoid doing wall slams.
Need to protect my home first.
[Home gym setup ideas for a budget home gym]Step 3: Take proper rest and recovery measures
Before beginning the medicine ball exercise, make sure you are in the correct starting position. And to master the form by using a low-weight med ball.
And a med ball workout will tax your nervous system, heart and lungs, and muscles.
So you should take a rest of 1-2 days in between your workouts.
But as I said, med ball and slam ball workouts should not be your main workout.
Only use them to add dynamic workouts, and variety to your weekly/monthly workout routine.
Is throwing a medicine ball a good workout?
Throwing a medicine ball is a great total-body workout that can help tone and strengthen your arms, shoulders, thighs, glutes, and core muscles.
It is an effective and efficient way to burn calories and improve overall fitness.
The medicine ball is also a great tool to work on hand-eye coordination, body balance, and flexibility.
It provides resistance and added weight to help build muscle strength and improve functional fitness. All of these benefits make throwing a medicine ball a great workout choice.
What size medicine ball should you use?
When it comes to using a medicine ball for power training, it’s important to pick the right size.
You want a medicine ball to move efficiently for reps without having your form break down.
Start with a medicine ball that’s around 5k gs or 8 kgs.
All move is dynamic and that means you can get injured if you are lifting very heavy.
But very soon you will get stronger, and you will need a new med ball.
For that, I do not recommend people buy med balls or slam balls for home gym workouts.
Unless you are focused on developing speed or like this style of workout then you should focus on traditional workouts for mass gain and weight loss.
What’s the difference between a medicine ball and slam ball?
The primary difference between a medicine ball and a slam ball is its construction.
Medicine balls are typically made of rubber and have a bounce, while slam balls are made of a softer material and have a bit of no bounce.
Medicine balls come in various sizes and weights, ranging from 500 grams to 10 kg.
Slam balls, on the other hand, are thicker than medicine balls and usually weigh between 2 kg to 20 kg easily.
Slam balls are good for slamming the ball from overhead to the ground. It will not bounce back like a med ball and hit your face.
Slam balls or dead balls can really be heavy as well.
The Last Rep!
One of the most remarkable benefits of incorporating medicine ball throws into your workouts is the tremendous boost it provides to your explosive power.
As you launch that ball into the air with all your might, you’ll feel an electrifying surge of strength pulsating through your muscles. It’s like tapping into a hidden reservoir of power you never knew existed!
Unlike monotonous workouts that can become a drag, these ballistic movements inject a sense of excitement and playfulness into your training sessions.
I often just slam the ball to vent my frustrations. lol.
Medicine ball throws are suitable for all fitness levels but if you keep getting stronger with med balls, you will probably keep buying more.
Stay fit, stay fabulous, and keep pushing those limits!
