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Medicine Ball & Body Weight Program: Beginner Workout 1 of 3

Trainer : Rish, Phil

Introduction
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Medicine Ball and Body Weight training has unlimited benefits. It’s an effective way to instruct any type of client with a variety of goals and health considerations. There are an infinite number of exercises and a multitude of ways to create a program.

Medicine Ball & Body Weight training is directly applicable to any Functional Training program. It’s a great way to teach clients how to effectively use their body in all possible planes of motion, while improving balance, strength, stability, power, flexibility and speed.

The Human body is an immensely beneficial tool. Body Weight & Medicine Ball training can be performed almost anywhere and at any time. It requires very little space and relatively no exercise equipment, which makes it an easy and exceptional way to train your clients.

Program design and exercise selection are unlimited. Your client’s goals can be achieved in any number of ways. The goal of Medicine Ball & Body Weight Beginner Training Program is to provide an example of how exercises can be implemented in basic introductory workout for an entry level client.

Please pay special attention to the notes for each section to perform the workout correctly. Be conscious to make any appropriate adjustments this program that may be relevant to your client’s specific needs.

Warm Up
5 min. light cardio and the first 4 exercises of this program.

Summary Of Program

Activity	Type	Sets	Reps	Duration	Tempo	Intensity	Rest
Matrix Shoulder Press	Exercise	3		20 sec.	dynamic	light	30 sec.
Snow Angels	Exercise	3		20 sec.	dynamic	light	30 sec.
Cobra - Floor	Exercise	3		20 sec.	slow	light	30 sec.
Medicine Ball Patterns	Exercise	3		20 sec.	dynamic	light	30 sec.
Chest Pass with Medicine Ball	Exercise	4	10		fast	moderate	1 min.
Lateral Lunge with Rotation using Medicine Ball	Exercise	3 each side	8		dynamic	moderate	1 min.
Extension/Flexion with Medicine Ball	Exercise	4	8		dynamic	moderate	1 min.
Sitting Dip	Exercise	3		20 sec.	slow	moderate	1 mn.
Push-Up on Medicine Ball with Lateral Roll	Exercise	3	6		dynamic	moderate	1 min.
Crunch – with pelvic tilt	Exercise	3		20 sec.	slow	moderate	30 sec.
Iso-Abs – Prone	Exercise	3		20 sec.	iso	moderate	30 sec.
Twist Supine on SB with MB	Exercise	3		20 sec.	dynamic	moderate	30 sec.

Cool Down
5 min. light stretching and 5 min. light cardio

Program Exercises

MATRIX SHOULDER PRESS

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Preparation :

Stand tall with adequate stability throughout the kinetic chain.
Keep the knees slightly bent and the gaze towards the horizon.
Allow the body to rhythmically flow throughout this movement.

Movement :

This movement is performed in all three planes.
First, perform an alternating press straight overhead as shown.
Next, perform alternating angling presses out in the frontal plane (approx. 30° out) as shown.
Next, twist through the transverse plane and press forward.
Pay close attention to the video to see the form throughout the kinetic chain.
Progression: Start with light dumbbells (approximately 20% of normal shoulder press).

Notes : Advance to next exercise after all sets and reps have been completed.

SNOW ANGELS

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Preparation :

Lie supine with both knees bent
Arms are extended at sides with palms facing the body

Movement :

Arms are raised along the floor to 90 degrees to the torso
Forearms are supinated and shoulder joint is externally rotated
Arms continue along the floor toward overhead
Process is reversed as hands are brought back to the sides

Notes : Advance to next exercise after all sets and reps have been completed.

COBRA - FLOOR

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Preparation :

Laying face down on the floor in prone position, have arms beside your hips.
Activate core by drawing in navel towards spine and squeezing glutes.

Movement :

With core and glutes activated, lift chest off the floor, lift arms up and back towards the hips rotating thumbs towards the ceiling.
Pause momentarily at the top of the lift then return to starting position; at all times keeping the chin tucked into the chest.
Upon completion of the movement, repeat.
Don't over emphasize arching of the back to lift the chest off the floor. Only lift to where the client is comfortable – no lower back pain should be felt. If so check sequencing of glute, erectors and hamstrings.

Notes : Advance to next exercise after completing all sets and reps.

MEDICINE BALL PATTERNS

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Preparation :

Activate core with a drawing-in and pelvic floor contraction.
Maintain good posture throughout the exercise with shoulder blades retracted and depressed, good stability through the abdominal complex, and neutral spine angles.

Movement :

Stand tall with good alignment, arms straight, turn through the shoulders so that the medicine ball rotates from side to side.
Keep your visual focus straight ahead, because turning the head is a progression as you confuse the vestibular system.
Start slowly and gradually increase the speed as your ability increases.
Other progressions: eyes closed; moving head side to side.

Notes : Advance to next exercise after completing all sets and reps.

CHEST PASS WITH MEDICINE BALL

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Preparation :

Initiate a thorough dynamic warm up prior to starting this exercise, this engages the nervous system.
Stand in proper alignment with hands in front of the chest and feet pointing straight ahead.
Activate the core with proper drawing in and pelvic floor contraction.

Movement :

Start with chest tall and shoulder blades depressed and retracted.
Hold medicine ball close to chest with elbows high.
Movement is the summation of the shoulder protraction, elbow extension and the wrist flexion as the ball is accelerated away from the body.

Notes : Advance to next exercise after completing all sets and reps.

LATERAL LUNGE WITH ROTATION USING MEDICINE BALL

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Preparation :

Start with a small step, shallow knee flexion and a limited twist to ensure proper alignment and neuromuscular stability of the spine in the transverse plane before increasing range of motion and depth of lunge.
Be aware of an upright trunk.
Hold medicine ball extended out in front of body so arms are parallel to the floor.

Movement :

Step to the side with right leg in a frontal plane, allowing the body to react to the ground force, gravity and momentum.
Pause in the lunge and rotate medicine ball to the right keeping trunk upright.
Only rotate as far as the body can stabilize.
Return to the starting position and perform same exercise on the left side, alternating sides for desired number of repetitions.
As the movement looks more fluent, gradually increase the ROM of the step and the reach with the medicine ball.

Notes : Complet all sets and reps before advancing to next exercise.

EXTENSION/FLEXION WITH MEDICINE BALL

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Preparation :

Grasp a medicine ball (MB) with both hands and keep elbows slightly bent.
Assume a squat position.

Movement :

Draw your belly button inward toward your spine.
From the squat position, squeeze glutes to start extending at the ankle, knee, hip and spine.
Flex shoulders lifting MB overhead as far as can maintain neutral spine.
Lower to starting position, repeat as required.

Notes : Complete all sets and reps before advancing to next exercise.

SITTING DIP

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Preparation :

Sit on a chair that allows for 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion
Place heels of palms on edge of seat next to hips
Flex through entire spine and allow pelvis to rotate posteriorly
Flex elbows

Movement :

Rotate pelvis anteriorly to move up to ishial tuberosities
Extend elbows progressively in sync with pelvic motion
Extend cervical spine at the top of the movement and look up

Notes : Complete all sets and reps before advancing to next exercise.

PUSH-UP ON MEDICINE BALL WITH LATERAL ROLL

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Preparation :

Lie prone on the ground, hands are slightly wider than shoulder width and spine angles are ‘neutral’.
Place one hand on a medicine ball and one hand on the ground.
Activate core with a drawing-in and pelvic floor contraction.

Movement :

With your arms extended and knees on the ground, bend the knees at 90° and elevate the lower leg.
Perform a push-up.
As you return to arm extension, roll the medicine ball across the floor to the other arm.
Place hand on medicine ball and do a push-up.
AVOID letting your back sag by keeping the core engaged and activating the glutes and lats (by keeping the shoulder blades down and together).

Notes : Complete all sets and reps before advancing to next exercise.

CRUNCH – WITH PELVIC TILT

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Preparation :

Ensure the individual is proficient at a crunch before prescribing this exercise.

Movement :

Lie supine on the ground with knees bent, feet flat and hands lightly supporting the head.
Initiate a posterior pelvic tilt as shown (rotate the pelvis backward) while rolling the thoracic spine off the ground up to a crunch.
Lower slowly and repeat.
TRAINERS: Watch for a forward head carriage, anterior collapsing of the shoulders and holding of the breath. These are indications that the exercise is too difficult and should be regressed.

Notes : Perform this exercise with the last 2 exercises of this workout as a circuit. After completing set, rest 30 sec. then advance to next exercise.

ISO-ABS – PRONE

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Preparation :

Assume a prone position on forearms elbows positioned under shoulders.

Movement :

Draw your lower abdomen inward toward your spine.
In optimal postural alignment tighten buttocks and lift body up onto forearms.
While maintaining the abdominal draw-in contraction, hold optimal alignment for desired duration.
Your spine should be in a neutral position from cervical to lumbar and your glutes should remain tight without compensatory motion.
Keep chin tucked in.
Reduce time if form is compromised. Form is more important than how long you hold!

Notes : After completing set, rest 30 sec. then advance to next exercise.

TWIST SUPINE ON SB WITH MB

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Preparation :

From a seated position, slowly roll down the ball while comfortably placing your head and neck on the ball
Lift your hips up until they are in line with your knees and shoulders
Raise arms and medicine ball perpendicular to your torso.

Movement :

Maintaining a stable pelvis, slowly rotate trunk to each side
As strength develops, increase range of motion and speed
Maintain proper spinal alignment!
Do not allow hips to drop while rotating.

Notes : After completing set, rest 30 sec. then repeat Crunch with Pelvic tilt. If all sets and reps have been completed, rest 1-2 min. then advance to cool down.

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