Beginners Fitness: Medicine Balls

Welcome to the third week of the Spring 2013 Beginners Fitness Series!

You can catch up on Beginners Fitness & Beginners Fitness: Kettlebells, or some other recent health & fitness-related posts – Guest Post: Women’s Health, Guest Post: Fashion of the Fitness World, Guest Post: Food & The Daily Battle, {Guest Post} Interview With A Trainer & {Guest Post} A CrossFit Year.

Another one of my favorite pieces of equipment at the gym are medicine balls – They’re versatile and since they can be used to work so many different muscle groups you can put together an entire workout using them.

{Inspiration Pinterest Board}

Workouts:

If you’re starting a workout regime for the first time and consider yourself to be a beginner than you need to be sure to ease into a new exercise routine – Start with one workout a week plus walking, then two, and so forth.

Choosing your weight is one of the most important parts of a medicine ball workout – You want to be tired by the end of each set so don’t start with the heaviest weight you can pick up. You can also change weights for different moves – For example using a heavier ball for squats and a lighter one for core exercises.

[1.] Day One:

Warm Up: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}

• Squats {ShapeFit’s Medicine Ball Squats} Three rounds of 10-12 squats
• Sit n’ Reach {Pumps & Iron’s Sit n’ Reach – Halfway down the page} Three rounds of 10-12
• Medicine Ball Slam {Women’s Health’s Medicine Ball Slam} Three rounds of 10-12 rounds

Warm Down: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}

*Reading Materials – Medicine Ball Workout from Mark’s Daily Apple

{Inspiration Pinterest Board}

[2.] Day Two: Core Core Core!

Warm Up: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}

• Lunge With Rotation {Sport Medicine’s Core Exercise – Lunge With Medicine Ball} 10 per side
• Russian Twists {Workout Box’s Medicine Ball Russian Twists}  10 per side
• Wall Sit Twists {Women Health’s Wall Sit With Rotation} 10 per side

Warm Down: 10-15 minutes of intervals on a machine of your choosing {See the suggestions under Warm Up}

• 30 seconds as fast as possible
• 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
• 30 seconds as fast as possible
• 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed

*Reading Materials – Increase Your Strength and Athleticism with Medicine Ball Training

Nutrition:

In the past two posts we’ve talked about healthy eating, how to replace unhealthy snacks with more nutrition options, and I suggested cooking as an alternative to eating out. Today I want to talk a little about fueling your workout – What you eat before a workout gives you energy and keeps your body hydrated & nourished while you put stress on it.

• Shape’s What to Eat Before Working Out and When to Eat It
• Prevention’s What to Eat Before and After Workouts

These are interesting articles and while they both highlight the importance of properly fueling your workouts they aren’t identical in their recommendations. Each body is different and it’s going to take some trial and error to find the perfect workout fuel for your body!

Homework:

Rest days and stretching and/or foam rolling are an important part of working out. If you have the stamina to workout 7 days a week that’s admirable – But don’t! By not giving your body time to heal and rest you’re undoing all of your hard work. Check out The No Meat Athlete’s rolling tutorial to get you started – Foam Rolling.

Having a busy Spring? That’s no excuse to skip your workouts! You can easily do body weight circuits featuring moves like push-ups, squats, and sit-ups from a hotel room or utilize the hotel pool or drop-in deals for gyms & studios. Bonus? Getting in a workout  after a flight can help you fight jetlag! Read Mod City Mag’s Working Out While Traveling to give you some tips & suggestions for your next trip.

Disclaimer: I am not a trainer, doctor, or dietitian nor do I have any certifications associated with physical fitness or nutrition. Prior to making any dramatic changes to your fitness routine or diet you should consult a physician.