Medicine Ball Push-Ups

March 4th, 2008 by Jarryd | Posted in Secrets Of The Gym |

Medicine ball push-ups. A great tool in your toolbox to have. Not only will these increase your bench but will also help reduce the risk of injury, while increasing your balance and incorporating your stabilizer muscles.

I recommend a few sets of these before or after the bench. In doing so, you force your stabilizers to work extra hard, creating a better sense of balance in your other presses.

A lot of energy is wasted in presses just keeping a fluid steady motion. Targeting your week points will only make your normal lifts that much easier.

In addition, if you choose to, you could even replace your tricep workouts with a few sets of these since it places so much emphasis on them.

Here’s how I suggest you go about doing them:

Get a wide foot base. At first you’re going to be unsteady.

Place your palms face in on each side of the top of the ball.

Keep your elbows tucked into your sides.

In a slow controlled manner lower yourself down to the ball, pausing for one second at the bottom (the ball should be under your sternum).

Push yourself back up slowly.

Do this 8-12 reps. (do not go until failure! this could result in injury!)

As you become more comfortable you can experiment with using closer stances, and even balancing using one foot. This will put even more stress on your stabilizers and triceps.

Lift smart.

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