Medicine Ball Upper Body Superset Workout

Hi everybody!  I hope your weekends were all fantastic!  Today I'm giving you an upper body workout you can do pretty much anywhere as long as you have a medicine ball handy.  In the gym, in your home, at a studio, in a hotel room or park... the list is endless.  It's a chest, shoulders, & triceps superset workout, which means you'll be doing 2 moves back to back working the same muscle group with no rest.

For this workout I used an 8lb ball, but adjust as you need to.  You may find a heavier ball works better for you for some of the moves (like the chest throws).  I definitely recommend using a ball with a sturdy exterior, though, since some of the moves require you to put most of your bodyweight onto the ball.  The one I used has a bit of sand in the bottom to keep it stable, which made it slightly more challenging to roll on the ground, but I found that to be okay and an added bonus to the workout.  Ready to get started?

Medicine Ball Upper Body Superset Workout

What You'll Need: a sturdy medicine ball with some weight to it (I used 8lbs) and a mat
What You'll Do: each exercise lasts 1 minute (or in some cases, 30 seconds each side).  Go through each superset with no rest between exercises, and minimal rest between supersets.  Repeat the whole thing 2 times through for the full workout.

Superset 1: Chest

Raised Push Ups (5 each side) - start in a push up position with the ball under one hand.  Do 5 push ups on that side, then roll the ball over to the other hand and do 5 more push ups.  Keep alternating 5 on each side for 1 minute.  Trainer Tip: you can do these from your knees, too, just remember to keep that spine in a straight line from neck to tailbone.

Chest Throws - lie on your back with your pelvis raised.  Rest the ball on your chest, hands underneath it, elbows out wide, ready to push the ball up into the air.  From here, push the ball straight above you releasing it slightly into the air, then catch it and lower it back down to your chest.  Keep the throws going (with your pelvis raised the whole time) for 1 minute.

Superset 2: Shoulders

Overhead Shoulder Pass - these ones will burn after a while!  Stand with your feet about hip width apart, arms outstretched to shoulder height, holding the ball in one hand.  From here, slowly bring the ball up above your head, pass it to the other hand, and lower it back down on the other side to shoulder height.  Keep passing it up over your head (careful not to drop it!) for 1 minute.

Single Arm Shoulder Press - stay standing with feet hip width apart, this time holding the ball on one side as if holding a serving platter above you.  From here, press the ball up straight overhead.  Lower back down to shoulder height.  Keep the presses going for 30 seconds on one arm before switching to the other.

Superset 3: Triceps

Raised Leg Tricep Dips - having your feet on a unstable surface here adds a little bit more abdominal work to keep you stable.  Start seated with your feet on the medicine ball, knees bent, and hands flat on the floor, finger tips facing your feet.  From here, raise your hips up so your butt is off the floor.  Now bend at the elbow and dip yourself down slightly, then push back up.  Keep the dips going for 1 minute.  Trainer Tip: so often I see people doing "tricep dips" by raising and lowering their pelvis, not bending their arms.  Remember this is a triceps exercise, not a lower body exercise, so the arms are the focus.  Your legs and waist should stay relatively neutral once you raise them off the floor initially; your arms should be doing all the work.

Side-lying Tricep Push Ups - start lying completely down on one side, bottom arm crossed over your chest, and top arm over it with that hand placed on top of the medicine ball. (Note: the ball should be very close to you here.)  Push up with that arm raising your upper body off the floor, trying to get your elbow as straight as you can (mine could be slightly straighter in the picture).  Lower yourself back down to the floor.  Keep the push ups going for 30 seconds on each side.

Superset 4: Combo

Frontal Roll Out with Push Up - start in a push up position on your knees with the ball under one hand.  Roll the ball forward lowering your chest towards the floor, extending your arm straight out.  Roll the ball back up to starting position, and now roll it out to the side to perform a wide-arm push up.  Roll it back in.  Repeat those motions (frontal roll out + lateral roll out with wide arm push up) for 30 seconds on each arm.  Trainer Tip:  these are difficult as is, but if you want to increase the intensity and get some additional abdominal work, do these from your toes.

Superman Passes - these ones are fun - like playing hot potato with the ball.  Lie on your stomach, arms and legs extended out, both raised up off the floor, ball in one hand.  From here, roll the ball back and forth between your arms as quickly as you can, keeping your feet and chest elevated the entire time.  Keep rolling back and forth for 1 minute.  Trainer Tip: try to work more of your shoulders when moving the ball by keeping your arms straight, rather than bending at the elbow to push it across.

Repeat that whole series once more (2 times through total) for the full superset workout.  Now for some exciting news...

LOVE THE LEGGINGS IN THIS POST? GET $10 OFF GTS CLOTHING ORDERS WITH CODE: INFITINHEALTH

I'm excited to be partnering with a local athletic wear company here in upstate New York, Greater Than Sports.  GTS is based in Saratoga Springs, where they make all of their athletic apparel in-house.  The Apex Leggings I'm wearing in this workout are by far their most popular style, and I have to say, I'm in love with them too!  The mesh detail around the thigh is perfect for a little flair of fashion, yet subtle so you're not showing off too much skin.  The fabric is comfortable and perfectly stretchy for a high intensity workout (not to mention sweat-wicking).  They come in a few other colors too if black isn't your thing: red, a gorgeous teal green, and gray.  That said, my favorite part about them has to be that they're made in the US (and local to upstate New Yorkers!).

The leggings are certainly affordable given that they're domestically made ($80), but I'm excited to offer blog readers a $10 discount on your order using code infitinhealth!  You can visit GTS Clothing at their website here, and also follow them on Instagram for some amazing styling ideas!  (I'm eyeing the Burgundy Pinnacle Pant next...)

Readers: chat with me!  Do you like using medicine balls during your workouts?  What's your favorite exercise to do with them?  Do you like the mesh trend in leggings recently?  Have you heard of GTS Clothing?  Will you check them out?

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this post, however I was kindly given a discount on my clothing purchase in exchange for a review.  All opinions and this workout are my own.