Best Medicine Balls Review 2024

Medicine balls are easy to use, once you’ve learned the basics, and once you know how to keep them from falling on your limbs and hurting you. This is why we decided to break down some basic moves you can do with a medicine ball!

We are talking about balls here, so it’s only logical that you have to throw it! Throwing is the best reason to start using medicine balls. The reason why is simple - you cannot throw any other piece of fitness equipment! Pushing and pulling dumbbells and kettlebells is effective, but once you will have to decelerate the move at one point. The medicine ball won’t require you to do so, so you can accelerate throughout the whole exercise and build more and more power throughout the whole motion!

One thing you can try is rotational ball throws. Grab a bouncier medicine ball and position yourself about 130 cm from a wall. Then throw the ball while you rotate your shoulders and hips. Of course, remember to actually catch the ball, and be ready to throw it again once you do! Repeat this as many times as you can, and then switch the side that rotates.

Special medicine balls, called slam balls, allow you to slam them against the floor. When you slam the balls against the floor and then do your best to catch them, you actually explosively train the muscles that work when you do a pull-up. This type of exercise will also make your heart pump like crazy, so you get a pretty decent cardio session as well.

Explosive medicine ball slams are the way to go. Slam the ball as hard as you can in front of your feet, and then catch it before it starts to fall down! Use your entire body for this motion. Remember to test the ball beforehand, since a very bouncy ball can end up harming you. Do this for about 10 to 15 times, and then try to do three sessions.

If you have a hard time balancing yourself, then you can benefit from balancing on the medicine ball. All you have to do is place both of your hands on the ball, and then attempt to do a press-up. Sounds easier than it is, trust us! This motion will strengthen your core, and will of course help with your balance.

You can do this exercise by getting in the push-up position, and then place your hands on the ball with palms open and fingers extended. Lower yourself into the plank position, making sure to keep your body and head aligned with your spine. Pin your elbows to your sides, and slowly lower yourself over the ball until your chest almost touches it. Finish this move by trying to extend your elbows completely, and do this about 12 times!

How effective can just one medicine ball truly be? Well, we’re here to tell you that once you fully master using the medicine ball, it can bring a lot of benefits with it, and you won’t need much more equipment besides it!

Medicine balls allow you to use something that you rarely use when exercising with free weights, and that is speed and acceleration. By moving a heavy object faster, you gain more explosive power and thus increase your strength, which is something we all strive to improve.

Medicine balls allow you to use your full range of motion. This freedom of movement recreates the motions used in various different sports that are not emphasized when you use cardio machines or weights. Squats, bench presses, and deadlifts will always be a great way to build impressive strength and muscles, but they only use a single plane of movement, and thus do not allow you to use your full body power. By using a medicine ball to exercise, you activate your whole body while working out, so your power output is much greater. And thus you build strength more effectively.

Lastly, medicine balls are safe, versatile, and most importantly, fun! Medicine balls are one of the easiest ways to train strength and power. If you’re inexperienced in the fitness field, you will likely master using the medicine ball in a very short period of time, while mastering proper squatting form takes some time, and you could potentially hurt yourself until you realize what the right way to do it actually is.

Also, if you’re new to the world of training, you can probably incorporate working out with the medicine ball as soon as you start heading to the gym! Medicine balls also allow you to make a choice between strength and endurance conditioning. By doing fewer reps with a heavier ball, you focus on your strength, and when you use a lighter ball and do many reps with it, you will make your heart pump hard and fast. So you can rely on the medicine ball to kickstart your fitness journey, and to help you maintain your current fitness level!

How effective can just one medicine ball truly be? Well, we’re here to tell you that once you fully master using the medicine ball, it can bring a lot of benefits with it, and you won’t need much more equipment besides it!

Medicine balls allow you to use something that you rarely use when exercising with free weights, and that is speed and acceleration. By moving a heavy object faster, you gain more explosive power and thus increase your strength, which is something we all strive to improve.

Medicine balls allow you to use your full range of motion. This freedom of movement recreates the motions used in various different sports that are not emphasized when you use cardio machines or weights. Squats, bench presses, and deadlifts will always be a great way to build impressive strength and muscles, but they only use a single plane of movement, and thus do not allow you to use your full body power. By using a medicine ball to exercise, you activate your whole body while working out, so your power output is much greater. And thus you build strength more effectively.

Lastly, medicine balls are safe, versatile, and most importantly, fun! Medicine balls are one of the easiest ways to train strength and power. If you’re inexperienced in the fitness field, you will likely master using the medicine ball in a very short period of time, while mastering proper squatting form takes some time, and you could potentially hurt yourself until you realize what the right way to do it actually is.

Also, if you’re new to the world of training, you can probably incorporate working out with the medicine ball as soon as you start heading to the gym! Medicine balls also allow you to make a choice between strength and endurance conditioning. By doing fewer reps with a heavier ball, you focus on your strength, and when you use a lighter ball and do many reps with it, you will make your heart pump hard and fast. So you can rely on the medicine ball to kickstart your fitness journey, and to help you maintain your current fitness level!

Weight

The weight of the ball you need will depend on what you actually want to use the medicine ball for. Medicine balls that you just want to grip and use like free weights will, of course, be heavier, and they will have a grippy surface that will allow you to lift it safely. If you want to throw your medicine ball, it’s better to opt out for a lighter one so that it doesn’t harm you if it lands where it’s not supposed to. Slam balls and wall balls can be both light and heavy, and you just need to make sure that you’ve chosen the right weight for you.

Luckily, many medicine ball manufacturers allow you to choose your desired weight! Some of them even come in sets, so you can change the weight you’re using with ease. Different weight will be marked with different colors, where the lighter ones will usually be yellow or green, and the heavier ones blue or even black. The number of pounds they weight will also be printed on the balls, so you don’t confuse them and go for a lighter or a heavier one.

The weight of the ball will be determined by the filling, and by the materials, it’s made out of. Sand-filled balls will be the heaviest, and leather shells take the cake when it comes to weight! Just make sure you’ve got the safest weight for your needs, and you’re good to go!

Since your medicine balls will be abused heavily in the gym, especially if they’re slam or wall balls, they really do need to be hardy. The very first thing manufacturers need to do in order to improve the durability of their medicine balls is to make sure that the stitches are reinforced.

Many medicine balls we mentioned here have double, or even triple reinforced stitches, but some are just one solid ball that has no stitches at all. These added stitches strengthen the weakest points on the medicine balls - the points where the material meets, which is where most balls are likely to tear first.

Every ball will suffer from some disfigurement over time, it doesn't matter if your ball is one of the cheap medicine balls or one of the most expensive balls. This is because you will be throwing, slamming and swinging the poor things every imaginable way, so some degree of deformation is guaranteed. The best way to help the balls retain their shape is by giving them a hardy, durable exterior, like a PVC or leather outer shell. Some companies take it a step further and test their medicine balls vigorously before they make it to the stores so that they are sure it retains its shape for a long time.

The place where the manufacturers put the weight of the ball will also affect their durability. There are multiple ways the balls can be made to be heavier, and the most popular ones are putting all of the weight in one spot or putting the weight in multiple spots over the ball. Although this seems like a handy solution, it can make the ball become off-balanced, so you end up with an unsafe tool.

Off-balanced balls are a great way to end up injured, so make sure that your ball is balanced properly! Good manufacturers test their products multiple times over to ensure that the weight does not shift, or they use special materials and methods to lock the weight down into place.

One way you can be completely sure that your ball is going to be durable is if it has a warranty. Not many medicine balls have a warranty, and the reason why is logical - it’s going to break sooner or later thanks to the repeated slamming and throwing motions. Just make sure that you’ve not mistaken your medicine ball for a slam or a wall ball because this can result in the early death of the ball.

Rogue fitness, as an example, has a two-year guarantee for their balls, so you can be sure that their product will stand the test of time! This doesn’t mean that other manufacturers are not good, it just says that Rogue fitness creates super hardy medicine balls.

As we mentioned this before, the medicine ball doesn't’ come in only one shape and size. There are many different ways your ball can look, and the way it looks will determine what the ball ends up being used for.

Let’s first see where the differences between slam balls, wall balls, and medicine balls lie.

Medicine balls, which is what you came here for, are generally smooth and evenly weighted, and they tend to be the bounciest. But this will make them less durable than their multi-layered compatriots since it’s not specifically designed to absorb impact and shock forces. This is why you should never, ever throw or slam a medicine ball!

Also, this is why medicine balls tend to be made out of materials that are not so durable, like rubber or plastic. Their smooth surface will make catching them a difficult task, especially if your hands are sweaty. Instead, regular medicine balls should be used just like free weights are.

Wall balls are specialized medicine balls, and just like the name suggest, they were made to be thrown against walls. They are specially made to absorb impact when they meet a hard surface, which is what makes them safe if they accidentally land on your face. Wall balls are large, and usually, have a smooth vinyl shell that is padded.

All of this makes it easier to see and catch them when you throw them against the wall. Wall balls weight typically anywhere from 2 to 50 pounds, so they can provide you with quite a challenge! Their size also varies, and they can be as small as a softball or as big as a beach ball.

And lastly, we have slam balls. Slam balls are the hardiest of them all. They have a super tough rubber shell that has been made to be thrown repeatedly on the ground, hence the name. Slam balls have almost zero rebounds, so you will need to slam them really hard against the floor in order to be able to catch it!