Medicine Ball weight

Mitch Connor

Hey all,

I have done a search for this (on boards.ie and the wider web) but I still can't find a decent answer.

Looking to get a medicine ball to help with losing fat/gaining muscle. However, I have no idea what weight medicine ball I should be looking at. Can anyone help advise me on this?

I am not just looking at the medicine ball to help me, I am eating better and I go to the gym or play squash most days in the week. In the gym I do about 45mins on the cross trainer and then do 4 sets of weights (not free weights) which consist of seated leg press at 100kg and then 3 sets of arm/chest ones at 50 to 60 kg. When I get home from the gym i would then do about 150 sit ups on this (but I have had to stop that this week for, erm, medical reasons - hope to start back next week or the week after.

One of the main reasons for wanting to get a medicine ball is that the exercises can be done at home without the need for too much space or other specialist equipment. So, basically, I am looking for something that will help me build up muscle in my arms and chest, but mainly my abs and I have seen a few work outs online that should help this, with a medicine ball.

So, what weight ball should I be going for? See Argos only really do them to 6kg, with that 6kg ball getting very bad reviews. Is a 5kg ball enough?

Also, is there anywhere decent to get medicine balls at a good price? I have looked in Champion Sports, Lifestyle, Elverys and I have looked for somewhere selling them in Carrickmines, Bray and Greystones (there is a gym shop in greystones but they are closed until they move to new premises in September.

Killme00

You should have a look on http://www.irish-lifting.com/medicine-balls-pe-143.html

I'd forgotten how versatile a med ball is until i thought about it after reading your post. I'd say 6kg would be heavy enough if you use it properly. I hope you're not just doing countless ab excercises, are you? Reverse crunches, plank, weighted and side bridging are far better and less likely to injure than situps in my limited experience. 150 situps must be pretty hard on your lower back!

Apip99

Have you thought about KettleBells? I don't use them myself, but have seen some great reviews and videos on them (Thanks Transform) There are some for sale on Adverts.ie http://www.adverts.ie/265969/exercise-equipment-and-weights/polished-cast-iron-kettlebells/

The seller in nothing to do with me BTW, just saw the adverts last week.

Mitch Connor

Killme00 wrote: »

You should have a look on http://www.irish-lifting.com/medicine-balls-pe-143.html

I'd forgotten how versatile a med ball is until i thought about it after reading your post. I'd say 6kg would be heavy enough if you use it properly. I hope you're not just doing countless ab excercises, are you? Reverse crunches, plank, weighted and side bridging are far better and less likely to injure than situps in my limited experience. 150 situps must be pretty hard on your lower back!

not the lower back - lower than that unfortunately! Was 150 situps - 6 sets of 25 reps.

Cheers for the advise on the other exercises.

Apip99 wrote: »

Have you thought about KettleBells? I don't use them myself, but have seen some great reviews and videos on them (Thanks Transform) There are some for sale on Adverts.ie http://www.adverts.ie/265969/exercise-equipment-and-weights/polished-cast-iron-kettlebells/

The seller in nothing to do with me BTW, just saw the adverts last week.

The girlfriend bought a set of kettle bells in argos a while back, with the heaviest being 4kg. might borrow them off her and see what they are like.

eilo1

love medicine balls! you can honestly do so much with them!

art of fitness do them up to 10g with double grips, they are in Monkstown

Transform

buy a kettlebell and do not waste your money