Medicine Ball Sit-Up Guide: How to Master Medicine Ball Sit-Ups

Medicine ball sit-ups are a type of medicine ball exercise designed to deliver a powerful ab workout. The medicine ball adds extra weight to the traditional sit-up, turning this classic bodyweight exercise into a challenging strength-training workout. The primary muscles targeted by medicine ball sit-ups are your abdominal muscles. When practiced with proper form, you activate your lower body as well, working your glutes and hamstrings.

Several notable benefits make medicine ball sit-ups a great addition to your home workout routine.

1. 1. Medicine ball sit-ups can help strengthen your core. Whether your main motivation is increased core strength or six-pack abs, medicine ball sit-ups are an efficient ab exercise for achieving your fitness goals.
2. 2. Medicine ball sit-ups are a versatile core exercise. If you don't have access to a medicine ball, the exercise can be performed with any weights you've got on hand—such as dumbbells, kettlebells, or even barbell plates.
3. 3. Medicine ball sit-ups prepare you for other med ball exercises. Once you've mastered med ball sit-ups, consider trying a variation of the exercise such as med ball crunches, med ball Russian twists, or med ball reverse crunches.

For medicine ball sit-ups, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 10–15 repetitions. Choose your sets, repetitions, and the weight of the medicine ball based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Grab a medicine ball and lie face-up on an exercise mat with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet on the floor. Anchor your feet under a pair of dumbbells if you need more stability.
2. 2. Your spine and pelvis should be in a neutral position. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked. Engage your core.
3. 3. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. All repetitions should begin from this starting position.
4. 4. Keep the medicine ball at chest level and begin the upward movement by squeezing your abs.
5. 5. Curl your upper body off the floor toward your knees while squeezing your abs. Pause at the top of the movement.
6. 6. Slowly lower to the starting position while maintaining tension on your abs.
7. 7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.