Move It Mountain View: The Rengstorff Wall Edition

Last week, I demonstrated one of my favorite medicine ball exercises in my .

Several of you asked me for more information about the medicine ball, such as where you can buy one and what else you can do with it. So here is your quick medicine ball tutorial:

A medicine ball is a weighted ball, ranging from 2-25 pounds. You can purchase one here in Mounatin View at or find one online. Medicine balls are versatile, easy to transport and offer a fun alternative to traditional hand weights. In a pinch, or if you are a beginner, you can substitute a basketball or a kickball for the following exercises.

Today's workout engages the entire body, but with a primary focus on the abdominal muscles, specifically the obliques.

Twisting Toss: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, right side of the body facing the wall. Lower into a squat and bring the medicine ball to your left hip. Twist the body toward the wall as you toss the ball hard and fast against the wall. Catch and repeat. After about 30 repetitions, switch to the other side.

Ball Rotation Lunges: Holding the ball firmly with both hands, step forward into a lunge with the left leg. Drop the ball in front of the right thigh and then bring it overhead as you turn your torso to face the left side. Return the ball down to the opposite thigh and bring the back leg in to a standing position. Switch lead legs and repeat on the other side.

Sit Up Slams: Lie face up on a mat about a foot away from the wall. Bend your knees, hold medicine ball at chest level. Sit up and then throw ball against the wall. Catch and lower back down to starting position. To make the exercise more challenging, skip the beat at the top of the move and just throw the ball against the wall as you sit up.

As always, feel free to mix and match exercises from previous workouts, such as those from the or the . And don't forget to let me know how you like working with the medicine ball.

Enjoy your workout!

Download the movie