How To Do Medicine Ball Plank Jacks
Medicine Ball Plank Jacks is a core body exercise that strengthens all the muscles of the core and improves your stability. Medicine Ball Plank Jacks uses the medicine ball beneath the hands to provide an unstable surface which challenges your core muscles in a different way than when they are on a stable surface. By using an unstable surface, more muscle fibers are recruited and used to keep your torso stable. If you learn how to do Medicine Ball Plank Jacks you want to make sure to try and keep your torso as still as possible while your feet are doing the “jumping jack” action.
Before learning Medicine Ball Plank Jacks you will want to master Plank Jacks. This move is slightly easier to tackle because your hands are on the ground for stability. But don’t be fooled. Plank Jacks and Medicine Ball Plank Jacks are both challenging exercises that will make you feel your abs and lower back the next day! Be sure to keep your lower abs pulled in very tightly as you jack your feet. If you do not pull them in, your body will bounce up and down and you will end up with a sore back and less results. Keep your belly super tight!
The medicine ball is a tool for this exercise but the weight of the ball is not significant. The size of the ball is more of an issue. You will want a ball large enough for both hands to wrap around. You will also want a ball that is fully inflated so your wrists don’t end up sore.
Try the Medicine Ball Plank Jack and other great medicine ball moves in our workout 20-Minute Total Body Medicine Ball Workout.
Here are the steps to performing Medicine Ball Plank Jack:
1) Begin kneeling on the floor with hands cupped around medicine ball.
2) Tighten abdominals and glutes and stretch your legs behind you to a straight line. Straighten arms but keep shoulders down away from ears.
3) Jump your feet out to shoulder width apart, then jump them back in together. Continue jumping legs out and in without letting the body bounce up and down.
Targets: core, back, shoulders, chest