A Whole New Ball Game

by | Aug 31, 2016 | Workouts

Your fave childhood ball game is about to get a fitness makeover: sculpt seriously sexy muscle tone with this fun move!
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
If you had access to a ball and a wall when you were a kid, you probably remember the simple joy of throwing the ball against the wall and catching it again (if you were an only child, you’ll remember this even better). Hours of entertainment without ever having to search for a Pokémon or risk spraining your thumbs. What you didn’t realise: you were getting a pretty decent workout as you tossed, lunged and dived for the ball.
Enter The Grand Slam
Here’s some great news: You can play yourself fit with that same ball game using this move from Next Fitness Star finalist Sanchia du Preez. All you need is a slam ball – one of those, heavy, floppy medicine balls that don’t bounce – and a piece of wall space. Your objective: Throw the ball against the wall and catch it again. Sounds easy enough, but the weight and size of the ball make it tougher than you think. And that’s where the workout comes in. You want to swivel your body as you slam that ball, getting your whole bodyweight behind it. The result? You’re recruiting muscles in your arms, shoulders, chest and core. And because of that swivel, you’re using more of your core muscles than you would doing, say, crunches. What’s more, the explosiveness of the movement gets your heart rate up, prompting your body start burning more kilojoules. Who knew playing could be such effective exercise?
Get It Right
Stand about a metre away from the wall, side on. Hold the ball at shoulder height and plant your feet slider wider than hip width apart, knees slightly bent. Throw the ball hard against the wall, driving from your core and swivelling your hips. Catch it, then throw it again. Do 10-15 reps, then repeat on the other side. Up the ante: Pair it with 10 explosive push-ups (or, you know, just regular push-ups).
Workout Wednesday Challenge: Watch Sanchia’s video demo below, then throw (see what we did there?) this move into your Wednesday Workout as an explosive finisher right at the end. Nailed it? Tag us in your video or pic on Instagram or Twitter. We’ll regram our faves!

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