How to Use Medicine Balls Like Kettlebells

Medicine balls don't typically work like kettlebells, but choosing the right kind of medicine ball ensures you can perform moves similar to those in a kettlebell workout. Medicine balls usually are round with no handles, but some have handles that make mimicking a kettlebell workout easier. Even with handles, medicine balls aren't weighted the same as kettlebells, but they can provide a similar type of resistance in certain exercises. Choose your exercises carefully to find the ones that work most like a kettlebell workout.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a compact medicine ball with a handle. Kettlebells tend to pack their weight into relatively small packages, so try to mimic this with a smaller medicine ball. Ideally, the medicine ball should have just one large handle rather than two small ones.

    • 2

      Pick a ball with a weight that's 30 to 50 percent of your one-time repetition maximum. With both medicine balls and kettlebells, you shouldn't exercise to exhaustion; you risk losing control of the ball.

    • 3

      Perform swinging-motion kettlebell exercises by holding the medicine ball like the kettlebell when possible. For example, do woodchop exercises by holding the ball with both hands outside one hip as you squat slightly, then lift the ball across your body as you stand up straight -- the ball should end outside the shoulder opposite your starting hip side. Stop the ball at shoulder height; for a more advanced move, lift the ball over your head, ending outside the line of your shoulder. Continue for 60 seconds. Although you can perform this move holding a medicine ball without handles, using a handled version enables the ball to engage your muscles more as you control the ball's movement.

    • 4

      Replace a kettlebell swing with a medicine ball version using a ball with or without handles. Squat and hold the ball between your legs. Stand and push your hips forward as you raise the ball to chest level with your arms extended; pushing through your hips helps raise the medicine ball.