It's Workout Wednesday which means it's time to shift focus away from the yoga mat and over into the fitness side of things. I really believe in the importance of being a well rounded yogi and athlete. It just balances the body out better, I'd argue, when you dabble in both the yin and the yang. Whatever your yin is (yoga, for example), it's important to balance it out with a yang (running, weightlifting, dancing, whatever).
If getting into the gym is part of your yang, be sure to check out our 6 Week Workout Program. It's what I've been following lately, and I absolutely love it.
Included in the program are wall ball practices, and I wanted to break it down for you here on the blog today. Regardless of whether or not you're following the 6 Week Workout Program, adding wall balls to the mix is a great way to build strength and endurance.
So, what are wall balls? Essentially it's a great conditioning exercise that not only improved endurance, but builds strength and helps to burn fat. It's an explosive movement and it's tough because it works your lower body during the squat, and your upper body during the push press. But, that's exactly what you'd want to incorporate them into your workout - they're a great total body exercise.
To start, you'll need a medicine ball. Depending on how many wall balls I'm doing, and how good my shoulder is feeling (I have one weak shoulder I need to be mindful of as I continue to balance out the strength across both shoulders), I usually choose between a 12lbs, 15 lbs or 20lbs med ball. Men can go higher in weight.
1. Begin by standing in front of the wall with your arms outstretched. Stand far enough away so that if you reach your arms out in front, your middle finger will touch the wall. Then, pick the med ball up and come into a squat. A lot of people use the "ass to grass" mantra, which basically just means you're looking to squat as low as you can while maintaining good form. Good form key points: back stays long and doesn't round, the majority of the weight stays in the heels, your chest stays up with collar bones broad.
2. Push through your heels. As you do this, you're going to feel your hamstrings and glutes activate.
3. Explode through your hips and legs as you aim the med ball high up against the wall.
4. At the top of the explosion in step three, finish by exploding through the arms as you throw the ball high. Then you'll catch it and land in the same position as step 1, and then repeat for however many repetitions you have that round.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you down in the comments section below!