I love using a medicine ball in my circuits classes and I often program wall balls for my regular personal training clients.
This involves throwing a medicine ball high against a wall and catching it in a squat.
It’s an explosive movement, working multiple muscle groups including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, triceps and shoulders.
Despite regularly getting my clients to do the move, I rarely do it myself, so I decided to set myself a fitness challenge of doing wall balls for 30 days.
I started with a 5kg medicine ball like this one from Amazon, doing 20 repetitions for the first few days.
Over the month I increased the weight to 8kg and then 10kg, and gradually increased the repetitions (see my plan below).
Here's what I discovered after following the challenge for 30 days.
My coordination improved
I quickly realized that I’m terrible at catching a ball.
Wall balls demand decent hand-eye coordination, along with some core stability to stay controlled while throwing and catching.
Over time, my coordination improved, which means that my motor skills got a boost.
My core strength and balance improved
Catching a weighted ball in a squat requires a strong core to keep you upright.
Within the first week, I noticed my core strength and balance had improved and I could maintain my form more easily.
Even if I wobbled, I didn’t stumble back like I did in the beginning.
My resting heart rate went down
A lower resting heart rate is a sign of improved cardiovascular fitness.
By the end of the challenge mine had dropped from 70 BPM (beats per minute) to 65 BPM, which inspired me to keep wall balls in my routine.
My ankle and hip mobility improved
Wall balls encourage a deeper squat position, which means better mobility through the ankles and hips.
Over the 30 days, my squat form and depth improved, which had a positive knock-on effect on my running (I felt my stride improve).
I maintained my motivation
Having a fitness challenge is super motivating.
Even on days I didn’t feel like exercising, I managed to push through mental blocks such as a negative mindset telling me “I can’t” or “I don’t want to”.
As soon as I started, I felt proud for committing to something challenging yet rewarding.
How to do the wall ball
- Stand about one meter away from the wall with your feet in a squat stance, feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outward.
- Hold the ball with both hands, elbows tucked in.
- Look up at the wall as you throw the ball upward.
- As the ball comes down, catch it in a squat as low as you can, keeping the core engaged and torso upright.
- Push through the heels and squeeze your glutes as you explode back up to standing, throwing the ball at the same time as you rise.
Trainer tips:
Throwing the ball will get your heart rate up quickly so if you need to break it down, try doing the throws in sets of ten rather than all in one go.
If you're struggling to hit the wall, try moving closer to make your throw easier or move further away to give yourself space to throw the ball up without feeling cramped. Experiment and see what works.
Start with a light weight and higher repetitions, then increase the intensity gradually.
My 30-day wall ball plan
I used a system of progressive overload, gradually increasing weight and repetitions to keep challenging my body.
Week 1
5kg ball for 20 reps (first few days)
8kg ball for 20 reps
10kg for 20 reps
Week 2
5kg for 30 reps
8kg for 30 reps
10kg for 30 reps
Week 3
5kg for 40 reps
8kg for 40 reps
10kg for 40 reps
Week 4
5kg for 50 reps
8kg for 50 reps
10kg for 50 reps
You can adjust the repetitions and ball weights based on your fitness level.
