Looking to elevate your full-body training and burn calories fast? A 35-minute HIIT medicine ball workout is the perfect blend of explosive power, core control, and cardio conditioning. Whether you’re training at home or in the gym, incorporating a medicine ball into your high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions can help improve strength, coordination, and metabolism. This guide breaks down a full-body routine, its benefits, workout variations, and tips for maximizing results.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) involves short bursts of intense effort followed by brief recovery periods. When you add a medicine ball to the mix, you get a dynamic tool that enhances functional strength, targets the core, and adds resistance without heavy equipment.
The 35-minute HIIT medicine ball workout is designed to challenge every major muscle group while keeping your heart rate elevated for fat-burning effects. It’s scalable for all fitness levels, highly engaging, and requires minimal space.
Medicine ball HIIT exercises like slams, tosses, and rotational throws activate both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. You’ll build endurance while simultaneously developing strength and speed.
The medicine ball adds resistance that encourages fast-twitch muscle activation. Movements like slams and rotational throws challenge your abs, obliques, and glutes, helping build rotational strength and trunk control.
With high-intensity circuits and minimal rest, you can complete a calorie-torching, muscle-sculpting workout in just 35 minutes. It’s ideal for busy professionals or anyone short on time.
Medicine balls are compact, versatile, and affordable, making them an excellent addition to your at-home HIIT training arsenal.
This workout consists of 7 exercises performed for 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. After completing all 7 exercises, rest for 1 minute. Repeat for 4 total rounds.
Before you start, activate your muscles and elevate your heart rate with this dynamic warm-up:
Primary muscles: Core, shoulders, lats, glutes
How to do it:
Lift the medicine ball overhead with both hands, fully extending your body. Slam the ball down onto the floor as hard as possible using your whole body. Catch and repeat.
Pro tip: Keep your chest tall and engage your core throughout.
Primary muscles: Obliques, abs, hips, shoulders
How to do it:
Stand sideways to a wall, hold the ball at waist height. Rotate from the hips and explosively throw the ball against the wall. Catch on rebound.
Modification: If you don’t have a wall or partner, mimic the movement in shadow-throw style.
Primary muscles: Quads, glutes, shoulders, core
How to do it:
Hold the ball at chest level, squat down until thighs are parallel, then drive up and press the ball overhead in one motion.
Tip: Keep weight on your heels and knees tracking over toes.
Primary muscles: Obliques, abs, spine
How to do it:
Sit on the floor with knees bent, lean back at 45 degrees. Hold the ball with both hands and twist your torso to tap the ball beside your hip, alternating sides.
Advanced: Lift feet off the ground for a core challenge.
Primary muscles: Full body – chest, legs, arms, core
How to do it:
Place the ball on the ground. Do a burpee: jump back to plank, push-up on the ball, jump forward, and lift the ball overhead with a jump.
Caution: Keep control when performing the push-up on the unstable ball.
Primary muscles: Legs, glutes, abs, obliques
How to do it:
Step forward into a lunge. At the bottom, rotate the ball across the front leg, then return to center and stand. Alternate legs each rep.
Focus: Maintain balance and tight core.
Primary muscles: Core, shoulders, chest
How to do it:
Place both hands on the medicine ball in a plank position. Drive knees toward your chest rapidly as in mountain climbers.
Challenge: The unstable base engages your deep core muscles more intensely.
Finish the session with a cooldown to lower your heart rate and prevent soreness:
To keep your training fresh and scalable, try these workout format variations:
Perform each exercise for 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, 8 rounds per movement before switching.
Choose 4–5 medicine ball exercises and perform as many rounds as possible in 10–12 minutes.
Choose one medicine ball move (like slams or squat to press) and complete a set number of reps at the start of every minute for 10 minutes.
Too light and you won’t get the resistance needed. Too heavy and you risk injury or compromised form. Beginners should start with 6–10 lb balls.
Form always beats speed. Stay controlled in your movements, especially with dynamic throws and slams.
To continue seeing results, add difficulty over time. Options include using a heavier ball, increasing reps, or shortening rest intervals.
Use a journal or app to track sets, reps, and rounds completed. This helps with motivation and shows your progress over time.
If you’re ready to challenge your body, increase calorie burn, and build total-body strength, a 35-minute HIIT medicine ball workout is a no-brainer. It’s versatile, effective, and incredibly efficient for achieving fitness goals like fat loss, muscle endurance, and core development. With just one piece of equipment and some grit, you can transform your workouts from boring to explosive.
Day | Workout |
---|---|
Monday | 35-Min HIIT Medicine Ball (Full Body) |
Tuesday | Light Cardio + Stretch |
Wednesday | 35-Min Tabata-Style Medicine Ball HIIT |
Thursday | Rest or Core Mobility |
Friday | 35-Min Medicine Ball + Bodyweight Combo |
Saturday | 20-Min AMRAP + 10-Min Core |
Sunday | Rest or Recovery Walk |
Add medicine ball HIIT to your routine and experience the results for yourself. All you need is 35 minutes, a good attitude, and a little space to move. The results? Better strength, more energy, and a body that keeps burning calories long after your workout ends.
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