The Alternating Lunge Overhead Med Ball Pull Over is a balance exercise for pro athletes to improve body control, balance and coordination.
Learn more about why having great dynamic balance is important and take a look at Tennis Champions: What Separates Them From The Rest?
Before you engage in stability training you may want to take a look at Medicine Ball Training: Strengthen Your Core & Enhance Stability for more exercises and a sample medicine ball workout for advanced athletes.
Alternating Lunge Overhead Med Ball Pull Over Progression
If you use additional weights…make sure you use appropriate weight so you can control the action throughout the entire range of motion. Otherwise you defeat the purpose of the exercise.
Very often, people use too much resistance and they become sloppy. Especially when it comes to maintaining dynamic stability repetitively.
Also, don’t just progress with adding more weight. Instead maximize the speed and don’t look towards the ground while reaching but keep your head up and look forward. All while maintaining perfect form.
If that’s still too easy then keep your head up and track and object/person while reaching.
Here are the progression levels:
- Beginner: look down
- Advanced: look forward
- Professional: look forward & track an object/person
Alternating Lunge Overhead Med Ball Pull Over Description
- Hold a medicine ball (MB) in both hands behind the head
- Take on athletic stance position; knees are slightly flexed; upper-body is straight
- Side-Step to the left
- Step into a diagonal lunge position with the right foot; distribute weight through the heel (flat footed); knees and hips are flexed at 90˚; back remains straight; face the object/partner; maintain neutral head position; keep looking forward
- Maintain neutral pelvic position, flex the shoulders, keep elbows slightly flexed, and pull the MB over the head to chest-level (90˚ of shoulder flexion)
- Extend the shoulder with extended elbows until the MB is over the head, then flex the elbows and return MB to starting position
- Side-step to the right
- Step into diagonal lunge position with left foot and repeat
Related Balance Exercises
- Alternating Single Leg Med Ball Trunk Rotations
- Side-Step to Diagonal Single Leg RDL
- 3 Way Cross Over Hand Reach
Training Zone
We provide you with some more workouts and training tips you may be interested in to optimize your training.
Also, make sure that you warm up properly before and stretch out after your training session.