Exercise of the Week - Medicine Ball Curl and Press

The medicine ball is a great exercise tool, but it's hard to know exactly what to do with it. Today, I'm highlighting a new move to try, the medicine ball curl and press. With this exercise, you balance the ball on your hand (which will require hand, wrist and forearm strength) as you do a biceps curl. At the top of the curl, you then push the ball up and out, which targets the shoulders.

This is a great move to warm up the arms and shoulders or to add into your usual upper body workout routine to spice things up. I'm using an 8lb ball here, but you can go heavier or lighter, depending on your fitness level.

As with many medicine ball exercises, you sometimes have to experiment with different weights until you find one that works for you. Having a variety of medicine balls is a great idea if you're going to be incorporating more than a few med ball exercises into your routine. As a general guideline, you might start with a 4lb ball and consider trying 6, 8 or 10lbs as you build more strength and endurance.

Do it right: Stand or sit and hold a medicine ball in the right hand down at your side. Curl the arm up in a biceps curl and, at the top of the movement, push the arm out and up, engaging the shoulder. Bring the ball back down and then lower the arm to starting position, repeating for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps on each arm.