10 Medicine Ball Exercises You Can Do With Handles

Dual-grip handles on the Adaptive Fitness adjustable medicine ball for presses, swings and overhead work
Training

10 Medicine Ball Exercises
You Can Do With Handles

Handles change what a medicine ball can do. Unlike a smooth ball you'd throw or catch, a handled medicine ball is built to be gripped, pressed, and carried—turning one ball into a full-body strength and core tool.

Training10 Exercises8 · 12 · 16 lbUpdated August 2026
Ten ExercisesHeld, Not ThrownGoblet SquatHaloFront CarryOne BallTen ExercisesHeld, Not ThrownGoblet SquatHaloFront CarryOne Ball
Every movement here is gripped, braced and controlled
Every movement here is gripped, braced and controlled

Here are ten exercises that put the handles to work.

Exercises
10

All held, gripped and controlled.

Weight range
8·12·16

Pounds, from one ball and its weight bands.

Equipment
1 ball

Nothing thrown, nothing caught.

  1. Goblet Squat — hold the ball by the handles at your chest and squat; builds legs and core.
  2. Overhead Press — press the ball from your chest to overhead for shoulders and triceps.
  3. Russian Twist — seated, hold the handles and rotate side to side for the obliques.
  4. Woodchopper — grip the handles and chop diagonally from high to low, driving rotation from the core.
  5. Walking Lunge — hold the ball at your chest and lunge for legs and stability.
  6. Halo — circle the ball around your head with a braced core for shoulder mobility and control.
  7. Glute Bridge — hold the ball at your hips and bridge for glutes and hamstrings.
  8. Standing Rotation Press — rotate and press for a full-body, anti-rotation challenge.
  9. Sit-Up to Press — sit up holding the ball and press overhead at the top for abs and shoulders.
  10. Front Carry — grip the handles and carry for grip, core, and posture.
Squats, presses, carries and rotations from a single handled ball
Squats, presses, carries and rotations from a single handled ball

Why the handles matter

Because it's built to be held rather than thrown, the handles give you a secure grip that lets you load these moves with confidence—so a medicine ball can train strength and core like a dumbbell or kettlebell, not just conditioning.

Built to be held

Dual ergonomic handles set into a 10-inch core ball keep the load secure through squats, presses, carries and rotations — the controlled movements this list is made of.

Progress without buying another ball

The right load changes by exercise, so a single fixed weight is limiting. The Adaptive Fitness Adjustable Medicine Ball moves between 8, 12, and 16 lb with patented weight bands. Find full routines in the exercise guide, or size your load with the weight guide.

Top view — dual handles set into the 10-inch core ball
Top view — dual handles set into the 10-inch core ball

One ball.
Two handles.
Three weights.

Grip it, press it, carry it—8, 12, or 16 lb in one ball.

Shop the Adjustable Medicine Ball

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