Exercise movement reviewed by:Cody Lockling, MS, CSCS

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium recognizes the high stability demand of this exercise and checks sub-muscle group fatigue in your triceps and anterior deltoids before adding it to a routine. Since the load is fixed, the algorithm tracks your rep performance relative to your body weight to gauge intensity and sustain progressive overload. If your 7-day history shows heavy volume on these secondary movers, Iridium may swap this for a more stable chest isolation to ensure the target muscles remain the limiting factor.

Form Cues

Brace your core tightly to prevent hip rotation during the switch.
Explode off the bottom to facilitate a smooth hand transition.
Land softly with your elbow slightly bent to absorb impact.
Keep your elbows tucked at a 45-degree angle from your torso.
Squeeze your glutes to maintain a straight line from head to heels.

Don't

Don't let your hips sag toward the floor.
Don't flare your elbows out fully to the sides.
Don't roll the ball recklessly; ensure a stable hand placement.
Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears.
Don't hold your breath; exhale as you push up.

Common Mistakes

Allowing hips to pike or sag
Unstable hand placement on the ball
Rushing the transition and losing form
Flaring elbows excessively wide
Insufficient depth on the lowering phase

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets the pectorals, with the medicine ball allowing for a deeper stretch on the elevated side. It heavily engages the triceps and anterior deltoids for the pressing motion, while the dynamic hand switch forces the core and obliques to work overtime to stabilize the torso.