How long should you hold the medicine ball wall sit with overhead press when you are new to the exercise?

Hold the wall sit for 20 to 30 seconds while pressing the ball overhead for 6 to 8 reps within that window, for 2 to 3 rounds. Build toward a longer hold, or a heavier ball, once you can breathe normally the whole time instead of holding your breath.

What can I use instead of a medicine ball for this exercise?

A single light dumbbell or a filled water jug held at the chest works equally well for the overhead press portion. The wall sit itself needs only a flat wall, so no substitute is needed there.

What does the medicine ball wall sit with overhead press train, and when is it not a good idea?

It combines a long quad-burning isometric with a light shoulder task and a bracing demand for the core, which makes it a solid conditioning finisher or strength-endurance piece. It is a poor choice for anyone with knee pain that flares under a sustained bent-knee hold, since the isometric alone can aggravate it before the shoulders even get involved.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Wall Sit with Overhead Press

The wall sit puts the quads under a long, unrelenting isometric while the overhead press adds a light dynamic task for the shoulders and a bracing demand for the core. Holding the squat position while pressing teaches you to keep the trunk stable under a moving load. It works well as a conditioning finisher or a low-impact strength-endurance piece.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Quads, Shoulder
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Squat, Vertical Press

How to do it

1
Stand with your back against a wall and walk the feet out until thighs are parallel to the floor.
2
Hold the medicine ball at your chest, knees bent to about 90 degrees.
3
Keep the whole back flat against the wall and the core braced.
4
Press the ball straight overhead until the arms lock out.
5
Lower the ball to the chest under control and repeat the press.
6
Hold the wall sit for the full set, then stand up to finish.

Tips

Keep the knees tracking over the toes and the shins vertical.
Do not let the lower back arch off the wall as you press overhead.
Breathe continuously; do not hold your breath during the isometric.

Variations

Common mistakes

The lower back peels off the wall as the ball goes overhead, arching to help the press instead of staying flat against the surface.
The feet creep too close to the wall, so the knees push out past the toes and the thighs never actually reach parallel.
Holding the breath through the isometric hold instead of breathing continuously spikes tension for no benefit to the legs or shoulders.
Standing up out of the wall sit between every press rep turns a combined hold-and-press exercise into two separate ones done back to back.
The ball drifts out in front of the chest instead of tracking straight overhead, pulling the shoulders forward as fatigue sets into the legs.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the medicine ball wall sit with overhead press when you are new to the exercise?: Hold the wall sit for 20 to 30 seconds while pressing the ball overhead for 6 to 8 reps within that window, for 2 to 3 rounds. Build toward a longer hold, or a heavier ball, once you can breathe normally the whole time instead of holding your breath.
What can I use instead of a medicine ball for this exercise?: A single light dumbbell or a filled water jug held at the chest works equally well for the overhead press portion. The wall sit itself needs only a flat wall, so no substitute is needed there.
What does the medicine ball wall sit with overhead press train, and when is it not a good idea?: It combines a long quad-burning isometric with a light shoulder task and a bracing demand for the core, which makes it a solid conditioning finisher or strength-endurance piece. It is a poor choice for anyone with knee pain that flares under a sustained bent-knee hold, since the isometric alone can aggravate it before the shoulders even get involved.

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