Eva Longoria Loves to "Hate" Medicine Ball Slams

She totally crushed the workout, though.

Eva Longoria has a well-documented commitment to fitness, with a fondness for activities such as running and yoga, but she is also keen on weightlifting. After the birth of her son, Santiago Enrique Bastón, in 2018, Longoria embarked on an intense strength training regime to shed the baby weight and tone up. Prior to gaining recognition for her role in Desperate Housewives, she worked as an aerobics instructor.

In Longoria's latest Instagram Stories, it's clear that she continues to push her limits at the gym. The videos showcase a grueling workout session with her trainer Salvador Garayzar, featuring TRX squat rows and bodyweight squat jumps.

The actress, who is now 45, demonstrated her vitality by performing several reps of medicine ball slams - an exercise she admits to disliking. Nonetheless, she managed to conquer the challenging cardio drill with sheer determination.

In her recent video, Eva Longoria is seen utilizing a slam ball, which is often confused with a medicine ball. Both slam balls and medicine balls can replace free weights and are ideal for throwing and slamming exercises. However, there's a clear distinction between the two - slam balls are solid and stay in place when thrown on the floor, while hollow medicine balls rebound upon impact. This versatility makes slam balls suitable for most exercises designed for medicine balls, including the dreaded ball slams that Longoria was performing in her Instagram stories.

Despite Longoria's apparent aversion to them, according to Sean Piazza, fitness manager at Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa in San Diego, ball slams are a highly effective compound exercise that engages the whole body and multiple joints. Unlike most exercises that concentrate on upward thrust, ball slams require you to generate explosive downward power from your core. This exercise also strengthens your legs as you lift the ball back overhead. "It's the perfect addition to HIIT training or as a powerful cardio finisher to any workout," said Piazza.

Utilizing medicine balls and slam balls can bring a whole new dimension to your workouts. Even if you only have one piece of exercise equipment, it's possible to get a thorough workout. For instance, consider this intense 20-minute HIOT routine using a medicine ball or an eight-minute high-energy session that guarantees a sweat-inducing experience. If you're in the market to buy a medicine ball, it's important to select the right weight. As Kaisa Keranen, renowned exercise physiologist and owner of KaisaFit, has previously suggested, you don't want to choose the heaviest option. Instead, select a ball which slightly hampers the speed of your normal movements but still allows you to maintain proper form for eight to twelve reps. For those seeking additional apparatus for home workouts, there is plenty of affordable gym equipment available that could be the perfect addition to any home fitness routine.