How to Do High Low Partner Exercises

The high-low partner exercise is a sequence of movements where you and a partner pass a medicine back and forth between each other. There’s a good deal of twisting motion with some emphasis on your arms and shoulders. The primary target group of this exercise is the oblique muscles, but it will also work your biceps, deltoids, trapezius, lower back and abdominals.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Medicine ball (1)

1. Stand back to back with your partner, making sure that your feet are shoulder width apart and your knees are not locked.
2. With the medicine ball in both hands, twist your body to the left and bring the ball up over your left shoulder. This is considered the high portion of the high low exercise.
3. At the same time, your partner will make the same movement except he will twist his body to the right and bring his hands up over his right shoulder. Pass the ball to your partner.
4. Once your partner has taken possession of the ball, he will twist his body all the way to the right, swinging the ball from his right shoulder down to his left hip. This is considered the low portion for the high low exercise.
5. At the same time, you’ll basically make the same movement, just in reverse. Twist your body all the way to the right, swinging your arms from your left shoulder down to your right hip where the ball will be passed back to you.
6. Continue moving the ball from low to high where the ball is passed to your partner while he continues to move the ball from high to low until you’ve done 12 high passes and 12 low passes between you.
7. Now reverse directions, this time passing the ball high over your right shoulder and accepting the ball low at your left hip. Do this movement for a total of 12 high passes and 12 low passes between you.
8. Continue to swap direction until you’ve done six sets of 12 high passes and 12 low passes between the two of you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don’t have a medicine ball available to you, substitute it with a dumbbell or an object of some weight.
• If you suffer from lower back, neck or shoulder injury, consult a medical professional before performing this exercise.