[back to budget body equipment]

This has got to be one of the quickest and easiest pieces of fitness equipment that I've made.  The tornado ball or rope ball is an effective tool for working your core... and it's fun to use.  Maybe it's a guy thing, but there's something satisfying about slamming the ball with maximum force against the ground or side to side : ).  You can use it for overhead chops, standing twists against a brick wall, or a Russian twist as demonstrated below.

Although you'll find a few different methods for making a tornado ball, I've found the basketball net method to be the most sturdy and easy to make (with the exception of just throwing a med ball in a pillow case). 
Here's what you need to make your own.

• a sturdy medicine ball (your choice of weight)

• a basketball net (~ $3)

• a shoelace

• a shore piece of rope or strap

• some duct tape

Instructions

Take the basketball net out of the package and lay it out.  Weave the shoelace in and out of the
short loops at the one end of the net. 

Pull the shoelace tight and tie a couple knots in it, clipping off the loose ends. 

Although not really necessary, I like to grab the loops of the other end in bunches of 3 and use a little duct tape to bind them together about 1.5" from the top.  This makes it easier when you thread your rope or strap through which is the final step after you put the ball in.  That's it... swing away!