How to Do the Medicine Ball Slam

The medicine ball slam has you lift a ball overhead and throw it hard into the floor, working your core, shoulders and legs through an explosive pattern. It suits beginners and athletes wanting a quick, low-impact conditioning move.

Abs Shoulders DumbbellBeginner

Log every set of your Medicine Ball Slam in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Abs
Shoulders

Secondary

Quads

How to do the Medicine Ball Slam

1
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a slam ball at your chest.
2
Reach the ball overhead as you rise onto your toes.
3
Brace your core and engage your lats.
4
Throw the ball into the floor in front of your feet with force.
5
Hinge at your hips and bend your knees as you follow through.
6
Catch the ball on the bounce or pick it up with a flat back.
7
Reset and repeat.

Form cues to remember

Reach tall, then slam
Brace your abs
Drive through your hips
Keep your back flat to pick it up

Common mistakes

Using only your arms

Rise tall and throw with your whole body.

Using a bouncy ball

Choose a dead-weight slam ball designed for throwing.

Rounding your back to pick it up

Hinge at the hips and keep a flat back.

Standing too close to the ball

Step back so it lands in front of your feet, not your toes.

Sets and reps

Conditioning	20–30 seconds of work, 30 seconds rest, 6–8 rounds
Strength	4–5 sets of 5–8 hard slams with a heavier ball, 60–90 seconds rest

A bouncing ball can hit you in the face, so use a dead-weight slam ball. Choose a weight you can control with a flat back.

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