How To Do Medicine Ball Slams – Muscles It Works & Benefits

Medicine ball slam exercise is a major calorie burner. These full body medicine ball exercises work on your shoulders, glutes, thighs, core, back, and arms. It is dynamic and helps improve muscle strength and power. But you must know how to perform it properly with the correct form. Read on to learn how to do medicine ball slam exercise and its benefits. Swipe up!

Workout Blueprint: Medicine Ball Slams

• Frequency: 3 times per week
• Benefits: Boost stamina, strength, and functional fitness.
• Equipment Needed: Medicine ball
• Space Required: Large area
• Assistance Required: No
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with a shoulder or wrist injury and anyone who has undergone surgery recently.

How To Do Medicine Ball Slams

On the surface, medicine ball slams may look easy. But doing them incorrectly can cause muscle pull and pain. To avoid that, here’s a step by step guide on how to do medicine ball slams:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a 4-6 pound medicine ball in your hand.
• Lift the medicinal ball overhead with your arms extended.
• Look straight ahead and inhale.
• Bend forward at the waist and use your core muscles to throw the ball down in front of your feet with as much force as possible. Contract the abdomen effectively and exhale while doing the exercise.
• Let the arms follow through the movement to prevent falling.
• In the end, the heels should be on the floor and knees slightly bent.
• If it is a bouncy ball, let the ball bounce back, and you catch it. If the ball does not bounce, then keep your abdomen contracted and pick up the ball.
• Lift the ball back to the starting position, inhale, and slam!

Quick Tip

An alternative to the medicine ball is the slam ball, which doesn’t bounce. If you are a beginner, use the latter to lower the risk of injury.

Which Muscles Do Medicine Ball Slam Work On?

Medicine ball slams work the abs, deltoids (shoulders), biceps and triceps (arms), lats (upper back), glutes (hips), quads, hamstrings, and calves (legs). It is basically a full-body workout and has many benefits. Let’s take a quick look at what those benefits are. 

What Are The Benefits Of Medicine Ball Slam Workout?

The medicine ball slam is done for developing power, strength, and speed. It works best for triceps, abdomen, shoulders, calves, back, glutes, quads, etc. This exercise increases heartbeat and burns a good number of calories. 

• It burns calories.
• It is a full-body exercise (1).
• Improves stamina and muscle power (2).
• Have shown to improve cardiometabolic stimulus in children (1).
• It is great for strength training (3).
• Improves functional fitness (4).
• Improves eye and body coordination.
• Burns fat but retains lean muscle.
• Improves full-body muscle tone.
• Improves sports performance.

Anthony Lawrence, a blogger and consultant, started adding medicine ball slams exercises to his workouts and found it to be more enjoyable than his regular exercise routine. He writes, “This was great exercise and fun. Not many muscles were missed and when I stopped after twenty minutes I felt that I’d had an exceptionally good workout. In some ways, this is similar to moving about with hand weights like light dumbbells, but using the ball is more fun (i).”

According to a survey, around one-third of surveyed participants, that is 24.2%, who were 18 years and older met the Physical Activity Guidelines for muscle-training and aerobic activities. Also, the study conducted in the U.S. indicated that 28.3% of men met both physical activity guidelines compared to 20.4% of women. This percentage decreased for men and women as they aged.

But before you pick up a medicine ball and start working out, you must know that there are various types of medicine balls. Here’s a list and the kind of med ball you need for various functions. 

What Kind Of Medicine Ball Do You Need?

Medicine ball throws differ in many ways. The Medicine balls come in various sizes and weights (2-50 pounds or 5-20 pounds). Medicine balls that are heavier are designed to be slammed; they don’t bounce and have a rubber surface to absorb the throwing impact. You can perform various medicine ball exercises with them, like slams, chest pass, squat throws, lateral throws, med ball plank, med ball push-ups, and board jump to pass.

The lighter medicine balls are designed for ball throws and have a rough or zig-zag surface for better grip. They also vary in size and are larger than the ones used in weighted ball exercises. They are good for crunch throws, side throws, overhead wall ball toss, and other wall ball exercises.

Note: Medicine balls are different from BOSU balls. BOSU balls are larger and have a flat base on one side. You can incorporate BOSU ball exercises into your workout routine to improve balance and stability.

Choose the right kind of ball with the right weight. Do not start with a heavier ball as you may injure yourself. Start with the lightest of the lot and improve your stamina and muscle power before moving on to a heavier med ball. Here’s a sample workout regimen for you.

Sample Workout Regimen

Start a stopwatch and perform the following routine:

• 8 medicine ball slams, 1 burpee, 10 seconds rest.
• 8 medicine ball slams, 8 mountain climbers, 15 seconds rest.
• 8 medicine ball slams, 8 jump squats, 15 seconds rest.
• 8 medicine ball slam, 8 crunches, 15 seconds rest.

You can also try different medicine ball slam variations to challenge yourself. Scroll down to learn more.

Variations Of Medicine Ball Slams

Here are some variations of medicine ball slams you may try:

• Overhead Medicine Ball Slam: Lift the ball overhead and slam it straight down to the ground as hard as possible.
• Side Slam: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, rotate your torso to one side, then slam the ball to the ground next to your foot. Turn your torse to the other side and slam the ball to the ground again. Keep alternating between both sides.
• Medicine Ball Slam With Burpee: Start by performing a medicine ball slam, drop into a burpee, and repeat. You can also combine the exercise with squats, lunges, sit-ups, and step-ups.

You may add other exercises to amp this sample workout routine. Keep the following precautions in mind.

Quick Tip

Stand in front of a mirror and practice these slam ball exercises till you have perfected your form.

Precautions

• Always warm up for 10 minutes before starting to exercise.
• Before beginning the medicine ball slam, check the bounciness and weight of the ball.
• If you are using a bouncy ball, it can bounce back to your face. Do not throw the ball straight down. Throw it a bit forward.
• Avoid using more than 2-6 pound med ball in the first go.
• Train with a trainer initially to get the posture correct.
• Always consult a professional before doing this exercise if you have back, shoulder, or joint issues.
• Avoid performing the exercise in a confined area. Ensure you have enough space to perform it safely and fully.
• You can ensure your core is engaged by tightening your abdominal muscles and avoiding arching or rounding your back. This helps prevent injuries. 
• Just like a warm-up, a proper cool-down is essential. Include simple stretches in your routine to relax your muscles and aid recovery post workout.
• Perform the exercise on a flat, non-slippery surface to ensure stability and avoid falls.
• Do not overexert yourself. Listen to your body and take breaks as needed.
• Hydrate before, during, and after your workout to keep your energy levels up and prevent dehydration.

Infographic: A Simple Guide To Medicine Ball Slams

The medicine ball is a versatile and fun workout equipment you need to add to your routine. It provides resistance and added weight to help strengthen the muscles. This, in turn, boosts the calorie-burning process while also working out all major muscle groups. Check out the infographic below to learn the benefits of medicine ball workouts.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What are medicine ball slams good for?

Medicine ball slams are good for strengthening, toning, and improving muscle power, endurance, stamina, and full-body fitness.

How heavy should a medicine ball be?

A medicine ball should never be too heavy for you to lift and perform 12 slams in the correct posture. If you are thrusting your hips forward and slamming it, the medicine ball is too heavy.

Does medicine ball slams help lose weight?

Yes, a medicine ball slam workout is a full-body exercise that helps burn calories and lose weight.

What exercises can I do with a medicine ball?

• Overhead slams
• Med ball crunch
• Med ball V-ups
• Medicine ball push-ups
• Med ball plank
• Medicine ball Russian twists
• Medicine ball burpees
• Med ball bridge
• Medicine ball squats
• Med ball overhead throws

What are some variations of medicine ball slams and how do they impact the muscles worked?

Medicine ball burpees, medicine ball lunges, medicine ball step-ups, and medicine ball sit-ups are some variations you can include in your workout routine to help work the abs, chest, hips, and shoulders.

Are medicine ball slams safe for all fitness levels, including beginners and those with joint or back pain?

Yes, medicine ball slams are a full-body workout that beginners can include in their workout to build overall body strength. People with joint and back pain can include this exercise in their workouts as it is commonly used in rehabilitation programs to help build back strength and reduce lower back pain.

Here are the best 22 fat-burning med ball exercises you can do.

Learn why incorporating a slam ball into your workout routine is essential for maximizing gains and achieving peak performance. Watch this video to take your fitness to the next level.

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Sudhansu SinghBPT

     

Dr. Sudhansu Singh is a Physiotherapist, Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, and Neuro Physiotherapist with 8 years of experience. He is a member of the Federation of Indian Manual Therapists (FIMT) and an active member of the Delhi Council of Physiotherapy and FIMT Australia Association.

Read full bio of Dr. Sudhansu Singh

Charushila BiswasHealth & Wellness Writer

   

Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 6 years, she has authored more than 400 articles on diet, lifestyle, exercises, healthy food, and fitness equipment. She strives to inform, educate, and motivate her readers via authentic, straightforward, and fact-checked information

Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

Read full bio of Ravi Teja Tadimalla

Himanshi MahajanHealth & Wellness Writer

Himanshi Mahajan is a Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach with a Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences from Guru Nanak Dev University. With two years of experience crafting SEO-based, research-backed content, she specializes in fitness, health, and diet, alongside lifestyle topics.

Read full bio of Himanshi Mahajan