How many sets and reps of medicine ball slams should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 3 sets of 8 to 10 slams, resting a full 60 to 90 seconds so each rep stays explosive. If you want it as a conditioning finisher instead, work 20 to 30 second all-out intervals with equal rest, and add rounds before adding ball weight.

What can I use instead of a medicine ball for slams?

Battle ropes trained as a kneeling or side slam hit the same explosive lat-and-trunk pattern if a medicine ball is not available. A sandbag or a heavy, well-wrapped duffel thrown down onto grass or a mat can also work in a pinch.

What is the medicine ball slam good for, and when should I avoid it?

It builds explosive trunk flexion and shoulder power while doubling as hard conditioning, useful for athletes needing rotational or flexion power and as a stress-relieving finisher. It is a poor choice during an acute low-back flare-up or with a known disc issue, since the fast hinge-and-flex pattern loads the spine under speed.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Slam

The medicine ball slam trains explosive trunk flexion and shoulder extension, teaching you to drive the ball into the floor with everything you have. The lats and abs do the heavy lifting as you pull the ball down, which makes it both a power drill and a hard conditioning tool. Use a non-bouncing slam ball and treat every rep as a full-effort strike.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Abs, Lats
Type: Cardio, Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi, Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace, Vertical Pull

How to do it

1
Stand with feet shoulder-width and hold the ball with both hands.
2
Reach the ball overhead and rise onto the balls of the feet, extending the whole body.
3
Contract the abs and drive the ball down hard toward the floor in front of you.
4
Hinge at the hips and follow through with the arms as the ball hits.
5
Catch the ball off the floor or pick it up and reset.
6
Repeat with a fast, aggressive rhythm for the set.

Tips

Pull the ball down with the lats and abs rather than just swinging the arms.
Keep a soft bend in the knees and hinge the hips so the low back stays protected.
Use a dead-bounce slam ball so it does not rebound into your face.

Variations

Common mistakes

Using a regular bouncy ball instead of a dead-bounce slam ball, risking a hard rebound into the face or shins.
Staying flat-footed through the whole rep instead of rising onto the balls of the feet at the top, which shortens the range you pull through.
Rounding the low back to reach lower at the bottom instead of hinging at the hips, loading the spine instead of the abs and lats.
Slowing the rep down into a controlled lower instead of a full-effort strike, which defeats the explosive point of the movement.
Catching a bounced ball with locked elbows rather than a soft catch or a pickup, jarring the wrists and elbows on impact.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of medicine ball slams should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 3 sets of 8 to 10 slams, resting a full 60 to 90 seconds so each rep stays explosive. If you want it as a conditioning finisher instead, work 20 to 30 second all-out intervals with equal rest, and add rounds before adding ball weight.
What can I use instead of a medicine ball for slams?: Battle ropes trained as a kneeling or side slam hit the same explosive lat-and-trunk pattern if a medicine ball is not available. A sandbag or a heavy, well-wrapped duffel thrown down onto grass or a mat can also work in a pinch.
What is the medicine ball slam good for, and when should I avoid it?: It builds explosive trunk flexion and shoulder power while doubling as hard conditioning, useful for athletes needing rotational or flexion power and as a stress-relieving finisher. It is a poor choice during an acute low-back flare-up or with a known disc issue, since the fast hinge-and-flex pattern loads the spine under speed.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Abs exercises