Ball Slams


Primary Muscle Abdominals
Secondary Muscle(s) Back
Difficulty Beginner
Also known as ball slam, ball slamming
Equipment Medicine Ball

How to do Ball Slams

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and a non-bounce medicine ball held overhead.
  2. Throw the ball down to the ground in front of your feet with as much force as possible. Exhale during the movement and contract the abs powerully. 
  3. If possible, catch the ball as it bounces from the floor. If there's no bounce at all, keep the ab muscles engaged and pick the ball from the floor.
  4. Lift the medicine ball back the the starting position and repeat.


  • It's important that non-bounce medicine balls are used for ball slams else it's likely you'll end up with a broken nose! Dead balls are a popular choice as they're rubber balls filled with sand and will deform when impacted, with minimal bounce.
  • Test how bouncy the ball is before starting the exercise!

Ball Slam Guide

Balls slams are great for developing power, speed, strength and coordiation.

The exercise essentially involves holding a weighted ball overhead and throwing it into the ground with as much power as possible (also making it one of the best stress relievers around!).

Advanced Ball Slams

As you become proficient with the ball slam you should increase the weight of the ball used. Dead balls are typically available in a range of weights starting from 3kg.

Ball Slam Variations

If you're ready to move on fromt he standard Ball Slam why not try one of these variations: 

  • Burpee Ball Slam: An advanced burpee exercise the burpee ball slam will seriously test your fitness (See standard bodyweight burpee for more information).
    • Perform a push-up on the medicine ball, jump the feet in and lift the ball overhead.
    • Slam the ball down to the ground, catching on the bounce if possible.
    • Place the ball back on the ground and jump the feet out to the starting position and repeat!

