Medicine Ball Slam

Setup

1. 01Use a non-bouncing slam ball on a floor that can take impact.
2. 02Stand with feet shoulder width apart and the ball at your waist.
3. 03Clear the space in front of you so the ball cannot ricochet into anything.
4. 04Brace the trunk before the first rep.

Execution

1. 01Reach the ball overhead, extending fully through the hips and ankles.
2. 02Snap the trunk down hard, driving the ball into the floor just in front of the feet.
3. 03Follow the ball down by hinging the hips, not by rounding the lower back.
4. 04Catch or pick up the ball off the bounce and reset immediately into the next rep.

Checkpoints

• -The slam is driven by the trunk and lats, not just the arms.
• -Full extension overhead precedes every slam.
• -The ball lands close to the feet, roughly a foot in front.
• -Hips hinge on the way down so the spine stays neutral.

Common mistakes

• -Using a bouncy ball that rebounds into the face.
• -Slamming with arms only and leaving the trunk out of it.
• -Rounding the lower back to reach the floor instead of hinging.
• -Letting reps get lazy and slow; slams should stay violent.