The slam ball is an extraordinary piece of fitness equipment that is quickly becoming more and more popular among enthusiasts. In previous years, it was commonly overlooked by most people that attended to gyms, mainly because they didn’t understand how to use it properly.
There still is great disregard about how to exercise with a slam ball. Fortunately, fitness gurus all over the world are making valuable efforts to share the benefits of using this element during our regular training. The slam ball is capable of developing great strength and stamina in the core, back, arms and legs; basically, the entire body benefits from it.
The best slam ball exercises are those capable of demanding some effort from the user. Without effort or resistance, there is no sense in doing the exercise at all. That’s why exercises should be done properly and always respecting the little details.
In the following lines, we will address some of the best slam ball exercises you can do during your upcoming workouts.
Russian Twists
The Russian twists are an excellent exercise that targets the abs and obliques, developing strength, balance, and muscle definition. The way to do it is by sitting down on the floor with the slam ball in the hands. The knees must be bent and the feet placed on the floor, while the upper body has to lean back, emulating a V-shape with the body.
Now, with the slam ball close to the chest, you must take it from one side to the other, twisting the core with every single movement. Going to both sides count as one repetition. If you want to increase the intensity of the exercise, do not allow your feet to touch the floor, reducing the stability.
Squat Throws
One of the best ways to work out the entire body with a slam ball is through squat throws. This is an explosive exercise that works best with a heavyweight ball. If you go light on this, you may be doing almost nothing.
Hold the slam ball close to the chest and place the feet shoulder-width apart. Then go down like during a regular squat, slowly and focusing all the effort on the legs and glutes. Engage your abs muscles to maintain stability and increase power. When you reach the lowest point, go up explosively and throw the slam ball forward.
Ground Slams
A classic when it comes to slam balls. The ground slams are a fun exercise that develops great strength in the core, back, and shoulders. The explosive movement works the fast-twitch muscle fibers that normally are really hard to target.
The proper way to do ground slams is the following. You must stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold firmly the slam ball above your head and slightly behind it. You can imagine yourself in a soccer match, doing a serve.
Then, you must engage all your core muscle to maintain the stability and throw the slam ball vertically to the floor. The real challenge is that you must catch the ball when it bounces back, but in order to make it bounce, you must throw it really, really hard. Do it with little twists to the sides for increased effect on the obliques.
Thrusters
The thrusters are like enhanced squats for further development of the upper and lower body. They are easy to do, at least, in theory. Engage the traditional squat position, with the feet shoulder-width apart, a firm core, and a straight back. In this case, you will be holding the slam ball in front of your chest, but with the arms entirely stretched forward.
When you squat, make the slam ball go down without bending the elbows. Once you reach the lowest point during the squat, go up explosively, also bringing the ball up. The final position for the slam ball should be over the head, with the arms aligned with the ears.
Chop Throw
The chop throw is a real challenge for the stability of the entire body, along with the core strength and stamina. This is an exercise that could seem complicated in the description but it’s quite simple to perform.
Find a wall that can receive all the hits of the slam ball. Then, place yourself next, facing it with a side of the body. Throw a foot to the front and the other one slightly backward, like when doing lunges. The knee of the leg in the back must touch the floor.
Now, the slam ball must be thrown to the wall hard enough to make it bounce back. A slight twist of the core is the main responsible for using enough strength in the throw. Without such twist, it’s hard to achieve the bounce. Catch it and repeat without rests between every movement.
Soccer Throw
Before finishing this article, we must mention the soccer throw. This is one of the most popular slam ball exercises available. This exercise simply emulates the way a soccer player performs a throw, engaging energy and strength from his or her legs, shoulders, and arms.
Place yourself in front of a wall or a workout partner. Take the slam ball over the head with the elbows bent. Then, engage all the core muscles and throw the ball the hardest possible. The posture is key, so focus on don’t losing it during the throw.
The Bottom Line
The slam ball exercises we addressed in the previous lines are capable of developing a great deal of strength, stamina, explosiveness, and definition in both upper and lower body.
But truth be told, there are much more exercises capable of providing results. Also, it’s really interesting how fitness enthusiasts can find new ways to use the slam ball during their training. In fact, if you focus on good posture, find a wall or a partner, and start doing explosive movements, there is a high chance of creating a custom exercise for yourself.
