The slam ball, otherwise known as a medicine ball, is a highly useful and versatile workout tool. It allows you to provide resistance and added weight while performing dynamic movements. These challenging movements will target your body head to toe, and force your heart rate to skyrocket.

When you challenge your muscles by completely exhausting their abilities, you will develop more muscle power. Striving for more muscular power will provide you with an abundance of health and fitness benefits, including:

  • increased muscle density
  • higher resting metabolism
  • faster glucose metabolism
  • increased athletic performance
  • higher aerobic capacity
  • stronger maximum muscle limits
  • enhanced mental clarity
  • improved heart health
  • lower body fat

Women don’t need to fear becoming or appearing bulky. That bulky look is the result of too many calories, not from lifting heavy and training hard. If you are a female looking to become lean and want to avoid the bulk, simply make sure you are making healthy food and calorie choices.

According to the Mayo Clinic, weight training can help you tone your muscles, improve your appearance, and fight age-related muscle loss.

The wall ball exercise makes your heart rate skyrocket in a hurry and targets all of your prime movers.

Equipment needed: medicine ball

Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, quads, shoulders, and chest

  1. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding the medicine ball, facing a sturdy wall that’s 2 to 3 feet away.
  2. Bend your legs and drop your butt down so that your legs form a 90-degree angle.
  3. Drive your weight down through your heels and explode your weight upwards, throwing the ball up and against the wall.
  4. Promptly catch the ball, then drop back down and repeat the squat movement.
  5. Perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

Take It to the Next Level

To make this move even more challenging, try the following steps.

  1. Start in a situp position, lying flat on your back, holding the medicine ball against the ground and above your head.
  2. As you sit up, bring the weight all the way in between your feet.
  3. Press your weight down through your palms and onto the ball to push your body upright.
  4. You should now be in your starting squat position from the wall ball exercise.
  5. Add this segment of the exercise to each repetition.
  6. Perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions

Ball slams help you gain explosiveness and muscle strength from your shoulders all the way down to your legs.

Equipment needed: medicine ball

Muscles worked: hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, shoulders, upper back, and abdominals

  1. Stand upright with the medicine ball in your hands.
  2. Gripping the ball firming, extend your arms and bring the ball overhead.
  3. Clenching your core tightly, throw the ball down to the ground and squat as you lower.
  4. Pick the ball up and repeat the full range of motion (overhead to ball slam).
  5. Complete 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Slam ball situps are an effective way to challenge and tighten your core, and elevate your heart rate.

Equipment needed: medicine ball

Muscles worked: abdominals and shoulders

  1. Start by lying on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the ball against the ground, out from your head with your arms extended.
  3. Engage your core muscles and elevate your torso.
  4. Bring the ball all the way to your feet.
  5. Lie back into the beginning position.
  6. Make sure you keep the entire motion controlled.
  7. Focus on keeping your abdominal muscles engaged instead of using momentum to move from one position to the next. Do not rest the ball on the floor during any part of the movement.

To see the best results in the shortest amount of time, complete these exercises as described at least four times a week. If you are at an elite level of fitness, challenge yourself to perform them six times a week. Allow your muscles one day a week to recover, rejuvenate, and repair. This day is necessary in order to let your body adapt and grow as a result of the new demands being placed upon it.

Consider that there are several different weights that a slam ball comes in. Most of them range from 10 to 20 pounds in weight. If you are new to weightlifting, start with the 10-pound ball and work upwards as you feel comfortable and get stronger.

After a few weeks of doing these exercises, you can expect to feel a difference in your body. You may initially experience muscles tenderness and soreness (not pain), but that will soon turn into a stronger, more empowered feeling. This should motivate you to keep working hard to accomplish your goals. The feeling of empowerment benefits both your mental and physical health — it keeps you centered, balanced, and inspired, as well as physically capable and strengthened.