The slam ball is a versatile workout tool. It provides resistance and added weight to dynamic movements. Certain slam ball exercises can target your body from head to toe.

Weight training can help you tone your muscles and fight age-related muscle loss.

When you challenge your muscles by pushing them to their limits, it can help you develop greater muscle power. This can offer you multiple 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

If it’s not your goal, you don’t need to fear becoming or appearing bulky. Bulk is generally the result of extra calories, not from lifting heavy and training hard. If you want to become lean and but avoid the bulk, making healthy food and calorie choices can help you with this.

The wall ball exercise makes your heart rate increase and targets all of your prime movers.

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.

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.

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 at least four times a week. If you are at an elite level of fitness, you can challenge yourself to perform them six times a week. Allow your muscles one day a week to recover, rejuvenate, and repair. This is necessary to let your body adapt and grow as a result of the new demands being placed upon it.

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 can also help motivate you to keep working hard to accomplish your goals.

And the feeling of empowerment may benefit both your mental and physical health — by keeping you centered, balanced, and inspired, as well as physically capable and strong.

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