Yes, You Can Build Your Body With a Slam Ball

Building dense muscle is important for a strong, confident physique. It is equally important to train your muscles to be powerful. When you do explosive, plyometric movement, your muscles exert maximum force in short time intervals. This helps your body increase in speed, strength, and agility. When you’re wanting to improve these qualities in your body, performing exercises with a slam ball can get you to your goal quicker.

Slam balls are a popular piece of equipment used in a variety of fitness styles. Whether you have been hitting the gym for years or are interested in the benefits of strength training – slam balls are an excellent tool to help build your whole body.

What is the Difference Between Slam Balls and Medicine Balls?

At first glance, these pieces of equipment look the same. Both slam balls and medicine balls are weighted balls that can come in a variety of weights and sizes, starting at two LBS and increasing incrementally up to 50 LBS. Both can have textured surfaces or handles to help improve grip. They are both excellent tools for working out with a partner. They’re both easily transportable and can be used by all individuals of any fitness level. 

While there are many similarities between the two, there are key features that make each one distinguishable. It’s important to understand the difference between the workout styles, durability, and composition of these exercise balls to prevent damage to the ball and injury to yourself or others. When used appropriately they can create great fitness results.

The design of a slam ball is mainly to be used in throwing/ slamming exercises. Slam balls do not bounce. They are designed to build explosive strength that increases functional fitness, core strength, and power. Slam balls are made of a heavy-duty rubber shell that helps soften the impact when thrown down or to another person. 

The hefty weight of a slam ball motivates you to incorporate your entire body as you throw it up, down, or to the side. Exercises utilizing slam balls encourage you to utilize your core and stabilizer muscles which can improve balance as well as strength and power. When using a slam ball, focus on using your entire body. A slam ball is best suited for throwing style exercises, such as overhead slams or squat throws. It’s important to keep good form and posture to support the lower back and prevent injury when performing any slam ball exercises. When a medicine ball isn’t available, slam balls can be substituted in many exercises.

Medicine balls, also known as med balls or MBs, come in a wide variety of designs and sizes. These balls are very durable and often made of leather, rubber, vinyl, or plastic. Medicine balls should not be thrown to the ground like a slam ball. Performing this action can make the ball bounce back or break, which can lead to injury to yourself and others.

The grip and feel of medicine balls can also be more comfortable for many athletes, such as when adding weight to crunches or bridges. Gripping dumbbells or free weights can be uncomfortable for some of these exercises. Adding medicine balls into your routines can add some challenging resistance for core strength. Some popular exercises include rolling push-ups, V-ups, and med ball planks. 

Now that you understand the difference between these two similar pieces of equipment, the next time you go to the gym, you’ll know which one is suitable for your desired exercise. For the most part, a slam ball can be used as a medicine ball – however, a medicine ball should not be used as a slam ball.

SLAM BALLS EXERCISES FOR UPPER BODY

Arms, shoulders, back, and core are sure to get a great pump with these upper body slam ball workouts. 

Overhead Slam

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, knees and hips slightly bent, holding a slam ball in both hands at your torso. 
2. Squat down slightly, inhale, then stand, pressing into heels, rising to the balls of your feet and lift the medicine ball overhead. 
3. Using the core and arms,  slam the slam ball straight down between your feet with as much force as possible, bending hips and knees helps to add more force.
4. Squat down to pick up the ball from the floor, repeat. 
5. Repeat 3 – 4 sets of 10 – 12 reps.

Slam Ball Push-Up

How To:

1. Get into a standard push-up position and balance with both hands placed on the Slam Ball.
2. Your body should be in a straight line from ankles to shoulders.
3. Lower the entire body until the chest nearly touches the ball.
4. Pause then push up back to the starting position.
5. Repeat 2 -3 sets of 8 -10 reps.

Medicine Ball Chop

How to:

1. Begin in a standing position, feet hip-width apart.
2. Start with the slam ball at your chest. Bring the ball over your right shoulder, next to your head.
3. As you squat down, simultaneously bring the ball across your body, toward your left foot. 
4. Engage your legs and glutes as you rise to a standing position and return the ball above your right shoulder. 
5. This completes one rep on one side. Complete as many reps as possible for 45 seconds. Rest for about 20 seconds then switch to the opposite side and complete for another 45 seconds. 
6. Repeat this entire regimen 2 – 3 times. 

SLAM BALLS EXERCISES FOR LOWER BODY

You might already be feeling the burn with standard lunges and squats. We promise these slam ball lower body exercises will push your fitness routine to the next level. 

Slam Ball Lunge w/ Twist

How To:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the slam ball in front of you with elbows bent about 90 degrees. 
3. Step forward with right foot into a basic lunge position.
4. Twist your upper body to the right, engage the core, squeeze the glutes.
5. Outstretch the arms to the right.
6. Slowly and controlled, bring your arms, then midsection back to the center.
7. Step the forward foot back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
8. Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

Slam Ball Squats

How To:

1. Begin by grabbing a medium-weight slam ball and holding it above your head with arms extended. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Engage your core as you slam the ball to the floor while simultaneously squatting down. When slamming and squatting, throw the ball into the ground as hard as you can. Be sure to maintain good squatting form. Keep your knees behind your toes, keep your torso up and straight, push your rear back. 
3. Engage your glutes and maintain a straight back as you scoop the ball up and return to a standing position. Keep core and arms engaged to lift the ball back overhead, returning to the starting position. 
4. This is one rep. Repeat 10-12 reps for 3 sets.

Squat Jump and Throw

How To: 

1. With a slam ball, stand in front of a wall or partner with feet about hip-width apart and toes pointed slightly out.
2. Place hands under the ball, and hold it at chest/neck level.
3. Squat down until thighs are parallel with the ground – make sure knees do not pass the toes.
4. Exert a lot of power to push into your heels into a jump from the squat. As you jump slam the slam ball straight down.
5. As you come back down, squat down to pick up the ball and throw it to the wall or your partner. This completes a rep. (If working with a partner, let them complete a rep. If working alone, catch the ball from the wall and repeat.)
6. Repeat with 3-4 sets of 8 -10 reps

Build Power and Strength with ARCHON Fitness Slam Balls

Slam balls can be a great tool to help improve your physique, power, and balance. You can bring your slam ball anywhere – the gym, the park, a hotel, and much more. When searching for the ideal slam ball brand, you can’t get any better than ARCHON Fitness. 

Archon Fitness is dedicated to the accessibility and simplicity of fitness. Our passion and expertise are reflected in our professional equipment. We design our equipment with customer needs in mind, producing quality machinery that can be used by everyone, intending to increase customers’ overall health. Archon Fitness was created by fitness advocate, Don Sprouse. He saw a specific need for high-quality, highly versatile, and justly priced equipment.  When Archon began designing and manufacturing the line of ARCHON equipment, the two major focuses were quality and functionality. 

At Archon, our team is passionate about fitness and most importantly, “Passionate about you and your fitness goals.” Whether you’re designing your personal home gym for you and your family or building a business with your commercial gym, we created ARCHON to help you achieve strength and confidence using equipment that is affordable and of the highest quality. 

Visit our website and check out all of our available equipment. You can also subscribe to our blog to get more information about our products, proper exercise form, trending news, and much more. Achieve the best possible version of yourself with Archon Fitness.