The Slam Ball is a fun, yet deadly, weapon in the world of fitness. It is an exercise that activates the entire anterior chain as well as your Lats, Rear Delts, Hamstrings, and back! We love programming the Slam Ball in our workouts at enduraLAB for some added power and sometimes it just feels good to take out your stress on the mat! Here we have a breakdown of the Slam Ball so you can have a better understanding and maximize your training time with us.
Form:
- Approaching the slam ball, set up in a comfortable jumping position without getting too wide. Shoulder width should be about the limit. The slam ball should be centered between your feet.
- Bend down to place your hands on the bottom of the ball. From here you will lower your hips towards the ground while simultaneously flattening the back. At the bottom position, with the hands underneath the ball, your chest should be proud and facing straight ahead of you. It will look like you are in a deep squat with your arms straight down holding the slam ball.
- Make sure you inhale before starting to move the ball. Drive the ground away, keeping the ball close to the body on your way to the top. At the top of the movement, the slam ball should be at most directly above your head or slightly towards the front of your body that way you do not over-extend your back.
- Lastly, pull the ball down from the top and slam the ball within a foot from you. As the ball bounces you want to time it where you catch the slam ball as it comes off the ground. Do not slam the ball get too far from your body or you will feel it in the low back.
- Rinse and repeat.
Some of our favorite cues:
- “Proud chest at the bottom”
- “Squeeze the core and bust that ball”
- “Catch the bounce”
- “Drive the ball to the ceiling”
How to scale:
You can perform a Slam Ball Deadlift, Slam Ball Front Squat, or a Slam Ball Thruster.
- Slam Ball Front Squat:
- Hold the Slam Ball in front of your chest with both hands on the ball and perform a normal squat while keeping your chest proud.
- Slam Ball Thruster:
- Same set up as Slam Ball Front Squat only you are adding an overhead press with the Slam Ball. Control the ball back down and repeat!
- Slam Ball Deadlift:
- From the bottom position, keep a proud chest, stand up with the ball and repeat.
Two Workouts to Improve Your Slam Ball
- Every 1:30 for 10 Rounds, perform 10x Slam Balls + 10x Sit Ups (Max Glute Bridge Hold in remaining time)
- Every 1:30, perform 10 reps of the Slam Ball and Sit Up. Once you are done with the movements, hop into a Glute Bridge and try to hold it for the rest of the interval.
- 10-1 Descending Ladder Leg Blaster
- Start with 10 reps of the Slam Ball, then perform a 30-second Low Squat Hold. Then repeat, but do 9 Slam Balls and a 30-second Low Squat Hold. Continue this pattern until you hit 1 repetition of the Slam Ball and 30-second Low Squat Hold. At the end, you’ll pack in 55 Slam Balls and a whopping 5:00 in the Low Squat Hold. Get that epson salt bath ready!
- *In the low squat hold, we want your thighs parallel to the ground
