Medicine ball or slam ball: which does what
| Ball | Built for | Typical moves | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine ball | Throwing and catching, some designs bounce | Chest passes, overhead throws, rotational throws, bear hug carries | Whether it is meant to hit a wall |
| Slam ball | Hitting the floor, with little bounce | Overhead slams, rotational slams, carries | That it sits still after landing |
Both balls are on RPM's functional floor, beside the turf lane, kettlebells and ropes. Throws are the upper-body side of plyometric training, and the jumping side, with landings and contact counts, is in plyometrics at the gym.
Throws: chest, overhead and rotational
A 2015 review of plyometric exercise lists medicine ball throws in its beginner group for the trunk and upper body, and moves them up the levels by adding weight, frequency and intensity. Every throw starts with a quick dip or wind-up and ends with letting go, so you can stay at full speed right to the end of the movement.
- Chest pass: stand facing a wall or partner, ball at the chest, and push it away hard with both hands, stepping in as you throw.
- Overhead throw: ball overhead, a short dip at the knees, then throw it forwards to a wall or partner, letting the arms follow through.
- Rotational throw: stand side-on to the wall, turn away with the ball at hip height, then pivot the back foot and throw it into the wall across your body. Do both sides.
- Backward overhead throw: on open turf only, squat with the ball low and throw it up and back over your head, then walk to collect it.
Slams and carries
- Overhead slam: reach tall with the ball, then drive it into the floor in front of your feet, bending the hips and knees as it goes down. Pick it up with a flat back, as in a squat.
- Rotational slam: lift the ball over one shoulder and slam it beside the opposite foot. Alternate sides.
- Bear hug carry: hug a heavy ball to your chest and walk the turf lane with short steps and an upright trunk.
- Ball to shoulder: lift a heavier ball from the floor to one shoulder, put it down and switch sides.
There is little research on slams themselves, so judge them by their job: a loud, simple way to work hard for short bursts. They pair well with the rope and sled stations in conditioning circuits, covered in battle rope workouts and sled workouts.
If a throw or slam hurts your shoulders, back or any joint, or you have an injury or a medical condition, see a doctor or physiotherapist before going on.
Choosing a ball weight
For power work, the ACSM position stand recommends light loads moved fast. A heavier ball is not automatically more useful: a 2023 study of backward overhead throws in 31 female athletes found no differences in peak power, force or speed across balls from 2.7 to 5.5 kg. Choose by speed, then by move.
| Move | Pick a ball that | Too heavy if |
|---|---|---|
| Chest pass | Leaves your hands fast and reaches the wall flat | It arcs or drops short |
| Overhead throw | You can throw without arching your back | Your ribs flare to finish the throw |
| Rotational throw | Lets you turn quickly through the hips | Your arms do the work and the hips stall |
| Slam | You can lift overhead and slam with a flat back on the pick-up | You round over to lift it |
| Carry | Is heavy, but lets you walk tall | You lean back to hold it |
Sets, reps and rest for ball work
The 2015 review's guidance for upper-body plyometrics is short sets of 5 to 10 reps, one set per exercise for physically active people and three for athletes, about a minute between exercises and two sessions a week with 48 hours between them. It stresses quality over quantity, so the set ends when the throws slow or technique slips.
| Use | Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power throws | 5 to 8 | A minute or more | Every throw at full speed, stop when it slows |
| Slams in a circuit | 20 to 30 seconds of work | As the circuit sets | Steady rhythm rather than flat out |
| Carries | One or two lengths | Until your grip recovers | Heavy ball, upright walk |
For maximal throws the ACSM position stand suggests rests of three to five minutes between sets, so power work is not rushed.
Fitting ball work into a strength or conditioning week
- Strength day: two or three throws after the warm-up and before the main lifts, while you are fresh.
- Conditioning day: slams and carries as stations in a circuit with ropes, the sled or a bike.
- Upper-body day: chest passes or overhead throws early, then presses and rows.
- Kettlebell day: rotational throws between swings and presses, so the trunk works in another direction, as the kettlebell basics session leaves room for.
On the evidence, the 2023 meta-analysis pooled 30 studies of healthy young people. Throwing programmes improved maximal strength, medicine ball throw performance and upper-limb muscle volume compared with controls, but its authors rated the certainty low or very low and called for more research on dose. See ball work as a useful addition, not a replacement for lifting.
Medicine balls and slam balls at RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. Medicine balls and slam balls sit in the functional area of the Mixed section with the turf lane and sled, kettlebells, battle ropes and step boxes. Whether a wall is set aside for throws, and whether partner throws fit at busy times, are not confirmed, so ask.
- Ask which balls may hit a wall, which are for slams only, and the range of weights.
- Women: the women-only Ladies section has its own strength and cardio equipment. Ask whether it holds medicine balls, and whether your tier covers the functional area.
- Coaching: coaches on the roster cover strength and conditioning in both sections, and Engine is the tier that adds coached programming, with inclusions confirmed on enquiry.
- Book a free guided tour to see the functional floor at the hour you train.
Sources
- Garcia-Carrillo E, et al. Effects of upper-body plyometric training on physical fitness in healthy youth and young adult participants: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open, 2023
- Davies G, Riemann BL, Manske R. Current concepts of plyometric exercise. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2015
- Beckham GK, et al. Assessing full body impulsive ability using a range of medicine ball loads for the backward overhead medicine ball throw. Sports Biomechanics, 2023
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009
Questions, answered.
Can I throw a slam ball at a wall?
Check the house rules first. Slam balls are built to hit the floor, so use a ball the gym says is meant for wall throws.
What weight should a beginner's medicine ball be?
Light enough that every throw is fast and every catch is easy. Ask which weights the floor has, and start at the lighter end.
Are medicine ball throws plyometric?
Yes. The 2015 review of plyometric exercise lists them among its upper-body and trunk drills, from beginner to advanced.
Do ball slams work the core?
Slams move the whole body, with the trunk helping drive the ball down, so they feel hard through the middle. There is little research on slams specifically, so this page makes no promise about them.