Core · Stability Ball
Behind the Head Ball Slam
How to do the behind the head ball slam, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Stability Ball
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a stability ball with both hands. Reach the ball back behind your head, then forcefully slam it down to the floor in front of you using your core and lats, catching it on the bounce to repeat.
- 1Lats and core driving the ball down with force
- 2A hard abdominal contraction as you fold forward
- 3Full overhead stretch before each slam
Common mistakes
- Slamming with only your arms instead of your trunk
- Rounding sharply at the lower back on the catch
- Letting the ball drift away so you lose control
Muscles worked
The behind the head ball slam mainly works the lower abs, lats, and upper abs, with the obliques, forearms, lower back, upper traps, quads, glutes, and hip flexors assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- LatsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the behind the head ball slam for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.