What equipment do you need for the medicine ball slam sit-up?

You need medicine ball to do the medicine ball slam sit-up.

What is a good medicine ball slam sit-up?

For men, a good medicine ball slam sit-up is about a 31 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 14 lb and elite lifters pass 70 lb. For women, the standards run from about 14 lb to 70 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Core · Medicine Ball

Medicine Ball Slam Sit-up

How to do the medicine ball slam sit-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Extension
Mechanic: Plyometric

Find more:Abs & Core exercises Medicine & Stability Ball exercises

How to do it

Lie on your back with your knees bent and hold a medicine ball above your chest. Engage your core and perform a sit-up while simultaneously throwing the ball down toward the floor in front of you. Catch or pick up the ball as you lie back down, raising it overhead again to repeat. Keep your feet anchored and maintain control as you slam the ball each rep.

1Feel your core engage as you sit up and slam the ball down with force
2Use your arms to accelerate the ball while maintaining a strong torso
3Engage your hip flexors to help lift your torso off the ground

Common mistakes

Avoid slamming the ball with a rounded back; sit up tall
Don't let your feet lift off the ground; anchor them for stability
Avoid dropping the ball on your knees or feet; slam in front of you

Muscles worked

The medicine ball slam sit-up mainly works the upper abs and lower abs, with the obliques assisting.

Upper AbsPrimary
Lower AbsPrimary
ObliquesSupport
QuadsMinor

Medicine Ball Slam Sit-up strength standards

See how your medicine ball slam sit-up ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM14 lb
Silvere1RM23 lb
Golde1RM31 lb
Platinume1RM43 lb
Diamonde1RM59 lb
Champione1RM70 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the medicine ball slam sit-up 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.

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More abs & core exercises

See all abs & core exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.