Back · Medicine Ball
Medicine Ball Slams
How to do the medicine ball slams, 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
How to do it
Hold a medicine ball overhead. Slam it to the ground forcefully, engaging your core, then pick it up and repeat.
- 1Generate power from your hips and core to drive the ball down
- 2Feel your lats engage as you whip the ball toward the floor
- 3Exhale forcefully to engage your core during the slam
Common mistakes
- Avoid rounding your back during the pickup or slam
- Don't keep your arms straight the entire time; use controlled bending to accelerate
- Avoid chasing the ball with poor posture, reset your stance each rep
Muscles worked
The medicine ball slams works the lats, upper abs, triceps, forearms, lower abs, quads, and glutes.
- LatsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
Medicine Ball Slams strength standards
See how your medicine ball slams 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.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the medicine ball slams 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 back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed April 2026.