Slam balls. While the name may not sound familiar it can be great for working out. Slam balls are used in a wide range of exercises to help define muscles and condition them. Exercises that involve using slam balls are highly explosive, which helps to increase stamina, power, and speed.
While they are like medicine balls, slam balls are weighted and have a rubber coating on them. There is one difference they have from a medicine ball-their surface is thicker and this makes them ideal for high-impact exercises that require throwing. Med balls though, have a thinner rubber, plastic, or leather surface which makes them impractical for these types of intense workouts.
As its name suggests, slam balls are a ball however they do not bounce as a typical ball does. They are made of durable rubber making them easy to grip. No matter how hard you slam them, they aren’t going to burst open or damage any flooring you might be using them on. You can use them just about anywhere whether it’s in a garage, a home gym, or even outdoors in the back yard.
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The Top Slam Balls on the Market
If you’re finding it hard to pick a brand, here are a few of the top slam balls to help get you started. If you are new to slam balls it can be hard to know what a good brand is or what type to purchase. Here are a few great choices to consider.
BalanceFrom Workout Exercise Fitness Weighted Medicine Ball, Wall Ball and Slam Ball
BalanceFrom brings you a line of workout balls that are designed to deliver results. You’ll find you are able to increase muscle limits, core strength, and increased performance especially if you’re an athlete. Your glucose metabolism increases as well.
Medicine Ball: This ball is made from durable rubber and offers a dual texture. Working out with this allows you to improve your coordination and can improve core strength among other things. Comes in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 20-pound increments.
Slam Ball: Offering a rugged and textured surface, you’ll have a secure and easy grip on the ball. Workouts can build overall strength, gives explosive power and is a great cardio workout. Slam balls come in 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 75, and 100-pound increments.
Wall Ball: Made from a high-quality leather material on the outside as well as double-stitching, your workouts will develop both muscle strength and core strength. Comes in sizes 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, and 30-pound increments.
No matter what ball you choose, you’ll find they come in a wide variety of weights depending on what your fitness goals are. Each ball comes in a variety of colors as well allowing you to choose something that fits your personality and style.
Features
- Wide variety of weight to select from
- Dual texture
- Durable rubber for easier grasping of the ball
- Helps you reach your fitness goals
Pros
- Any ball you choose is made from high-quality materials
- Comes in a variety of sizes based on your needs
- Gripping the balls is easier than with other brands
- Backed by a guarantee
Cons
- Some reviews claim the grip can be slippery at times
- Some sizes are inaccurate
- Loose sand inside the slam ball moves around loosely
Yes4All Slam Balls (Black, Blue, Teal, Orange & Glossy) 10-40lbs for Strength and Crossfit Workout – Slam Medicine Ball
The Yes4All slam ball is designed to be thrown hundreds and thousands of times without it becoming deformed or breaking. This slam ball was designed for more intense repetitions during your exercise. This slam ball contains sand inside of it and has a PVC shell. This allows the ball to easily absorb the energy when the ball is slammed down instead of having it roll or bounce away.
The textured and uniquely designed shell provides an easier grip for you to keep hold and catch the ball a lot easier. This slam ball features a construction that is seamless which prevents splitting over time with extended use. This slam ball is great for doing overhead throws, wall slams, squats, and even Russian twists.
Features
- Helps with building muscle mass
- Improves cardio
- Enhances your hand and eye coordination and overall balance
- Heavy-duty shell giving it maximum durability
- Ideal for total body workouts, increased power movements, and core strength
Pros
- Easy to grip and hold onto
- Stronger construction for enhanced performance
- Ideal for even the toughest athletes
- Boosts your overall aerobic capacity
- Increases your heart rate which burns more calories
- Ideal for working out your triceps, calves, abdomen, quads, glutes, etc.
Cons
- Can be difficult to keep steady because the loose sand inside is loose and moves back and forth
- Some complain that the shell is flat and smooshy
- Some have reported getting calluses from using this ball
TRX Training Slam Ball, Easy- Grip Tread & Durable Rubber Shell
If you’re looking for a slam ball that’s going to allow you to unleash your inner power, the TRX Training slam ball is right up your alley! You’ll engage your entire body with a high-intensity workout which helps build strength and explosive cardio power.
This slam ball offers a rugged and textured surface. This helps you grip the ball a lot easier than some other balls. This prevents dropping the ball or losing it mid-workout. This ball was designed to get you through your toughest workouts. You’ll also notice this slam ball offers a durable shell made from rubber which absorbs the ball’s impact that comes with every strengthening bounce.
Features
- Durable shell eliminates bounce and can withstand heavy use
- Textured surface allows for easier gripping
- Several weight options to choose from
Pros
- Durability that allows the ball to take a beating
- Textured surface makes gripping the ball easier
- Several weights to choose from
- Portable design makes exercising on trips easier
Cons
- Doesn’t have a big enough bounce
- Loose sand moves around making it hard to keep stable
- Texture on the outside can be slippery at times
ProsourceFit Slam Medicine Balls 5Lbs Smooth Textured Grip Dead Weight Balls for Crossfit, Strength & Conditioning Exercises
If you’re looking for an exercise that works out your entire body, Prosource Fit slam medicine balls are just what you’ve been looking for! These balls are sure to get your heart pumping! Designed for durability, these dead-weight slam balls have sand in them. This means you can throw them as hard as you want without worrying about a bounce back.
Consider using these rather than weights to design your own exercises that’ll challenge your back, legs, core, arms, and overall body condition. No matter your fitness level, there is a weight that suits your needs while you improve. You’ll increase weights to giving you even more maximum results.
Features
- Built to last even the most extreme workouts
- Perfect for cross-training and all-over conditioning
- A better alternative to weights
- Safer workouts due to the dead weight design
Pros
- Designed with an anti-slip grip
- Tread grip surface
- The tire tread surface ensures a steady grip
- Available in a variety of weights ranging from 5 to 50lbs
Cons
- Sand inside moves around making it hard to stabilize the ball
- The surface can get slippery
POWER GUIDANCE Slam Ball, Medicine Ball, Weight Available, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 Lbs, Dead Weight. Great for Core Training & Cardio Workouts
If you’re looking for a way to increase and unleash your inner power, Power Guidance slam balls can help. These balls will have your entire body engaged in high-intensity workouts designed to build cardio power and strength.
Power Guidance slam balls offer a rugged and textured surface providing easier gripping. It also helps keep a secure hold with the ball. These weighted balls are designed to withstand anything you can throw their way. The shell is made of ultra-durable and thick rubber. This helps absorb any impacts from performing core-strengthening dead weight bounces.
Features
- Non-bounce design for athletic training
- The surface is textured allowing for easier gripping
- Multiple weight options
- Easy to take on the go
Pros
- Built to withstand the toughest workouts
- Take cardio workouts to the next level
- Great for at-home use
- Not too loud when slammed on hard flooring
Cons
- Might feel bulky because of the textured surface being thick like a tire
- Loose sand inside moves around with exercise making it hard to balance
- Not enough bounce for some people
Slam Balls vs. Medicine Balls: What’s the Difference?
Medicine balls, for the most part, are a lot larger than slam balls. There are several purposes for using a medicine ball. You’ll often find them constructed from leather, plastic, rubber, and even vinyl. They work different muscles in the body depending on the range of motion you use and the angle. They help you target and workout muscles that dumbbells might not target. Medicine balls aren’t designed to be thrown or slammed as you do with slam balls.
Slam balls on the other hand are designed to be thrown and slammed into the ground or wall. They won’t bounce and their outer shell is heavy-duty. This prevents the ball from breaking upon being slammed or thrown. Slam balls are a great substitute for exercises that require medicine balls. A slam ball’s sole purpose is to engage your entire body giving you explosive strength which will increase functional fitness, power and core strength.
Are Slam Balls for Everyone?
Slam balls can fit great into any workout routine whether at home or at the gym. However, they are suited more for those who are into resistance training. Even if you have a rather full workout routine, slam balls can easily be incorporated into any cardio exercise. These balls can be used in place of free weights as well. Even though you might not be looking for arms like a bodybuilder, there are advantages to how they can build some muscle allowing your body to increase your metabolism rate. Ultimately, this results in a decreased amount of body fat.
Benefits of Using a Slam Ball
Core Control is Maximized
While squats, lunges, and deadlifts can be great for strengthening your core, slam balls can be used in a variety of ways and used in different angles. Some of these positions and angles can include to the front, the side, or an arcing pattern.
Simply put, your abs, muscles deep in your abdomen, and your obliques are forced to work as a team through a different range of motion positions to help with spinal stability and to help boost the development of power. This is a great piece of equipment for competitive athletes to use.
If you master the use of slam balls, you’ll find you perform better whether it’s on the court or out on the field. They are beneficial to strength athletes and powerlifters as controlling your core more enhance your ability to do squats, clean and jerks, snatches, and several other exercises and patterns.
Major Cardiovascular Endurance
One exercise you can do with slam balls is known as ball slams. If they are done the right way, they help increase work capacity as they incorporate more volume into your training.
Simply put, you can pick a slam ball up off the ground, press it overhead and slam it down violently into the ground. Make sure you do this in a powerful and controlled fashion.
If you do this repeatedly, just this movement can challenge cardiovascular endurance while conditioning your entire body from top to bottom. You’ll teach your muscles to work together which can eliminate activation problems with muscles, joint mobility, and even poor posture.
Great for Athletes to Train
One of the biggest and most important reasons for training with slam balls is that it translates to just about all sports, inside the gym, and outdoor athletic activities.
You’ll find your body learns how to react in the ever-changing environment in a way that doesn’t include conveniently shaped dumbbells or other barbells.
The needs of any athlete might include proper form, stimuli reaction, and force production. These are important for any competitive athlete to have whether you’re a football or basketball player, a runner or sprinter, and even an Olympic athlete.
Workout Anywhere
Using a slam ball in your exercise routine can be so beneficial because as long as there is a hard surface, you can get a good workout in. If you have hard ground, grass at home, or tarmac, you can use a slam ball and get amazing results. These are small enough to pack if you are on a vacation or a business trip to ensure you don’t lose your momentum.
When muscles are challenged and then exhausted of their abilities, you’ll develop muscle power over time. Striving for this provides an abundance of fitness and health benefits which include:
- Increased aerobic capacity
- Resting metabolism is higher
- Muscle density increases
- Glucose metabolism is faster
- Decreased body fat
- Mental clarity is enhanced
- Athletic performance increases
- Muscle limits have a stronger maximum
- Heart health improves
And ladies, don’t worry you won’t become too bulky by using slam balls. Bulky looks come from eating too many calories, not from lifting weights or training hard. If you’re looking to get lean while avoiding bulking up, make sure you are watching calorie intake and making healthy food choices.
Weight training can help tone muscles, help reduce age-related muscle tone loss, and even improves your overall appearance.
Choosing the Right Weight for Your Slam Ball
Slam balls are awesome for stabilizing your core and strengthening your arms. You’ll also learn the basics to weightlifting. They are great for warming up before you get going on your exercise routine.
When it comes to choosing a slam ball for you and knowing what weight is best for you can be overwhelming for some people. For beginners, it’s best to stay with a weight between 10-25 pounds. Intermediate and expert people should stay with a weight over 40 pounds. Take into consideration what your goals are as well.
You’ll find that slam balls come in all sizes so think about what you need before purchasing the first ones you come across. If you get slam balls that are too heavy, this might prevent you from moving your body the way you need. There are several brands to choose from as well, but here are some things to consider when looking for slam balls:
Is This Your First Time Using a Slam Ball?
There really is nothing complicated or hard to figure out with slam balls, but it’s always important to pick the right size. If you are new to slam balls, stick with a 20-pound ball for men and if you are female, stick with a 10-pound ball. If you have joint issues or limitations of your muscles, consider choosing an 8- pound ball.
Measure Your Hands
You’ll find that some balls are wide making them hard to handle especially if you have small hands. You want a solid grip on the ball when it’s in your hands. This ensures you keep proper form throughout the exercises. Depending on the size of your hands, fluctuate the weight anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds.
Do You Lift Weights?
If you visit the gym pretty frequently, you might find using slam balls to be a lot easier than some. However, still, start with a weight smaller and always start lower than what your expectations are. Learning the movements is a lot more important than lifting maximum weights.
Are You in a Fitness Program?
There are some programs that require you use a certain weight slam ball to get through the course. For programs geared towards strength, 40-pound slam balls are used, and for programs that focus more on cardio and strength, you’ll usually use a slam ball ranging from 8 to 20 pounds.
When to Increase Your Slam Ball Weight
Just with any exercise, you want to slowly increase your weight size of slam balls. Using the same slam ball weight for too long can mean muscle growth stops. However, don’t try to increase weight just because you want to get built faster. The whole process should be natural and comfortable.
If you find yourself running through your exercises and there is little to no resistance, you could be doing more harm than anything. There really isn’t a point in using a slam ball that’s too light and isn’t going to produce results. All you’ll be doing is slamming a ball down, picking it back up, and ruining any muscle growth you already have.
If you find that after a workout you are not sore, it might be time to increase your weight size. However, there are studies done that have shown you might not be getting sore anymore as your body is getting used to the workout. Regardless, you should always feel like your muscles are pumping after each routine.
If you are changing how you use your slam ball, say for instance you want to use it for strength from cardio, you should move up a few pounds. As you might already know, doing short bursts with heavyweight balls can help you with increased strength gains. Keep in mind that you won’t see the same results if you are using a high-rep ball.
You might find that you need a smaller ball if you find you aren’t feeling a lot of resistance. Without having that full range of motion, you won’t see a significant amount of muscle growth. Don’t worry if you have to go down a size. In the end, it’ll be better as it will allow your heart, core, arms, and even back to reap the advantages from a more lightweight slam ball.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
We all want to see results especially if we are consistently working out. If you aren’t seeing any muscle growth or toning, why would you want to exercise? Strength training is all part of the process; however, people prefer to see those cosmetic results and that becomes a primary goal with working out.
Whether you’re in it for the cardio, a healthy warm-up, or to gain massive triceps, the only way you are going to accomplish any of that is with consistency. Incorporate your slam balls into any exercise routine as much as you can. Just as with any exercise routine, eating a healthy and balanced diet is also a crucial part to seeing results.
Typically, it can take anywhere from 2 to 3 months to notice and big results. For individuals who have never exercised but you are eating well, you will see results a lot quicker. Your results are going to be significant and easy to notice. After that, you won’t really notice any changes to your definition or growth for anywhere from 6-12 months.
Don’t forget strength. While you might be looking defined and toned, that doesn’t mean your muscles are getting stronger. Stagnant gains in muscle paired with fat loss might make you look bigger, which can give you the impression that you’re progressing. While losing fat is an added benefit, it doesn’t always mean you’ll see muscle growth.
If you can, increase the size of your weights and your slam balls at least every month or two. This is because there will come a point you hit a plateau as you begin to increase weights for all exercises. As you increase your slam ball size, you should start lifting with barbells, weighted vests, or dumbbells if you have any of them.
Consistency will pay off once you start to see results after that first month. It can be frustrating to wait a month or two to see results, but once you do it can help keep you motivated to reach higher fitness goals you might have in mind.
Are Slam Balls Waterproof?
Fortunately, slam balls are waterproof! If you need to wash them off, all you need is a cloth and some warm water and soap. Simply wipe off and you’re good to go!
What Exercises Can You Do with a Slam Ball?
There are a wide variety of exercises you can do with slam balls. There are also workout routines catered to using slam balls alone. Most exercise routines you find for slam balls are compound exercises giving you a full-body workout.
You’ll find burning calories is simple and you’ll get a more intense workout in half the time. This is an ideal alternative for those who have busy schedules allowing them little time for working out. It’s also great to use slam balls at the end of your workout routine to compliment it.
You can use slam balls for squats, lunges, slams, throws, and abdominal crunches to name a few. There are several places to find workouts designed for your fitness level whether you are just getting started or are a more seasoned athlete.
Slam Ball Variations and Exercises to Try
Here are a few variations and exercises to try out to help get you started with your slam balls.
Rotational Slam
With this variation, you’ll be pivoting to one side and laterally bringing the ball down. To do this, your whole core twists and you then perform a crunch to one side. Rather than extending up and down, you are twisting more over and up. You’re still engaging your hips as you bring them back at the bottom half of this movement.
Kneeling Chest Pass
With this movement, you’ll be focusing more on your upper body as you toss your slam ball as hard as you can into a wall while kneeling. This helps to work your core while keeping you stable. You’ll be able to use maximum force as you are kneeling. This is great to do before you have a chest day workout.
Split Stance Slam Ball
By being in a split stance and slamming a ball, you’ll have one leg staggered about a foot behind you. Your hips won’t be extended too much, if they are at all during this move. This engages your core more as opposed to a typical ball slam. Your legs will get more of a workout as your stance is staggered as well as an extensive knee bend.
Overhead Slam
Begin by standing with your feet about hip-width away from each other. Keep your knees bent slightly and hold your slam ball overhead. Take the ball and slam it to the ground in front of you as hard and as powerful as you can. Engage your abs, upper back, and glutes.
After the ball bounces once, catch it and bring it back over your head. Repeat this exercise as many times as you want.
This exercise will target your core, shoulders, and back.
Can I Use a Slam Ball at Home?
Slam balls are a great option to add to your home gym. You can buy a set of them in different weights. This ensures that as you get comfortable with one weight, you can easily move up in weight and intensity without having to wait to find heavier ones.
How Much Do Slam Balls Cost?
Slam balls are available in a rather wide price range. This can be from $25-$100. The more expensive the slam ball, the more top of the line it is. The more you’re willing to spend, the better the quality you’ll likely get.
However, before purchasing your slam balls, do some extensive research. Read up on reviews to learn about other people’s experiences. This can help you better determine which ones to avoid and what ones to consider. The last thing you want is to purchase a slam ball and it doesn’t withstand your workout causing sand to leak out of the ball.
Can I Use a Slam Ball with My Current Workout?
Hands down, yes! That’s the sole purpose of these slam balls. You can add a short slam ball workout at the beginning of your usual routine, or whenever. This will amp up your workout and allow your body to burn extra calories while giving your full body a workout.
Most slam ball exercises last a mere 5-12 minutes. You can always do more if you choose by repeating your workout or you can throw in a few different exercises.
How Much Weight Should I Use for Slam Balls?
Before you can choose the right weight for your slam balls, you need to learn what your own strength is. Typically, if you are new to using slam balls, stick to a range of 10-25 pounds. For those of you who are intermediate or expert athletes, you should stick to slam balls weighing at least 40 pounds. Keep your goals in mind as well.
If you are looking for more strength-based exercises you’ll want to stick with closer to 40-pound slam balls. If you are looking for more cardio-strength workouts, stick to slam balls weighing a minimum of 8 pounds to a maximum of 20 pounds.
As you become more used to and comfortable using your current weight slam balls, you can slowly start to increase your weight. You want to increase your weight over time as this can avoid muscle loss or hitting a plateau.
Slam balls are a great tool to integrate into any workout or to use on their own. They offer a full-body workout from head to toe. If you have goals to improve your cardio, improve your strength, or to focus on toning yourself, slam balls can help you achieve all these things. The great part is there is always room to go bigger in weight size allowing there to be more resistance. This helps ensure you are achieving your fitness goals.
