Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Medicine Ball Overhead Slam: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The medicine ball overhead slam is a dynamic exercise that targets the upper back, shoulders, and core by forcefully slamming a medicine ball to the ground from an overhead position. It requires coordination, power, and full-body engagement.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Abs , Obliques , Shoulders
Equipment
Medicine Ball
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the medicine ball overhead slam
Front view: muscles worked by the medicine ball overhead slam. Primary: traps. Secondary: abs, obliques and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the medicine ball overhead slam. Primary: traps. Secondary: abs, obliques and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the medicine ball overhead slam

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands above your head.
  2. Step 2: Engage your core and keep your back straight.
  3. Step 3: Bend your knees slightly and forcefully slam the medicine ball down to the ground in front of you.
  4. Step 4: As you slam the ball down, use your entire body to generate power, including your shoulders and core.
  5. Step 5: Catch the ball on the bounce and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the medicine ball overhead slam by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Medicine Ball Overhead Slam alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

More traps exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.