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Medicine ball workout: throws, slams and an interval finisher

Throws and slams are fast, whole-body power work, so they come first, while you're fresh, in short sets where every rep is crisp. Then there's an optional slam finisher for fitness and two trunk moves. You need a slam ball that doesn't bounce (3 to 6 kg suits most adults to start, our editorial suggestion), a 2 to 4 kg medicine ball for the throws, a solid wall or a partner and clear space. New to it? For your first 2 weeks do the warm-up, the chest pushes and the trunk block, then add one throw at a time. No study has tested slam doses, so the slam and finisher doses are our starting point.

30 minIntermediate11 movesA wall · Medicine ball · A band · An anchor pointShoulders · Glutes · Hamstrings · Quads · Back · Chest
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)3 slow circles each way, each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoWithin a range that doesn't pinchEasier: Arm circlesHarder: Sleeper stretch
  2. Hip-hinge practice8 reps
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoPush your hips back with a long back: this is how you'll pick the ball upHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
  3. Bodyweight squat10 reps
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoEasy depthEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat
  4. Wall angel8 slow slides
    Beginner · Back, Shoulders · 3D demoGets your arms overhead before the slamsEasier: Table slide (seated forward reach)Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Power

Rest 60 to 90 s between sets

  1. Medicine-ball chest push3 sets of 5, 60 s rest
    Beginner · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoPush a 2 to 4 kg ball hard from your chest to a wall or a partnerHarder: Two-hand overhead throw
  2. Medicine-ball scoop throw (backward overhead throw)3 sets of 3 to 5 throws, about a minute between sets
    Beginner · Glutes, Quads, Shoulders · 3D demoHinge, then drive with your hips. Throw up and back only into clear space with nobody behind youHarder: Two-hand overhead throw
  3. Medicine-ball slam3 to 5 sets of 5, 60 to 90 s rest
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Back · 3D demoReach tall, slam about a foot in front of your feet and breathe out as you slam. Let the ball stop, then pick it up with a squat or a hingeEasier: Medicine-ball chest pushHarder: Lying one-arm overhead throw
  4. One-arm medicine-ball slamFrom week 3: 2 sets of 4 each arm, 60 s rest
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Back · 3D demoStaggered stance, slam across your body, free arm out for balance; a lighter ball than for two handsEasier: Two-hand overhead throwHarder: Turkish get-up

Finisher (optional)

6 rounds · Rest 40 s easy walking after each round

  1. Medicine-ball slam20 s of steady slams
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Back · 3D demoSteady and crisp; a lighter ball than for the power sets is fine. Build from 6 rounds to 10 over the weeks, and stop the round if the slams get sloppyEasier: Medicine-ball chest pushHarder: Lying one-arm overhead throw

Trunk

Rest 30 to 60 s between sets

  1. Half-kneeling Pallof press2 sets of 10 each side
    Beginner · Abs, Glutes, Shoulders · 3D demoA band anchored at chest height; press out and don't let it turn youHarder: Pallof press
  2. Dead bug2 sets of 8 each side
    Beginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoYour lower back stays down; breathe out as you reachEasier: Dead bug heel tapsHarder: Forearm plank

Cool-down (optional)

  1. Doorway chest opener30 s each side
    Beginner · Chest, Shoulders · 3D demoElbow at or below shoulder heightEasier: Elbows backHarder: Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Tips

  • Use a ball that doesn't bounce for slams, on a solid floor or a mat, and let it settle before you pick it up. A bouncing ball slammed hard can come back at your face. Throw only at a solid wall or into open space with nobody near.
  • Every power rep is fast and crisp: end the set when the throws or slams slow down, and rest until the next set can be as fast.
  • Twice a week, at least a day apart. The finisher is hard interval work: count it within our HIIT (high-intensity interval training) guide's once or twice a week.
  • Pick the ball up with a squat or a hinge, never by rounding over it. With back pain, do the chest pushes and the trunk block only, within our back pain guides' rule: pain no more than about 5 out of 10 that settles within an hour or so, no worse the next morning.
  • If lifting your arms overhead pinches, slam from chest height and leave out the scoop throws, keeping pain to about 5 out of 10, settled by your next session.
  • Leave the slams and throws out in pregnancy, with osteoporosis or a past spinal fracture, with unstable diabetic eye disease, and after recent eye or tummy surgery. Get advice first with a hernia or uncontrolled high blood pressure, and breathe out on every slam rather than holding your breath.
  • Stop and get medical help for chest pain or pressure, dizziness, unusual breathlessness, or a racing or irregular heartbeat. A headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful while you're straining is a 999 call (911 in the US).

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

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Questions people ask

How long does the medicine ball workout: throws, slams and an interval finisher take?

About 30 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall, Medicine ball, A band, An anchor point. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 7 of its 11 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.