Single Arm Medicine Ball Slam
In SetGrip: Medicine Ball Slam (Single Arm)
- Primary muscleAbs
- EquipmentMedicine Ball
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeCompound · Throw
- Secondary muscles
- Delts, Upper Back
- Body part
- Core
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Unilateral (one arm at a time)
- Category
- Strength
Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed
Slamming with one arm puts an off-center load overhead, so your trunk resists the twist on the way up and drives it on the way down, making this more of an oblique exercise than the two-hand Medicine Ball Overhead Slam. Use a small, soft ball you can palm securely - grip, not power, is usually the limiter.
How to do the Single Arm Medicine Ball Slam
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the medicine ball with one hand in front of your waist.
- Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
- Raise the medicine ball above your head, fully extending your arm.
- Forcefully slam the medicine ball down to the ground, using your core and shoulders to generate power.
- Catch the medicine ball on the bounce and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Breathe out sharply on the release and throw the whole body into it, not just the arms.
Muscles worked
Primary
Abs · Core
The abs whip the torso forward on slams and should feel like a hard crunch at the moment of release.
Secondary
- Delts
- Upper Back — The upper back loads as the arms go overhead and drives the throw forward.
Common mistakes
- Throwing with the arms only — the throw starts with the legs and hips, then travels through the torso and out the arms; if the legs stay still, the power is gone.
- Folding at the waist — keep the back flat as you follow through and let the hips hinge so you do not fold at the waist.
- Rushing reps as conditioning — a throw is a power exercise, so reset between reps and throw each one hard.
- Wrong ball weight — a ball that is too heavy turns a throw into a push; use something light enough to move fast.
Where it fits in a workout
Throws go at the start of a session after the warm-up, before heavy lifting, while you are fresh. Pair overhead throws with broad jumps for a power block.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
Track the Single Arm Medicine Ball Slam in SetGrip
All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.
More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.