Medicine Ball Single Arm Slam
Single-arm overhead-to-floor medicine ball slam — explosive unilateral power with full-body coordination.
Level: Advanced
Primary: Cardio Full Body
Movement: Compound
Tags: Explosive Unilateral
Type: Anaerobic Intervals (HIIT / Bootcamp / Circuit) Hybrid Athletic
Equipment: Medicine Ball
Sports: Football MMA Tennis Wrestling
Target muscles
The lats and trunk drive the slam. The shoulder of the slamming arm releases. The trunk braces against the asymmetric load. The hip flexors and quads contribute through the descent. As an athletic-power drill, the single-arm slam loads the kinetic chain unilaterally.
How to perform
Setup
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a medicine ball in one hand.
Execution
Raise the ball overhead. Explosively slam it down to the floor on the same side with full force. Use the whole body to generate force. Catch or pick up the ball. Switch sides each set.
Common mistakes
- Throwing primarily with the arm.
- Going too heavy.
- Not generating force from the legs.
- Asymmetric volume.
- Trunk twisting.
Progressions and regressions
Regress to two-handed slams. To progress, increase ball weight, work for time.
Programming notes
Unilateral power conditioning. 3 sets of 5-8 per side, twice a week.
