Medicine Ball Rotational Slam
An explosive rotational exercise that builds core power through a throwing motion.
Equipment: Medicine ball
How to do it
- 1Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball at one hip.
- 2Rotate your torso and drive the ball diagonally down and across to slam it into the floor on the opposite side.
- 3Pick up the ball, reset, and repeat, or perform all reps on one side before switching.
Common mistakes
- Using mostly the arms instead of generating power from the hip and torso rotation.
- Rounding the lower back during the slam instead of keeping it braced.
Sets & reps by goal
An explosive movement: keep reps low enough that every rep stays fast and crisp, and rest long enough to repeat that quality on the next set.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any goal | 3-4 | 5-8 per side | 60-90 sec |
Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. These are practical starting ranges rather than exact requirements; actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Medicine Ball Rotational Slam safe for beginners?
The Medicine Ball Rotational Slam is tagged intermediate, meaning it generally works best once you already have some core training experience. If you're new to training, the Russian Twist builds the same kind of movement with less demand, which makes it a reasonable place to start.
See the Russian TwistWhat muscles does the Medicine Ball Rotational Slam work?
The primary mover is your core. As a core movement, it also involves your hip flexors and lower-back stabilizers.
What can I substitute if I don't have a medicine ball for the Medicine Ball Rotational Slam?
There's no close equivalent in the database without a medicine ball. The Cable Woodchopper trains the same main muscle group, but it's a different movement, so treat it as a broad alternative rather than a direct replacement.
See the Cable WoodchopperRelated exercises
Learn more
Want a full plan built around exercises like this one? Try the workout plan tool.