Slam balls are different from medicine balls. You may find both at your local gym. If you are considering choosing one over the other then you must know the differences between slam balls and medicine balls. Both are balls with weight. They can be as small as softballs or bigger than basketballs. Slam balls and medicine balls can be as light as two pounds and as heavy as fifty pounds. There are some that are heavier. Slam balls and medicine balls can be made of rubber. Medicine balls may also be made of leather or plastic. Slam balls are not usually made of leather or plastic. They typically have high quality rubber as the shell.
While both slam balls and medicine balls can be used in some exercises, especially when you are working out with a partner, there are some workouts that you cannot do with the latter. Medicine balls and slam balls can be used in overhead passes, rotational abdominal exercises and chest passes. Any exercise that requires holding on to a weighted ball can be performed with either of the two but those that require you to throw the weighted ball can only be performed with slam balls. Medicine balls cannot withstand impact on hard surfaces. Some made of good quality leather or rubber may not get damaged upon impact on a hard surface for the very first time or several times but in days or weeks there will be visible damages. Slam balls can withstand such impacts, which is why they are named so.
Slam balls and medicine balls can be used for sit-ups, squats, twists, bear crawls and thrusters among others. Medicine balls cannot be used in swinging exercises, not the ones where you may hold the ball and engage in a swinging motion of your arms or the body facilitating some swings but where the ball itself is swung, usually with ropes. On the other hand, medicine balls can come with handles, thus enabling you to have a firm grip that can facilitate certain workouts which are not possible with slam balls.
Slam balls are more durable than medicine balls because of the quality of rubber used to make its shell. Medicine balls can be great quality if they are made of premium quality rubber or leather. If you have some workouts wherein you must throw a weighted ball, then it is imperative for you to buy slam balls.
