On your list of new home gym essentials, it is good to keep a set of slam balls.  They are versatile, durable and have some significant benefits for serious exercise routine followers. Interestingly, just because they are called ‘slam balls’, it does not mean that all you can do is slam them against the floor or wall – there are plenty of good exercises with long term benefits for the users of these special gym balls.

We list below some of these workouts. Also make note that slam balls for sale are available in 10lb to 150lb weight range so you can choose the right size and weight as per your own body characteristics.

A shoulder exercise – Bear Crawl – For this you need to make sure that there is enough space to crawl up a decent length. Put the slam ball on floor before you and get into the posture of a bear crawl. Begin with your hands and knees. Once you are in a proper position, push up the toes with your buttock in the air. For a better core workout it’s suggested that you keep your back parallel to the ground with knees bent. As you slowly move forward, also use one hand to push the slam ball forward. Keep crawling forward and use your other hand to again push the slam ball forward. Continue to move forward until you reach the end.

Lower body exercise – Weighted squat – Keep the slam ball in both hands near your chest and with your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down. As you squat down keep the focus on keeping the knees in line with your feet. Also ensure that your chest is upright over the descend into the squat. Keep your heels down on the floor through the squat. Then squat down until your hip joint is positioned lower than your knees. After this, push up squeezing your buttock. Repeat the process.

Exercise for abs and targeting your oblique – Russian Twists – Hold your slam ball and be seated on the floor. Keep your legs in front – they should be bent at the knees. Then lean your upper body backwards in a way that it creates a V-shape along with your thighs. Holding the slam ball with both hands twist your upper body sideways – left and right. To increase the intensity of this workout, you can lift the feet off the ground while keeping the knees still somewhat bent.

Exercise for core, upper body, and lower body – Squat Throw – For this exercise you need to have adequate space to throw a decent distance. Take the slam ball with both hands at your chest and feet shoulder gap apart. Also take care to see that your hands are on the sides of ball but not under it. Then squat down and as you come up, throw out the slam ball from your chest. You have to throw it forward to the biggest distance possible. For this exercise men and women will need to have balls of different weights. The standard recommendation is 30lb for males and 20lb for females.

Try these exercises and slowly you can advance to some more complex ones.

Workout Workshop is a gym and fitness products supply store in Melbourne with gym gear for sale and hire. To buy fitness supplies online, visit www.workoutworkshop.com/