Whether you want to build incredible leg strength and power or work on your aerobic conditioning, you need to include sled training in your routine.
Sled training is a great way to increase your strength without having to learn any complicated form and there is very little risk of injury when using the sled.
You can push, pull or drag the sled to work your entire leg. You can take long strides or shorter strides. You can sprint or walk. You can even do frog hops while pushing the sled.
And depending on how much weight you add and the distance and/or time that you are set to work for, you can also work on your conditioning.
With short sprints you can work on your alactic energy system while longer intervals can work on your aerobic conditioning. You can even do intervals to improve your lactic threshold.
Sled “fighting” is another great way to not only work on your conditioning but to also work your legs and core in every direction.
Often we only move in the sagittal plane when using the sled (actually all too often we only include sagittal plane movements (forward and back, straight up and down) in our workouts.
But in every day life, we are required to move in any and all directions. So to prevent injury, our workouts should also force us to move in every direction.
Sled “fighting” is a great way to strengthen your body in every plane of motion.
To do sled “fighting,” the sled shouldn’t be light enough that you can pull it over, but it shouldn’t be so heavy that you can’t move quickly in every direction. Push the sled forward a short distance, turn it, push it to the side, then the other side. Move in every direction pushing the sled back and forth. Keep the movement short. Never take more than three steps in any one direction.
And if you attach a rope or harness to the sled, you can also work your upper body with the sled.
One of our favorite sled circuits uses the sled to not only work your legs but also your back.
Check out one of our favorite Full-Body Sled Circuit.
