Muscles worked
The sled push is mainly a leg exercise. Your quads do most of the work in each step, with your glutes and calves helping you drive off the floor. Your arms, shoulders and chest mostly brace, so the force from your legs goes straight into the handles, and your trunk keeps your body rigid. Low handles and more forward lean give your legs even more to do, while high handles allow a more upright posture that is easier to hold for longer. There is no lowering phase, so the sled usually leaves you less sore than heavy leg exercises with weights.
Common mistakes
- Driving through your heels. The force should go through the front of your foot. Think of pushing the floor back behind you, and stay on your forefoot through the whole step.
- Folding in the middle. When it gets heavy, your hips sag or your back rounds. Keep a straight line from head to heel, like a plank on a slant.
- A sled that is too heavy. If you stop and restart with every step, you get jerks rather than speed. Choose a load you can move at an even pace for the whole distance.
Variations and alternatives
- Walking lunges train your legs step by step over a distance when your gym has no sled.
- The farmer's walk is also measured in metres, with more work for your grip and trunk.
- The assault bike gives you the same kind of short, hard intervals without needing open floor space.
Sets and reps
The sled push is measured in metres or seconds, not reps. For power and strength, push a heavy sled over 10 to 20 metres, 4 to 6 times, with one to two minutes' rest. For conditioning, go lighter and further, 20 to 40 metres, with shorter rest. The guide to sets and reps shows how load and rest fit together.
The same load can feel completely different on different surfaces, so only compare yourself with yourself on the same track. Add load, distance or lengths, or cut the rest, one at a time. That is progressive overload with a sled. If your knees or back hurt, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.