A heavily loaded sled push performed with a low body angle and short, driving steps, building maximal leg drive strength and anaerobic capacity with minimal eccentric loading (joint-friendly).
Demo: Strength training equipment demo
Sets
5
Reps
10-20 yards
Rest
2 min
Contraindications
Avoid with acute low back pain or hip flexor strain. Generally very joint-friendly (no eccentric loading) — often prescribed for athletes recovering from lower-body soreness who still need conditioning stimulus.Setup
Grip the sled handles at low or high position, arms extended, body angled forward (roughly 45 degrees), core braced.
Execution
- 1Set a low body angle, chest over the handles
- 2Drive through the balls of the feet with short, powerful steps
- 3Keep the back flat and core braced throughout
- 4Maintain constant forward drive without bouncing between steps
- 5Push for the prescribed distance, then rest fully
Key cues
- Chest low, hips low, drive forward
- Short, punchy steps — not long strides
- Keep the back flat, don't round
- Drive through the whole foot, not just the toes
Common faults
- Standing too upright, reducing leg drive and increasing low back strain
- Overstriding, losing power transfer to the sled
- Rounding the back under heavy load
- Holding breath instead of breathing rhythmically with steps
Tweaks
- Use very heavy loads for short distances (10-20 yards) for max-strength focus
- Vary hand position (low bar vs. high bar) to shift hip/knee emphasis
- Superset with squats for strength-conditioning contrast pairing
Regressions
Progressions
Muscles
Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes, Calves
Secondary: Core, Shoulders, Hip Flexors
Notes
WISHLIST EQUIPMENT — Jason does not currently own a sled; included for future programming. Primary energy system: alactic-to-lactic depending on distance/load. Zero eccentric loading makes this one of the safest high-output leg conditioning tools available.
Sources
Attribution: Louie Simmons / Westside Barbell (sled conditioning popularization)