Muscles worked
What the sled push trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick a lane. Use turf, a track or a smooth floor with 10 to 30 meters of clear space and nothing at the end you could run into.
- 02
Load the sled. Start with the sled empty or lightly loaded. Its weight feels very different on turf, rubber or carpet, so judge the load by how it moves, not by the plates.
- 03
Grip the handles. Hold the tall handles at about chest height with your arms extended, elbows straight or slightly soft, and keep them from bending as you push.
- 04
Set your lean. Walk your feet back until your body leans forward at about 45 degrees, with your head, back and hips in one straight line.
- 05
Stagger your feet. Put one foot forward on the ball of the foot, heel up, and the other back, ready to drive.
Step by step
How to do the sled push
- 01
Brace. Take a breath into your belly and tighten your midsection so your back stays flat for the whole push.
- 02
Break it loose. Drive hard off the front foot for the first few steps. The sled takes the most effort to start moving.
- 03
Drive. Take short, powerful steps, pushing through the balls of your feet and straightening each leg behind you. Your feet land under or just behind your hips.
- 04
Hold the line. Keep the same 45 degree lean, arms extended and eyes on the floor a little ahead of you. Do not stand up as you get tired.
- 05
Finish. Push all the way past the end of your distance, then stop driving and let the sled stop. Stand up slowly and walk around to recover.
Cues to say in your head
- Lean in, back flat
- Arms long and strong
- Short, powerful steps
- Push the floor back
- Stay on your toes
- Drive through the line
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Rounding the back or letting the hips sag
Brace before you start and keep your head, back and hips in one line. If you cannot hold it, take weight off.
Standing too upright
Walk your feet back until you lean about 45 degrees. Upright, less of your leg drive goes forward into the sled.
Long, reaching strides
Shorten your steps and land under your hips. Overstriding makes you lose your lean and slows the sled.
Arms bending as you push
Keep your arms extended so they pass the force on. If your elbows keep folding, the sled is too heavy.
Pushing flat footed
Stay on the balls of your feet with your heels up, so your calves and ankles help drive each step.
Loading so heavy it barely moves
For conditioning, pick a load you can keep moving at a steady pace. Save the grinding loads for short strength pushes.
Stay safe
Push on a flat, clear lane with good footing, in shoes that grip, and leave space at the end so you do not run into a wall or another person. Failing a push is safe: you simply stop driving, the sled stops, and you stand up. Hard sled intervals can leave you dizzy or nauseous, so rest until your breathing settles before the next push and build up the number of rounds over a few weeks. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your back, knees or ankles, or chest pain or unusual shortness of breath, and get it checked before you train hard again.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 to 6 | 10 to 20 m or 10 to 20 s | 80–90% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Power | 5 to 8 | 10 to 20 m or 5 to 10 s | 40–60% 1RM | 1.5 to 2 min |
| Conditioning | 6 to 10 rounds | 20 to 30 m or 20 to 30 s | 55–70% 1RM | 45 to 90 s |
| Endurance | 2 to 4 | 40 to 100 m or 45 to 90 s | 40–55% 1RM | 1.5 to 3 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Power sets
86–129lb
5 to 8 sets of 10 to 20 m or 5 to 10 s reps, 1.5 to 2 min rest. A lighter sled pushed as fast as you can. Stop the set when your speed drops off.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Sled Push questions
What muscles does the sled push work?
Mainly the quads and glutes, which drive each step, with the calves and hamstrings helping. Your abs keep your back flat, and your triceps and shoulders hold your arms extended against the handles.
What are the benefits of sled pushes?
Sled pushes build leg strength, power and conditioning at once, and there is no lowering phase, so they tend to leave less soreness than squats or lunges. They are easy to learn, and you can stop a push at any point safely.
What is a sled pull?
A sled pull is facing the sled with a rope attached and pulling it to you hand over hand while you lean back, then walking back out and going again, as in the Hyrox sled pull. Some gyms also call walking backward while dragging the sled with straps a sled pull; that backward drag mostly works the quads.
How heavy should a sled push be?
Heavy enough to challenge you while you keep a flat back, a steady lean and short, powerful steps. Friction changes a lot between turf, rubber and carpet, so set the load by how the sled moves rather than by a number.
How far should you push a sled?
Most sets are 10 to 30 meters, or about 10 to 30 seconds. Go shorter and heavier for strength, lighter and fast for power, string several moderate pushes together with short rests for conditioning, and push 40 meters or more for endurance.
Is the sled push cardio or strength?
Both, depending on how you load it. A heavy sled for short pushes trains leg strength; a lighter sled for repeated intervals trains conditioning and drives your heart rate up quickly.
Train in Protocol
Log your sled push by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.