Athletes and fitness enthusiasts use weighted sleds to develop various fitness components. A sled can be used to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness, for fat burning or to develop muscular endurance, strength, speed and power. Weighted sleds are versatile pieces of exercise equipment that enable users to perform a variety of exercises.
Speed vs. Strength
Speed and strength are similar fitness components in that they involve maximal efforts in both performance and training. The main difference is that strength is your ability to generate large amounts of force irrespective of time, whereas speed is a maximal force generated as quickly as possible. Strength and speed are important qualities in many sports, including sprinting, football, soccer, tennis, martial arts and basketball.
Equipment
Weighted sleds are normally constructed from strong metal and have a raised front edge to ensure they don't tip over when being dragged. Weights are placed over a welded post that secures them to the top of the sled, and the towing line is clipped to the front of the sled with a carabiner. Users can drag the sled with handles or a harness or belt.
Surfaces
Sleds can be used on a variety of surfaces. Tarmac, pavement, concrete, sand, dirt and grass are all suitable surfaces. Noise may be an issue on hard surfaces. Different surfaces provide different degrees of friction, making exercises feel dissimilar from one surface to another.
Muscles Worked
Sled-dragging is primarily a lower-body workout, although there are exercises that also use the upper body. Exercises in which you face forward to drag the sled will emphasize your calves, hamstrings and glutes---the so-called posterior chain. Exercises in which you drag the sled backward will emphasize the muscles of the front of the body, especially the quadriceps and hip flexors. You can also drag a sled sideways, which targets your inner and outer thighs and outer hip muscles.
Using a Weighted Sled
Most weighted-sled exercises can be modified to develop speed and strength; however, movements that involve sprinting forward or backward dragging heavy loads are the most effective. You can drag the sled by holding towing handles or, if you prefer to have your arms free, by wearing a chest harness or waist belt connected to the sled with a tow strap. Developing speed and strength requires short but intense sets of exercise interspersed with rest to maximize workout quality. This contrasts with conditioning and general endurance training, which involves longer sets, lower weights and shorter rest periods.
References
- "High-Performance Sports Conditioning"; Bill Foran; 2001
- "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning"; The National Association of Strength and Conditioning; 2004
Member Comments