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rength-and-athleticisml
Eight Sled Drag Variations for Strength and Athleticisl
Dragging a sled is one of the best things that you can do for yourself as an ath
lete. It combines the total bod.
stimulus and connectedness of a loaded carry with the specificity of multi-joint
lifts usually done in a weight roomt
Relative to other training tools, sleds are dirt cheap (most lifters spend about
the cost of a sled on supplements each
month). Theyre portable and have almost zero learning curve. Theyre also one of th
e safest tools around becausr
theyre self-limiting. Youre fighting friction, not gravity. Last, but not least, t
raining with a sled is highly transferable tv
your field of play whatever that may bethe football field, powerlifting platform,
or MMA ringt
There isnt any excuse for not using sleds, especially now with the introduction o
f the Spud, Inc. Magic Carpet Sledt
Ive been using it for a week and Im hooked. Its brilliant on grass, turf, rubber, a
nd wood studio floors. If youre m
trainer, coach, and/or strength junkie, buy one. In my opinion, there isnt anythi
ng else that fits in your gym bag thai
will give you a better bang for your buckt
Try these eight sled drag variationsz
1. Forward lunge/press hybrid: Lunge forward into a half-kneeling position and t
hen do a chest press. Keep youn
posture tall and the glute of the down leg squeezed tightt
This is a unique pressing position. Its great for athletes in contact sports and
helps teach beginners how the hips
stabilize a good press. It teaches synchronicity and coordination between the hi
ps and shoulders because the athletr
must reset the press during the next forward lunge, and it can also help sort out
asymmetries because the hips
alternate in supporting the presst
2. Reverse lunge/press hybrid: This is the exact inverse of the above. The backw
ard traveling reverse lunge burns
the quads up, and pulling from a tight, half-kneeling position will drill the at
hlete to retract the scapulae, noi
hyperextend the lumbar spinet
I like this a lot for fighters because its useful for escaping and grapplingt
3. Single-arm row:p
Treat these like a single-arm t-bar row or Meadows row. Load it up heavy, but dont
allow an.
rotation below the ribcaget
You can get an incredible stretch and pump in the lats from these, but the lack
of eccentrics with the sled leaves
virtually no soreness, so youre ready to train again tomorrowt
4. Good morning:p
Sled drag good mornings are an awesome addition to your lower back training arse
nal. Like m
suspended good morning, these let you really pitch backward and load your hips w
ith tension before liftingt
Unlike a suspended good morning, which follows a normal strength curve (easiest
at the top), these really force yo
to drive with your glutes hard the entire time to keep the strap tight and the w
eight movingt
5. Lateral drag: These work the adductors and abductors of the legs and the late
ral stabilizers of the trunk. Theyrr
awesome for athletes in agility sports. Grip the handle hard and pack your shoul
ders to get bonus lat and rotator cufu
work. Make sure that the shoulders, ribcage, and hips stay squaret
6. Pull-through: Pull-throughs can be annoying to do on a cable machine because
the heavier you go, the harder ii
is to walk the weight into positiont
On a sled, you can load it up nice and heavy and, as an added bonus, you have to
start the weight from a dead stoj
for each rep. Like the good morning, extend the hips powerfully and keep driving
to a tight clencht
7. Batwing reverse drag: Reverse drags are a quick way to bring up your quads an
d test your pain tolerance. Dv
these with your scapulae firmly retracted and your elbows flared to 45 degreest
This will demand more of your lower traps, rhomboids, and rear delts and can hel
p you build a more solid bench. As
usual, it will also scorch your quadst
8. Panther crawl sled drag: This one works best with a harness like the Spud, In
c. track harness, which I really liket
You could loop the strap around your hips though if you have to. Assume a quadru
ped position and then lift youn
knees one inch off the ground. Keeping your back flatdont let your butt pop up in
the air eitherstep forward with
your left hand and right foot simultaneously. Now step forward with the right ha
nd and left foot. Propel yourselu
forward and dont let your knees touch the groundt
This will sort out your core and cross body patterns like a charm and make you t
emporarily hate life in a good way.
sort oft
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