Oxygen Magazine: 5 Ways to Train With a Sled
Updated: Jul 13, 2022
‘Pull’ out all the stops with these fitness-boosting variations on the popular sled trainer.
If you train at a gym that’s embraced functional training, you (hopefully) have a dedicated space for sleds — that is, the apparatus with the skis on the bottom, a place to stack weights on the top, and poles to grab a hold of.
If so, you’ve surely seen the most common use of the sled, as someone grunts and groans as they get low and push it down the floor with the power of their driving legs and lower body.
Great exercise? Absolutely! However, you can drag a ton more benefit out of the sled than you might think. “Sled training can be a very effective form of training for everyone from the competitive athlete to the average gym goer,” says Sean Ruff, NASM-PES, a personal trainer and physical education teacher based in San Jose, California (Instagram @officialseanruff). “It can be used to increase athletic performance, improve conditioning, burn fat and build some muscle.”
Here, Ruff shares five favorite variations to put your sled skills to the test.