Quality training doesn’t require a lot of bells and whistles. The basics get the job done. But a loadable sled is one of the few pieces of equipment outside of standard barbells and dumbbells that is simply irreplaceable. You can’t beat its versatility and unique benefits, including:
1. “Free” Volume
Every exercise has a recovery cost. No matter how simple or easy, every exercise you perform will require sleep, calories and time before you’re recovered and ready to train again. Because sled exercises have no eccentric component (muscles lengthening under tension, such as lowering the bar to your chest on a bench press), there’s far less muscle damage than traditional strength exercises, meaning you can train pretty damn hard with minimal recovery cost. The sled is a great tool to sneak in “free” volume without added soreness or recovery time, like these sled rows.
2. Low-Impact Conditioning
Cardio is a four-letter word for many strength enthusiasts, but it’s important for work capacity and for living a long, healthy life. Traditional forms of cardio like jogging are relatively high-impact and can pound on your joints, especially if you carry a lot of muscle mass on your frame. And high-intensity conditioning like sprints and bike intervals have a high recovery cost without actually doing much to develop the aerobic system. Extended sled work like drags and marches are cyclical in nature and can be performed for a long time without stopping (unlike “lifting weights faster”), making them great choices for low-intensity conditioning.
3. Easy to Learn
Lifters spend a lifetime mastering the skill of squatting, pressing and deadlifting, but almost anyone can learn to push or pull a sled in a matter of minutes. The minimal skill component of most sled exercises makes them beginner-friendly and reduces the risk of injury while performing them under high levels of fatigue. Proper technique won’t degrade on a sled push like it would on a squat or a deadlift as you get tired.