13 December 2024 · Resources

Guide to Sled Push and Pull Sessions

Push and pull exercises are an integral part of any workout routine. Targeting different muscle groups to build strength and muscle, they’re the foundation of any workout split. Using a sled as part of your push and pull sessions helps incorporate a challenging full body exercise while building endurance and overall calorie burn.

What’s more, the sled is an adaptable piece of equipment that can be used for any level of fitness. In our guide, we’ll explain how to incorporate the sled into your push and pull sessions with proper form to prevent injuries.

Benefits of Sled Push and Pull

Sled pushes and pulls are great calorie burning exercises due to the number of muscles they target. Some of these muscle groups include:

Legs

Glutes
Hip Flexors
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves

Arms, Chest & Back

Delts
Chest
Triceps
Biceps
Lats
Traps

Core

Abdominals

By targeting a variety of muscle groups across the body, the sled push and pull helps build overall strength and power. As the sled's resistance is adaptable, it can be used to boost both speed and power - lighter loads for cardiovascular training and heavier loads for strength training.

What is the Correct Form for Sled Push?

While sled pushes can be extremely beneficial for a full-body workout, they can cause injuries without proper form. Here's how to achieve the correct form for sled pushes;

Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and facing forward. This is to maintain your balance and stability whilst pushing the sled.
Keep your back in a neutral position and engage your core whilst pushing the sled. To successfully maintain a neutral spine, you will have to lean into your sled push, hinging at the hips to achieve a 45 degree angle with your back. Arching or rounding your back will put unnecessary strain on your spine and cause injury.
Drive forward with your quads first, bringing your knees up to your chest. If you have weak knees or have previously suffered a knee injury, you may want to wear knee supports to increase stability.
Keep your arms straight but not locked out for maximum stability without risk of injury.
To ensure proper form, start with a lighter weight before working your way up as you get more comfortable.
We also recommend wearing shoes with good grip to prevent slipping.

What is the Correct Form for the Sled Pull?

Similarly to the sled push, the sled pull builds power, endurance and fitness. Ensuring proper form not only prevents injuries but ensures you get the most out of your workout. There are two main types of sled pull, forward and backward and your form when performing the sled pull will depend on the type of pull you’re working on.

Sled Push and Pull for HYROX

The sled pull and push are an exercise used in the HYROX competition. The weight of your sled will depend on the class you’ve entered but everyone will need to push and pull the sled for 50m.

To prepare for the sled push and pull for HYROX we recommend practicing with the same or heavier weights to condition yourself ahead of the competition. You can also incorporate other exercises to train the same muscle groups such as heavy squats and grip strength training and build endurance.

The sled push and pull doesn’t just challenge your strength, but your fitness too. Incorporating high-intensity training exercises in your training regime will not only help with the fitness required for the entire HYROX competition but also benefit your sled pull and pushes.