The sled menu, move by move
Most of what you can do with a sled falls into a handful of moves, and which ones you can do depends on the attachments a gym keeps. RPM's turf lane and sled are on its functional training floor.
| Move | How it works | Mostly loads | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push, high handles | Arms long, body leaning in, short driving steps | Legs, with the trunk holding a straight line | The sled's poles |
| Push, low handles | Hands low on the poles, hips lower, a steeper lean | Legs, in a deeper position | The sled's poles |
| Backward drag | Hold straps and walk backwards with bent knees, sled in front | Legs, under constant tension | Straps or handles |
| Forward march | Straps over the shoulders or a harness, leaning forwards | Legs and hips | A harness or long straps |
| Sled row | Face the sled, row the straps to your ribs, step back and repeat | Upper back and arms, plus grip | Straps or a rope |
| Rope pull | Stand your ground and haul the sled in hand over hand | Upper back, arms and grip | A rope |
| Lateral drag | Strap at the hip, stepping sideways | Hips and legs | A strap or belt |
Where the sled goes in a session with free weights is covered in sled plus free weights, and judging a lane and its surface in choosing a gym with sled space. This page is about the workouts themselves.
Load by speed, not by the plates
A study of 90 high-school athletes pushing a sled found that their speed fell in an almost straight line as the load rose, and that each athlete's pattern held from day to day. What varied was the spread between people. The load that cut speed by a quarter ranged from about 23 to 42 per cent of body mass, and the load that halved it from about 45 to 85 per cent.
Reviews of sled training note that loads have been set as a share of body mass, as a target drop in speed or simply in kilograms. A 2026 meta-analysis added that the surface changes the actual stimulus, and suggested that setting loads by the drop in speed may standardise resistance across floors, while calling this a hypothesis still to test. In the gym, that becomes a pace scale.
| Target pace | How it feels | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Run | Quick feet, the sled barely holding you back | Speed work with a light load |
| Jog | Rhythmic, breathing hard by the end of a length | Conditioning sets |
| Steady walk | Every step a push, no stalling | Leg strength and race practice |
| Grind | The sled only just keeps moving | Short heavy sets, a few lengths only |
If the sled stalls mid-length, it is too heavy for that pace. Take a plate off rather than rocking it loose.
Rest decides whether it is strength or conditioning
The ACSM position stand on resistance training gives two anchors. Heavy strength work uses rests of three to five minutes between sets, while muscular endurance work uses light to moderate loads, more repetitions and rests under 90 seconds. On a sled, that looks like this.
| Goal | Pace | Lengths per set | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg strength | Steady walk or grind | 1 or 2 | Three to five minutes |
| Conditioning | Jog or brisk walk | 4 to 8 in a row | Under 90 seconds |
| Speed | Run, light load | 1 | Until you feel fully recovered |
On speed, keep expectations modest. A 2018 meta-analysis found that sled sprint training improved early acceleration in recreationally active and trained people, but it could not show that the sled beat the same sprints without it. Push a sled to get stronger and fitter, not as a shortcut to pace.
Four sled workouts
| Workout | How it runs | Rest | Leans towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy push ladder | Five sets of one length, adding a plate each set while the pace holds | Three to five minutes | Leg strength |
| Push and drag shuttles | Push one length, drag it back facing the sled, four times through | 90 seconds, five rounds | Conditioning |
| Row and rope pairs | Six sled rows, then haul it in with the rope and walk it back | 90 seconds, four rounds | Upper back and grip |
| Partner relay | One partner pushes a length while the other rests, then swap | Your partner's length | Conditioning, with company |
Lengths and loads depend on the lane and the sled, so set them on the day with the pace scale above.
Warm up on a bike for five minutes, then build to your working load over two or three light lengths. Log the plates, the lane and the lengths, and compare sessions on that lane only. If a relay with a partner appeals, HYROX doubles training runs on the same idea of taking turns.
Technique checks for each move
- Push: one line from head to heel, eyes a little ahead, short quick steps on the balls of the feet. If the hips rise, the load is too heavy.
- Backward drag: sit back with bent knees and straight arms, and take small steps so the straps stay taut.
- Row: brace, keep the hips still and pull the straps to the lower ribs before you step back.
- Rope pull: knees soft and chest up, pulling hand over hand without folding forwards.
- Every move: end the set when your position breaks, whatever the count says.
Pain in a joint means stop. If it persists, or you have an injury or a medical condition, see a doctor or physiotherapist.
Sled work at RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. Photos of its functional area show a turf lane with a sled, beside kettlebells, battle ropes and slam balls. The lane's length is not published here, so count lengths, and ask which attachments are kept, such as a rope, straps or a harness.
- Ask how lane time is shared at your hour, and when classes use the turf.
- Women: the turf lane is in the Mixed section. Ask what functional kit the women-only Ladies section holds and which sections your tier covers.
- Coaching: coaches on the roster cover strength and conditioning, and Engine is the tier that adds coached programming, with inclusions confirmed on enquiry.
- RPM offers HYROX-style training on this floor as an independent gym, not an official HYROX partner or venue.
- Book a free guided tour to see the lane at the hour you would train.
Sources
- Cahill MJ, et al. Sled-push load-velocity profiling and implications for sprint training prescription in young athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2021
- Petrakos G, Morin JB, Egan B. Resisted sled sprint training to improve sprint performance: a systematic review. Sports Medicine, 2016
- Alcaraz PE, et al. The effectiveness of resisted sled training for sprint performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2018
- Góngora-Rodríguez P, et al. Exploratory analyses of distance, load and reported training surface as potential moderators of resisted sled sprint training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports (Basel), 2026
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009
Questions, answered.
Should I train sled pushes or sled pulls?
Both, where you can. Pushes load the legs hardest, while rows and rope pulls bring in the upper back and grip. Alternating them across the week spreads the work.
How heavy should my first sled be?
Heavy enough to feel, light enough to walk the whole length briskly without stalling. Some sleds are heavy before any plate goes on, so try it bare first and ask a coach to watch a length.
Will sled training make me faster?
It may help early acceleration, but a 2018 meta-analysis could not show it worked better than the same sprints without a sled. Think of speed as a possible side effect rather than the reason to train.
Can I do sled work in Ramadan?
Many people train after iftar. Favour steady lengths over grinding sets, keep the session shorter and drink water before you start.