Sled Push: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
Sled pushes are led by your quadriceps, which drive the knee extension in every stride against the sled's resistance. Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips alongside the quads, your calves push through your ankles, and your chest and triceps stay braced to transfer force into the sled.
- Primary muscle:
- Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Calves, Chest, Glutes, Hamstrings, Triceps
Muscles worked
Your quadriceps are the primary mover in a sled push, extending your knees with every driving step against the sled's resistance.
Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips to add power to each stride, and your calves finish the push through your ankles, similar to a sprint start.
Your chest and triceps stay braced and extended the whole time, since your arms are locked out against the handles and transferring your leg drive into the sled rather than actively pressing.
Log Sled Push in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- Load your pushing sled with the desired weight.
- Take an athletic posture, leaning into the sled with your arms fully extended, grasping the handles. Push the sled as fast as possible, focusing on extending your hips and knees to strengthen your posterior chain.
Form tips
- Lean into the sled with a long, straight line from your ankles to your shoulders instead of standing upright.
- Drive through short, powerful steps rather than long strides, staying on the balls of your feet.
- Keep your arms extended and braced rather than bending your elbows to push.
- Load the sled lighter for longer, faster pushes or heavier for shorter, grinding pushes depending on your goal.
- Pair sled pushes with farmer's walks for a complete strongman-style conditioning finisher.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Other |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the sled push work your upper body?
Some. Your chest and triceps stay braced and extended to transfer force from your legs into the sled, but they are not doing active pressing work the way a bench press does. Most of the effort comes from your quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings.
How should I program sled pushes?
Sled pushes are typically done for distance or time rather than counted reps. A heavier sled for a short distance builds strength similar to low reps, while a lighter sled pushed farther builds conditioning similar to high-rep endurance work.
More quadriceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
