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Sled Push being performed with proper form
Sled Push demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Sled Push

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
120,469
Popularity Rank
537th
Difficulty
Intermediate
Hamstrings Strength
64 mSCORE 83rd
Equipment Required
  • Photo of Sled
    Sled

Workouts with Sled Push

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Hamstrings
    Secondary Muscles
    Shoulders, Quads, Glutes, Chest, Calves

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Sled Push is an explosive exercise that involves pushing a weighted sled across the ground, usually for a duration or distance. This is a great full body exercise that can easily fit into your lower body or push days. This exercise has plenty of functional applications, and is often used to improve sport performance.

    1. Grab ahold the prowler sled with extended arms by either the high or low handles.
    2. Angle your torso to 45 degrees with the ground and flex your right leg underneath your chest with your left leg extended behind you, both feet on the ground.
    3. Drive the sled forward taking short strides for an allotted distance.

    Common Form Mistakes

    • Hips Up

      Allowing your hips to rise can lead to rounding your back. This will make you less effective at pushing the sled, as well as increase your risk of injury. Drop you hips down, and focus on driving into the sled.

    Alternatives & Variations to Sled Push

    Filter By

    1. 1. Seated Leg Curl

      Photo of Seated Leg Curl being performed
      98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 114 TIMES

      Seated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.

    2. 2. Lying Hamstrings Curl

      Photo of Lying Hamstrings Curl being performed
      95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 82 TIMES

      Lying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.

    3. 3. Sled Pull

      Photo of Sled Pull being performed
      25.9 mSCORESWAPPED 68 TIMES

      Sled Pull is an explosive exercise that involves pulling a weighted sled, usually for a distance or duration. This compound movement primarily targets the legs and back, but also engages the core and arms for stability. It's an excellent exercise for building strength, power, and endurance. It's often used to improve sport performance, particularly in activities that require strong pulling movements.

    4. 4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift being performed
      97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 60 TIMES

      This exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.

    5. 5. Sled Drag

      Photo of Sled Drag being performed
      24.3 mSCORESWAPPED 54 TIMES

      Sled Drag is an explosive exercise that involves pulling a weighted sled across the ground, usually for a duration or distance. This full-body exercise targets the glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles, and it can easily fit into lower body or pull days. Sled Drags enhance functional strength and are often used to improve athletic performance and overall conditioning.

    6. 6. Deadlift

      Photo of Deadlift being performed
      98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 46 TIMES

      Deadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.

    7. 7. Kettlebell Swing

      Photo of Kettlebell Swing being performed
      87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 45 TIMES

      Kettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.

    8. 8. Kettlebell Sumo Squat

      Photo of Kettlebell Sumo Squat being performed
      87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 41 TIMES

      Kettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.

    9. 9. Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Romanian Deadlift being performed
      98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 36 TIMES

      Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.

    10. 10. Good Morning

      Photo of Good Morning being performed
      90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 33 TIMES

      Good Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.