Weight Sled: 8 Common Sleds Training Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

8 Ways to Avoid Common Sled Training Mistakes

Resisted pace is used by almost every speed coach. For years, I’ve used sleds ranging from tires to custom equipment and state-of-the-art resistance machines. Before zooming into coaching and loading resisted sprints, I’ve found that if you want to get the most out of sled training, you need to take a step back and look at the big picture. This article delves into the complexities of sled training, and I share my personal experience with best practices and common studies. This entails more than just adding another plate to the sled, as you’ll see.
The same debates resurface every year. To see results in sports performance, how heavy should a sled be loaded, and which methods work best? Sleds have come up many times in my preparation, and I’ve shared some alternatives to using body weight sled load percentages. I addressed the shortcomings of force-velocity concepts in depth, in addition to asking the difficult questions about heavy sled pushing. The reality is that as we design workouts, the gap between study and implementation grows much wider.
A few recent potentiation studies suggested that heavy sleds could aid non-resisted sprints afterward, adding to the uncertainty about how heavy to load a sled for general training.

1. Replicating Research Workouts is a big no-no.

Reading about the outstanding workouts studied by sport scientists working with teams is one of my favorite learning experiences. Studies looking at real training methods, in addition to our own training records, allow us to see how variables interact. Regrettably, they don’t often account for the variables that can cause problems when we attempt to incorporate those elements into our own programs.
How many sled training studies have you seen that don’t include an intensive weight training program like you’d see at a college or structured high school? How many of the sled programs incorporate plyometrics or volumes similar to yours? However, experiments that are impractical can still be beneficial. How can isolated variables do something exciting when they’re part of a holistic program if they don’t do much in an 8-week analysis with all the eggs in one basket?
Looking at the study’s findings rather than the conclusion is a healthy way to draw the correct message from the analysis. Coaches should start with the research design before moving on to the discussion, which could reveal why a study failed to replicate the findings of other studies or provide warnings about why the study may not be applicable to your situation.
When it comes to their conclusions, good researchers are still cautious. Rather than attempting to invent new training approaches, they focus on finding trends and influences that lead to success. Peer review is still needed, even though many successful coaches have unpublished “experiments” that precede the study. Read the research, but don’t hold your breath for the same outcomes. Typically, our programs contain elements that are incompatible with the population being tested in the experiment.

Mistake №2: Poor Trainability Profiling of The Athletes

When I experienced a high school training session on the first day of practice, it was one of the few occasions I had a eureka moment. The coach performed a trainability assessment rather than a movement screen. And it was fantastic. He simply requested warm-ups of training elements he considered to be basic and significant, rather than conducting agility tests or odd exercises.
I liked this because he was emphasizing the importance of an athlete’s training age above every other factor in his program. His concept of training age was based on the amount of development and improvement made as a result of training, rather than the number of years spent practicing. If an athlete can do 8 perfect reps, we don’t need to do a repetition max of pull-ups. We know they accomplished something. Even if an athlete knows the names of exercises and can perform them with competence, jump checking without understanding an athlete’s plyometric fluency is useless when training them later.
I would expand on the scope of an athlete’s competency if I were to rewrite the movement screen post. When an athlete’s profile or time in a 30-meter sprint is low, the most popular solution is to see if the qualities of velocity force are off, and I used to believe this was right. Now that athletes’ trainability has been assessed, it is clearer whether they perform well or poorly on speed tests.

Heavy sleds can be used right away if an athlete is inexperienced or inept in the weight room. However, they would lack the necessary skill sets if they wish to advance. When time is of the essence, direct approaches such as resisted sprints are ideal. We must, however, make the athlete professional in the weight room and introduce training on the field for true long-term success. Not only can the athlete catch up and pass the linear thought options, but their ceiling will also be raised.

Another coach suggested maximal sprinting for my soccer players to boost acceleration 15 years ago, and that was my favorite example. He realized that raising the ceiling early would enable us to prime unique short-speed protocols with sleds. Take a look at Ken Clark’s research: it’s really difficult to find bad accelerators when peak speed is achieved. Trainability is about making athletes highly resilient and adaptable, not just familiarizing them with workouts unique to their sport.

Mistake #3: Weight Sleds are loaded too light or too heavy.

Years ago, I outlined the three major variables in sled training: lean, duration, and load. I used to load sleds with a lot of weight because it gave me quick results. I was also perplexed as to why athletes would sprint with a 25-pound plate when they could easily sprint unloaded. When I saw athletes pulling heavy sleds, on the other hand, I wondered why they didn’t go to the gym and do a reverse leg press?
The ceiling and long-term adaptations from running fast are jeopardized by heavy sled marching and pushing. The advantages of specific strength gradually become noise if athletes aren’t exposed to sufficiently high velocities. As with all factors, the athlete’s genetic ceiling inevitably slows down growth. Plateaus from years of systematic development are tolerable, but if you’re not using the right training modality, it’s a different story.
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Are you complementing your program with maximum speed improvement if you’re moving a heavy sled for speed development form and an increase in real leg strength?
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If you’re going to use a super light sled, make sure you’re doing so for long repetitions and more speed exposure while the chance of injury is higher.
Some of the drawbacks of pulling a sled have been explored by Derek Hansen. The disparity in ergonomics between pulling and pushing is the problem for me. Pulling a sled, even if it’s too hard, eliminates the popular issue of back hyperextension and a lack of arm drive, both of which are necessary to teach. Youth athletes also use sleds to gain strength, but they often require coordination. By lowering the load, you can be able to establish a link between your upper and lower bodies.

When sprinting, the arms are considered reflexive reactions, but how often do we see poor arm motion obstructing successful lower body movement? It’s a waste of time to hope that the body will fall into place with all aspects of creation. Guide the process with physical practices that also put a strain on the body.

Mistake #4: Improperly Using Potentiation in Training

My main issue with sled potentiation is the workflow. Owing to the essence of individualization, a heavy sled for one competitor can be too light for another. Most studies use body weight or body mass percentages to recommend training since the common sled models are similar enough to enable coaches to use a similar loading technique. If you’re using potentiation to boost unloaded runs, be cautious about the amount of volume you use.
How do we compare the efficacy of the potentiation and control exhaustion if we don’t have a baseline unloaded repetition, as we do with repeated sprinting tests? Two experiments that looked at potentiation with loads greater than 120 percent of body mass failed to produce any results, while the studies that used 75 percent showed promise.

Weight pro sled system Speed

This is the only time I enjoy lifting more than 30% — 50% of an athlete’s heft.
Although most coaches will stick with percentages of body mass and not convert to advanced load prescription, others are switching to time because they enjoy splits. Since those who use splits are heading toward sensors, I expect them to convert ballpark suggestions of mass percentages to more laser-targeted loading schemes.

Excessively long rest intervals are often unpractical. When an athlete does 12 reps in 12 minutes, they begin to cool down and lose concentration. When the range of the potentiation window is closer to 4–5 minutes, five reps that take an hour is not feasible, and even 45 minutes is not ideal. If the reps aren’t reaching the baseline, testing both the loaded run and the undressed sprint will help cut the exercise short.

Contrast training can be effective due to its potentiation benefits, but athlete commitment is more likely to promote better repetition due to motivation. More research on contrast training with potentiation is required to see how a workout can be better constructed rather than how one single repetition is better. I’m not sure how one can produce a study that blinds the loading, but more research on contrast training with potentiation is needed to see how a workout can be better constructed rather than how one single repetition is better.
It is simple to put into action. Athletes can do contrast work by swapping and staggering unloaded reps and potentiating sprints after completing 2–3 sprints. I haven’t come across any particular trend that stands out as a viable option. I’ve tried adding a heft exercise, alternating potentiation reps with unloaded reps, and creating waves of loaded and unloaded sets.

Sled Training or pro sled system Weight

Contrast training is still in its early stages of development, but coaches will be able to plan better workouts by using timing and knowledge of the sled’s friction. With electronic timing, we can clearly see exhaustion and potentiation regardless of the session design, so make sure to get baselines.
Mistake #5: Poor budgeting and a lack about understanding of when to buy and when to build
Several projects succeed despite the lack of a budget. Some teams are so strapped for cash that they conduct bake sales to raise funds for uniforms and bus transportation. It’s possible that sleds won’t be an option. And junkyard tires need storage space, which most people take for granted when they have a gym.
Even if an elite team has the financial means to purchase a resisted sprinting product, sleds from a success catalog can not be feasible. Having 5–8 sleds will cost a thousand dollars, and constructing your own isn’t always permitted due to the risk of litigation. As you can see, the average high school coach is at a loss about what to do when even sled weights are prohibitively expensive.
If you’re not allowed to use sleds due to complaints about surface wear and tear, an Exer-Genie will last you years and won’t break the bank. While it may seem to be a good idea on paper to share weights in the heft room, other teams often complain when they arrive at a facility and are unable to use the weights because field teaching is using them. We set aside $50 per unit per year to purchase new ones and upgrade old ones, and some of our programs are running on models that are 20 years old!

If you’re going to create something, do it right. You are in control of what you buy and build. If someone is injured as a result of something you made on the cheap and flimsy side, you could be considered negligent. Sleds should have railings, and the tubing or surface should be circular and wide to avoid damaging the grass or turf. Parachutes aren’t ideal for acceleration; they become more powerful as the athlete’s speed increases, and they’re prone to breaking down. Hills may be the best choice because they can be used in groups and are free, but access to a steep incline isn’t popular enough to be listed as a primary option.

Mistake #6: Wasting the Most Valuable Asset — Time

Time is our adversary. Don’t care about what your competitors are doing if you aren’t using your time effectively to change. I see so many load changes and issues changing out harnesses when I see sleds used in teaching. Time, like money, is a limited resource that must be managed carefully.
Purchase waist harnesses rather than sleds if you have a standard squad of 25 players, such as a varsity soccer team. Each athlete should be assigned a number and given a belt. Instead of switching belts, tie the sled cord to the athlete with a clip carabiner. Up to 6 athletes will share a sled based on common intervals, such as 3 minutes. This means that 4–5 sleds will suffice. More would be preferable, but I’d rather have better sleds than more of them.
Chains are a good option for certain programs with limited indoor space, but groundskeepers complain that when athletes use chains outside, the grass gets trampled.

Apart from the inconvenience of sharing sleds, loading them and determining the total amount of friction can be difficult. The friction on a sled will change due to a variety of factors, including weather and changes to the sled over time. Don’t be discouraged; simply use electronic timing and a hand scale (suitcase scale) to see if the load shifts or remains constant. Most coaches will only have to do this a few times in the first year; moving to grass fields reduced our load by over 10%!
Take note of the results from each field because high school practice fields are often slower than varsity game fields. Even a new cut will alter the numbers slightly, so keep that in mind while checking. All of this may sound like a pain in the neck, but nothing is more aggravating than squandering time. Get the task of assessing facilities, grounds, and other variables out of the way early on so you don’t waste hours trying to figure out why your athletes aren’t reacting as they should.

Mistake #7: Pursuing Ideal Loads and Overzealous Optimization Techniques

The most popular issue is how hard to load a sled, which has resulted in ego clashes and extremely complicated inquiries that clearly overthink the essence of training. The reality is that the loads aren’t as important as the overall software. Coaches have developed world-class athletes using ultra-light sleds, and some projects have assisted in the development of Olympians who carry loads that are more than half their body heft. We’ve seen the 10% rule evolve into very detailed strategies for prescribing ideal loads.
The main problem with resisted sprinting is that one variable in one modality has a very limited reach and has no effect on improving an athlete’s pace in other areas. Although increased maximal strength will aid a sprinter’s technical performance in all competitions, the sled load and posture will remain static. A resisted run will help a runner accelerate faster over short distances in the long run, but it will have an effect on the earlier segments of the run.
The lesson learned is that sled loading aids acceleration but not overall fastness. Global pace, on the other hand, aids acceleration capability, particularly when combined with a good jump and strength program. I’m not saying we shouldn’t use sleds. However, if you’re a coach with a robust curriculum, sled variables lose their significance, and overzealous optimization techniques seem foolish.
A sensible approach is to develop a better sled program rather than a flawless one. Managing the amount of resisted fastness and all elements throughout the week is more important than worrying about hitting peak force or peak strength. Sled loads are about reaching the harder-to-develop transition areas of acceleration, not horizontal force ratings, which have contradictory research.
To withstand horizontal forces, a sprinter just needs to lean with a load that helps them to sustain an aggressive angle. Unloaded runs trigger more vertical postures, which makes force analysis of foot strike appear less successful. Stride effectiveness refers to the best combination of lateral, horizontal, and vertical forces that results in the fastest possible speed. Still, use the available research to make informed decisions about which load is most likely to elicit the desired response.

The Best Way to Load a Pro Sled System

The strongest load on a sled is the right load, and the right load is generally similar to fastness work and the weakest source of power.
• If an athlete is focusing on acceleration, the load should be light enough that they can accelerate for the entire distance, or nearly so.
• Heavier loads that taper off earlier are good only if other areas are improved and no other options for improvement are possible. • Heavier loads that taper off earlier are fine only if other areas are developed and no other options for improvement are realistic.
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• If an athlete is gifted in the heft room, go lighter; if strength teaching hasn’t been a strong suit in the past but the athlete has great fastness, go heavier; don’t overlook the athlete’s long-term goals.
Sprints with a lot of heft prove to be fantastic. Lighter may be a fair way to handle underprepared athletes who compete too much when teaching time is reduced. However, access to maximal effort sprints is uncommon when training time is reduced, so lighter may be a reasonable way to manage underprepared athletes who compete too much. I’d rather do ultra-light sprints and strong heft room work than sled with a heavier load. Athletes should be exposed to rapid contractions and long-term heft teaching.

Mistake #8: Not enough preparing the ankle

The main benefit of sleds as a strength teaching tool is that they load the ankle, especially the propulsive muscles. Squatting uses the quads and hamstrings similarly to sled pushing, but the gastrocnemius is heavily recruited when pushing a heavy prowler or running with a loaded sled. Because of the basic benefits of forefoot loading and pushing back, most athletes adapt well to heavy sled teaching. Any static lift, such as squats or lunges, will not provide this level of strength. Traditional lifts do include some stabilization of the lower leg, but it is much less than running, jumping, or resisted sprints.

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Would weight sleds have the same effect if coaches focused more on the ankle complex? I believe that the more comprehensive a curriculum is, the less impact a modality can have on teaching. With heavy sled work, particularly heavy pushes that resemble someone trying to create a pyramid instead of running fast, I also see poor stiffness and more “flat tire” running. When using a heavy sled, just load it up to the ankle’s ability, as excessive dorsiflexion is bad for the Achilles and teaches nothing useful about motor skills.
A mix of specific calf work and plyometrics won’t take up a lot of time or energy in the weight room or on the field, but it will pay off in the long run. You just need a little lower leg teaching to help the resisted sprinting and keep the ankle from being a weak link. I discovered the hard way that sleds aren’t as good as plyometrics and simple plantar eccentric work for preparing for the unique needs of ankle stiffness. In this place, sleds often reveal more than they plan.

Build Effective Sled Workouts Rogue equipment

When the pace is quick enough to mimic the qualities of sprinting and the overload is high enough to make a difference outside of the weight room, great sled training hits the mark. The best tools for sled sprinting are knowing how unloaded sprinting will benefit a program and which weight room exercises can complement fastness growth. It’s time to reconsider the program if sleds become complex strength exercises that cause each move to accelerate.
Some sports, such as rugby and American football, require athletes to maul each other, and sleds can be a perfect way to assist with contact situations. But if you want to go faster, think lighter and smarter.

Details to Know Follow:
https://sportsperformanceadvantage.com/best-push-pull-weight-training-sled-2020/

Additional Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sled
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/sports/olympics/olympics-bobsled-suicide-brain-injuries.html