Conditioning with the Sled or Prowler
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(If you like, you can scroll down to the end of this article and watch a related video.)
In last week’s article, we discussed a few options on how to quickly, easily, and cheaply make a DIY sled drag harness for sled (AKA “prowler) workouts. One of the great things about the sled is that - whether pushing or pulling - it utilizes primarily concentric movement and thus doesn’t cause a lot of unnecessary soreness. As a result, you can get some effective conditioning done, and if approached in an intelligent fashion, this conditioning should not get in the way of your strength training. With this in mind, today we’re going to cover a few simple options for actually using the sled to get some conditioning done.
Workout #1
12, 16, or 20 rounds of:
50 ft sled push
1 round every minute
Start with a manageable weight on the sled for your first time with this workout, and know that the weight will vary depending on the surface, e.g., you can use more weight if you’re pushing the sled on turf vs asphalt.
Starting 1 round every minute, push the sled 50 ft in one direction and then stop. For example, if it takes you 20 seconds to push the sled 50 ft, then you have 40 seconds (i.e., the rest of the minute) of rest before starting the next round and pushing the sled back in the opposite direction.
Do 12 rounds the first time you perform this workout, do 16 rounds with the same weight the next time (e.g, the following week), and do 20 rounds with the same weight the next time. After that, ratchet the rounds back down to 12, add some weight, and start the process again.
Workout #2
Sled Pyramid
4-7 levels of 200 ft sled push (100 ft down-and-back)
Weight increases, then decreases.
Rest as needed.
Example (with 5 levels):
(Weights listed do not include the weight of the sled)
Round 1: 25 lb x 200 ft
Round 2: 50 lb x 200 ft
Round 3: 75 lb x 200 ft
Round 4: 100 lb x 200 ft
Round 5: 125 lb x 200 ft
Round 6: 100 lb x 200 ft
Round 7: 75 lb x 200 ft
Round 8: 50 lb x 200 ft
Round 9: 25 lb x 200 ft
You’ll likely need to rest longer between the heavier rounds than between the lighter rounds.
Workout #3
Sled Drag (w/harness)
3 rounds of:
Pull 5 minutes.
Rest 3 minutes.
This one is a longer, lower intensity session and is best done outdoors to minimize the amount of turning around needed. Load up a manageable weight on the sled, hook yourself and the sled up to the harness, and walk for 5 minutes, dragging the sled behind you. Rest 3 minutes, then perform two more 5-minute rounds (again with a 3 minute rest between rounds).
Workout #4
10 rounds of:
100 ft sled push
100 ft sled drag (w/harness)
Rest 1-2 minutes.
Start with a manageable weight and push the sled 100 ft with the harness attached to the sled (but coiled up so as not to get in your way). At the end of the 100 ft push, put the harness on yourself and drag the sled 100 ft back to your original starting point. Perform 10 rounds and rest 1-2 minutes between each round.
For all of these workouts, start at a manageable point and then increase the conditioning demands gradually over time. You can do so by increasing the number of rounds, increasing the weight, increasing the distance, or decreasing the length of the rest intervals. Of course, you can also utilize some combination of those methods as shown in Workout #1.
There are an infinite number of conditioning workouts you can do with a sled, but this will get you off to a good start, and as always, we hope this helps you get stronger (or at least more conditioned) and live better!
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?
Cheap & Easy DIY Sled Drag Harness Options
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Shoulder Harness option
(If you like, you can scroll down to the end of this article and watch a video on how to make your own DIY sled drag harness.)
The sled or prowler is an extremely effective conditioning tool (albeit a rather evil one). You can get in some great conditioning pushing the sled, but you can also get in some great conditioning pulling it, so let’s cover a couple of options to construct a simple and cheap sled drag harness so you don’t have to go out and buy an expensive one.
A few notes:
A sled has 2 skids while a prowler has 3 skids. They accomplish the same purpose as they both can be pushed or pulled, and for our purposes, I’m going to use the word “sled” for both implements.
If you don’t have a sled for pulling, you don’t need to go out and put down a bunch of cash for a new one. You can construct a “tire sled” from an old tire and an eyebolt - it’s cheap, pretty quick, and it works very well for pulls (watch this video to see what I’m talking about).
Sled Drag Harness - Waist Option
You’ll need a fairly large carabiner, and you’ll also need to get an automotive recovery strap, which you can obtain at pretty much any hardware store or by clicking here (affiliate link). Each end of the strap has a loop, and we’ll simply connect each loop to the carabiner, and then we’ll hook the carabiner to the sled. Simply place the middle of the recovery strap around your waist, and you’ve now got a cheap and easy-to-make harness for walking either forward or backward while dragging the sled.
Sled Drag Harness - Shoulder Option
For this version, you’ll need to get some 1-inch climbing webbing. This is the same tubular webbing that we use for making lifting straps (see the video below) - you can find this type of webbing at an R.E.I. or a something store, or you can get some on Amazon by clicking here (affiliate link). You could probably use wider material if you want to make it more comfortable, but conditioning is not terribly comfortable anyway, and this is what we had on hand, and it works well.
Take 7-8 feet of webbing and tie a water knot with the ends to create one long, continuous loop. To tie a water knot (other knots won’t work as well with webbing), check out the video below. Feeding that loop through the loop created by your recovery strap, you have now created “backpack straps,” so simply put one arm through each end of the backpack straps, and you’re all set to go. Seeing this on video helps quite a bit, so I’d recommend watching the short “DIY Sled Drag Harness Options” video below (this video was the basis for this article).
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger (or at least more conditioned) and live better!
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?
Week 2017.12.18
/As Christmas and the New Year are coming soon, here are the hours for the holidays:Saturday, 12/23/17: Regular hoursMonday, 12/25/17: ClosedTuesday, 12/26/17: ClosedWednesday, 12/27/17: Regular hoursSaturday, 12/30/17: Regular hoursMonday, 01/01/18: ClosedTuesday, 01/02/18: 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (i.e., no morning training)Wednesday, 01/03/18: Regular hours
This Week's ConditioningOption 1"Prowler Sprint Test"1. Load up a heavier weight.2. Time a 15 yards sprint at 100% intensity.3. Rest 30 seconds.4. Repeat sprint until times slows down 10%.5. Goal is to increase # of sprints under the time standard.Courtesy of Chad Smith ("Prowler Sprint Test") as well as "Death by Prowler" by Matt Reynolds and Stef Bradford (on Starting Strength).Option 25-10 rounds:10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)Rest 1 minuteCompare to 2017.11.06.Option 33 rounds for time of:10 Burpees20 Goblet Squats, 45#/30#30 Double-undersCompare to 2016.12.22.
Week 2017.09.11
/Upcoming events:
- 2017 Testify Barbell Bash Weightlifting Meet
- 2017 USSF Fall Classic
- Date: Saturday, 10/28/17
- Location: Concordia High School (click here for map) - mezzanine and weight room
- Registration: Click here (registration is online only).
- Registration Deadline: Regular registration rate ends on 09/30/17 (after that, the late registration rate kicks in), so register soon to save some dough!
This Week's ConditioningOption 1“Prowler Base”1. Load up a manageable weight.2. Sprint 40m at 85% intensity.3. Rest until breathing and heart rate slow down. (45 sec – 2 min)4. Repeat 5-15 times.Courtesy of “Death by Prowler” by Matt Reynolds and Stef Bradford (on Starting Strength).Option 25-10 rounds:50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)Rest 1 minCompare to 2017.07.31.Option 31 minute AMReAP of:BurpeesRest 1 minute2 minute AMReAP of:Abmat Sit-upsRest 1 minute2 minute AMReAP of:Push-upsRest 1 minute2 minute AMReAP of:Box Jumps, 24″/18″Rest 1 minute1 minute AMReAP of:BurpeesCompare to 2016.09.26.
Week 2017.09.04
/Reminder: Please note that the gym will be closed on Monday, 09/04/17, in observance of Labor Day.Upcoming events:
- 2017 Testify Barbell Bash Weightlifting Meet
- Date: The 2nd annual Testify Barbell Bash will take place on Saturday, 09/23/17!
- Location: Concordia High School (click here for map) - practice gym
- Registration: Click here (registration is online only).
- Registration Deadline: Registration ends on 09/16/17, and those who register by September 9 will receive a Barbell Bash shirt, so register soon to get that shirt!
- 2017 USSF Fall Classic
- Date: Saturday, 10/28/17
- Location: Concordia High School (click here for map) - mezzanine and weight room
- Registration: Click here (registration is online only).
- Registration Deadline: Regular registration rate ends on 09/30/17 (after that, the late registration rate kicks in), so register soon to save some dough!
This Week's ConditioningOption 1"Prowler Sprint Test"1. Load up a heavier weight.2. Time a 15 yards sprint at 100% intensity.3. Rest 30 seconds.4. Repeat sprint until times slows down 10%.5. Goal is to increase # of sprints under the time standard.Courtesy of Chad Smith ("Prowler Sprint Test") as well as "Death by Prowler" by Matt Reynolds and Stef Bradford (on Starting Strength).Option 28 rounds:4 tire flips50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)Rest 1 minuteCompare to 2017.07.24.Option 3Every 30 seconds for 10 minutes, perform 1 round of the barbell Bear Complex:1 Power Clean1 Front Squat1 Push Press/Jerk1 Back Squat1 Push Press/Jerk from behind the neckGo heavy, but also remember that the goal is to complete 1 round every 30 seconds for the whole 10 minutes. Your score is recorded as "X/Y," where X = # of rounds completed every 30 seconds and Y = # of rounds completed for the remainder of the 10 minute period.Two other notes:
- For a round to be successful, once the barbell leaves the deck for the power clean, it may not return to the deck until the end of the round.
- Be sure to stand up fully from the power clean before beginning your front squat.
Compare to 2016.08.25.