THE TOP 10 RBS SLED TRAINING DRILLS-PART #2
Updated: Jun 22
Welcome to the second installment of sled training exercises. I decided to break up the theme into two pieces just to make it easier to read. Ten drills can be a lot to digest for some, so I hope the format helps.
#6-SLED MARCHING
I never write to appease people because I'm interested in what truly helps and the truth. What's unfortunate is that this video, like many others, receives more attention and does far less than the ones that do far more for athletes and coaches. I will tell you that I think Marching is pretty stupid. Please read that again. And don't just take my word for it, the science supports it as well in a study from Kivi that clearly showed that joint motion in marching is vastly different than actual sprinting. (see here) This is still one of those things in training culture that nearly every coach elects to do because everyone is doing it and they think it's cool, but it's really not helping much at all, yet so much focus is and will unfortunately always be placed on the concept.
#7-SLED PULLS
I was pretty excited to share this one because it has some very unique benefits that many still don't consider. Now it's obviously not going to make you blazing fast because the arms are fixed in support of holding the harness, and the speed potential is nowhere near enough to generate favorable speed adaptations and improvements. But mind you, there is more than what meets the eye. Due to the setup of The Sled Pull, you'll quickly feel or notice a need to rotate your torso in the exercise. And what is required of the torso when you sprint fast? Anti-Rotation. Renegade rows, med ball drills, etc. are all great, but the Sled Pull utilizes the same anti-rotational features of many core exercises and applies it in more of a sprint fashion, giving it the edge in synching up the torso and hips and building coordination and refining technique.
#8-SLED CROSSOVERS
This drill is another one of my favorites because it's underutilized and provides tremendous benefit. The Crossover Step (i.e. retreating), and run is such a power generator. It's the next most powerful athletic movement next to sprinting for the lower body, and the sled obviously takes it to another level. According to recent research from Dr. Ramsey Nijem, the adductors are critical in creating reactive stiffness, and they are heavily involved in not only lateral movement, but also in creating force on the front and backside mechanically, to name a few. This exercise should be a staple in any athlete's program, period.
#9-SLED BOUNDS
Now here is my claim to fame (lol jk). But in all seriousness, I do believe that I was the first to introduce Sled Bounds years ago. My thought process at the time with athletes was that if it was shown that if the sled can definitely improve initial acceleration and sprint speed in research, compliments of Dr. Bret Contreras years ago, then why wouldn't it provide some sound feedback for attempting to improve speed and power-bound technique? And guess what, it certainly did. I noticed immediate kinesthetic awareness progress in my athletes who were struggling to comprehend the bounding technique, and for those who understood the drill but lacked speed and power with the pattern, well, it cleared that up as well if loading was appropriate. Using it as a contrast or complex method works great for your plyometrics or as a temporary substitute as well.
#10-Sled Sprinting
In closing, I'm going to quote a friend and colleague of mine below because he already spoke on this matter, and it's just as good or better than what I could try to give you. It's from Coach Joel Smith (see here). If you aren't already following him yourself, well then, you are doing yourself and your athletes a disservice. Joel is a world-class collegiate sprint coach, and I've had the opportunity to have some wonderful conversations with him on various training matters and contribute to his elite website (see here). He is one of the best in the game, folks.
"In pulling a sled via a harness, the arms and shoulders are free to move naturally and in sync with the hips and legs to maximize their output in hip projection. Anecdotal work by great coaches such as Scott Salwasser and Cameron Josse with heavy slow tows has yielded incredible results, such as .3-second drops in an athlete’s 40-yard dash.
See below for a video of this effective speed training method. When I utilize this method, I prefer to use timing gates for maximal output if possible.
Generally speaking, the sled should be heavy enough to cause an athlete’s maximal speed in acceleration to decrease by about 50%."
People want to harp on vintage videos and photos, but I know they are powerful and special to me. Here is my boy Tommy Shroeder who was a beast of an athlete, demonstrating a classic sled sprint over a decade ago. Tommy used to be able to also Trap Bar Deadlift 700 + lbs. with ease. Stay strong my friends.
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