Sprint Sled Training - Iron Edge

Traditionally, the Sprint Sled could be viewed as a sprint power and explosive acceleration tool, allowing athletes to focus their attention on linear explosiveness, acceleration technique and starting strength. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of application and veritable training options. Essentially, the sprint sled allows for the loading of a variety of movement and locomotive patterns that can challenge the body in multiple planes and ranges. This can focus training into areas of rotational power, core strength and stability, loaded movement conditioning as well as the traditional power, speed and acceleration elements.

Sprint Sled – Lateral Step

Purpose

Hip abduction exercise that builds strength in the glutes and lateral hip for hip strength and stability.

Builds fundamental lower body strength in the frontal plane to enhance performance for changing direction or cutting when running.

Execution

• Use the hip harness with this exercise, making sure it has been secured correctly to the sled.
• Place the hip harness sideways and in a position just above the hip, so the leg on the same side as the sled can abduct freely without restriction.
• Move into a position so that the sled is either directly to your right or to your left, so that all the slack has been taken out of the strap that connects you to the sled.
• Adopt a bent knee hip hinge position, much the same as a feet together or feet on hip width deadlift position. Place your arm closest to the sled, back and under the strap at the hip, and the opposite arm bent with the hand under the chin.
• With a good neutral alignment, breathe in and lean your body away from the direction of the sled, pushing and driving the leg closest to the sled into the ground.
• Drive hard against the weight of the sled as you travel laterally, keeping balance and alignment, swinging the arms through and back.
• Land strongly and with control onto the opposite leg and breathe out, aiming to stack your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle over the top of each other, keeping your feet parallel and facing forward. Ensure that you extend and fully straighten the driving leg.
• Lean your weight onto the landed leg, keeping your shoulders and hips horizontal, and recover the opposite leg back and to a narrow stance again, swinging the arms back and into the starting position.
• Without altering your position, perform another repetition.

Tech Points

• Use a load that allows you to move balanced, correctly and smoothly.
• Aim to keep your hips and shoulder horizontal throughout the exercise.
• Ensure you maintain neutral alignment during the exercise.
• Slow the movement down to create balance and stability when moving.

Sprint Sled – Rotational Press

Purpose

Full body, rotational core strength and single arm pressing exercise.

A great, integrated core exercise that connects the body to the ground, generating rotational power through the hips, strengthening the grip and building strength in the shoulders, chest and arms.

Execution

Connect a climbing rope to the sled and line it up in the direction you wish to travel.

Stand parallel and towards the end of the rope, away from the sled, in a wider than shoulder width stance.

Grip the rope horizontally across the chest in a tight grip, much the same as the ideal bench press position, and position the hands just wider than shoulder width.

Adopt an athletic ready position, by lowering your center of gravity and bending your knees and hips whilst keeping a good neutral spine. Pack the shoulders into the body by engaging the lats.

Take a breath in, hold the body tight, and begin rotating away from the direction of the sled.

To initiate rotation, drive through the leg closest to the direction of the sled, aiming to generate power and movement at the hips, hold the body tight whilst turning the torso with the hips.

As you rotate to 30 degrees of your original position, begin to press with the same side arm as the driving leg.

Continue to rotate by driving through the leg and hip, turning the opposite foot to the direction you wish to face and pivoting onto the ball of the driving foot.

Maintain good alignment as you rotate around and press, looking up though the eyebrows to keep the head in a neutral position.

Continue to connect the body down and into the floor, rotating to a full 90 degrees from your initial position and pressing out into full extension.

Once you have reached full extension and rotation, ensure the hips and shoulder are level and strongly connected.

Take a couple of steps, taking the slack out of the rope, and repositioning the body back into the start position for another repetition.

Tech Points

Rotation only occurs at the hips with this exercise, so aim to connect the torso to the hips, and rotate around a central axis.

Aim to drive the driving leg into the ground, pivoting strongly on the ball of the foot.

The opposite arm is used to stabilise the rope and help with the direction of the pull. Resist the temptation to push with that arm.

Stay low and use your hip and leg to generate rotation and power.

Hold the rope in a strong grip and aim to rotate first before beginning the press.

Aim to slowly accelerate as you drag the weight, finishing by punching out in a controlled manner. The sled should generate momentum and slide toward you at the end of the movement.

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