Create Explosive Sprinting Strength With Sled Pulls

Sprinting is highly technical. Elite sprinters are coached on every aspect of

their sport.Aside from starting technique, learning how to accelerate to top
speed is one of the most difficult skills.
Pulling a sled can improve your sprinting speed and create an anabolic
environmentconducive to burning fat and gaining muscle. In this article, I will
discuss what the research says about using sled pulls to build explosive
sprinting strength.

Sled Pulls Improve Acceleration

Acceleration is important for most sports, and sled pulls are commonly used
to improve it. Alcaraz and colleagues (2014)1 tested Scandinavian national
sprinters. One group did normal sprint sessions. A second group towed a sled.
The program lasted four weeks, and both groups did similar amounts of work.

Following the training, the sled group increased contact time with the ground,
which means they had more time to exert force. They also improved their stride
length. Both of these measures are associated with faster acceleration. The
sled group also increased maximal speed by about 1.3 percent. These are
well-trained athletes, so the effects could be even more significant in athletes
with less training.

More Load Isn’t Better

When pulling a weighted sled, you have to make sure you don’t lose your
sprinting technique. If you load the sled with too much weight, you won’t be
sprinting anymore – you’ll be walking. Walking with a heavy load might have
benefits, but it does not improve sprint acceleration as much as a lesser load.

A study by Winwood and colleagues (2016)5 trained rugby athletes with sled
pulls. One of the research team’s goals was to find out how weight improved
maximal acceleration. The researchers found that sled pulls with 75 percent of
the athlete’s body weight worked better than 150 percent.

I always liked this quotation from Yuri Verkoshansky on adding more weight:

“Additional weight will increase the magnitude of maximum strength

effort, but will decrease the speed of its development during push off. In
this way, the exercise will have lost its main advantage… [This] can be
compared to those zealots who follow the principle: instead to take 15
drops of medicine two times per day, it’s better to drink the whole bottle
immediately.”
 Adding more weight on sled pulls and pushes might be great for absolute
strength. Dan Johnhas long been an advocate of sled pushes or pulls as one of
his loaded carry movements. But remember, we are talking about how sled pulls
affect sprinting. Adding more weight will likely help maximal strength
development, but it might not be as helpful for maximal speed.

When using sled pulls to build speed, use a load that allows you to keep sprinting.

When and How to Recover

As many of you know, sled pulls can be demanding. West and colleagues
(2013)4 looked at biological changes following sled pulls. They found
that testosterone increased by 38 percent fifteen minutes after the pulls. It
was also elevated the next day. The lack of creatine kinase following the
workout suggested there was no significant muscle damage. The authors
suggested this movement does not lead to muscle breakdown because it is
primarily concentric in nature.

Keep in mind, sprinting more than than 25 meters with the sled can cause a
breakdown in form, so allow a good amount of rest between sets. I would
suggest between 3-6 minutes to allow the alactic system to recover.

The Takeaways
 Sled pulls with 75 percent of your body weight can lead to greater acceleration in
sprints.
 Longer rests between sets will allow for better recovery.
 Heavy sled pushes or pulls might be good for absolute strength, but they aren’t
as good for sprinting.
 The key is to choose a weight and distance that does not cause a breakdown in
running technique. Make sure you can maintain proper running form for up to 25
meters.