Weight sled
A loaded steel sled pushed or dragged across turf
A low frame with a post for plates, pushed with the arms locked out or dragged behind on straps. Nothing lowers under load, so it drives the legs and lungs hard and leaves far less soreness the next day than squatting does. Gyms with a turf lane keep one; plastic versions work on grass. Weight, distance and rest are the only variables to set, which is part of why coaches hand it to beginners.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Chris BumsteadDoes it
Bodybuilder · Six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia
Sled work went into the program he and coach Justin King built after he retired, listed alongside rotational patterns and sprint mechanics. The aim he describes is keeping the size he built as a bodybuilder while getting athletic again, so conditioning sits next to hypertrophy days instead of replacing them.
Source: The Standard newsletter: Build Muscle + Mobility That Lasts - Kelly StarrettRecommends
Doctor of physical therapy · The Ready State
Pushing a sled is one of the ways he gets people back into hip extension. That is the shape he says modern life strips out fastest, between sitting, cycling and the elliptical. Split squats and pressing with a foot up on something cover it when no sled is around.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Dr. Kelly Starrett, The Magic of Movement and Mobility (#664) - Stacy SimsRecommends
Exercise physiologist · Women Are Not Small Men
Asked what a postmenopausal woman should do on her first day in a gym, she said ignore the cardio machines and the classes and walk to where the weights are. Dumbbells work, so does a barbell. The sled is the one she called fun: load it, push it, pull it, and it gasses you completely.
Source: The Mel Robbins Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Menopause
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or energy.
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Heart rate monitor
Chest strap or watch that logs heart rate and estimates calories burned
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Air bike
Fan-resistance bike with moving handles, used for short all-out efforts
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Exercise bike
Stationary bike for intervals and steady aerobic work indoors
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Indoor bike trainer
Smart trainer or stationary bike that reports power and varies resistance
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Running hydration vest
A trail vest carrying soft flasks or a bladder, plus fuel, layers and a headlamp
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Basal body thermometer
Two-decimal thermometer for spotting the temperature shift around ovulation
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it
Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.