How to crush the Sled Pull!
Build strength and power to improve your sled pull at your next Hyrox Race.
The sled pull is a Hyrox station that often surprises first-time competitors. Pulling a sled 50 meters with a rope might sound straightforward, but if you’ve experienced it during a race, you already know how challenging it can be.
Even the strongest athletes can find themselves struggling with this station. However, with the right training and a solid understanding of the technique, you can conquer the sled pull with confidence.
Before diving into training strategies, let’s take a closer look at the key muscles involved in this movement.
Forearms
The forearms are composed of a group of 20 small muscles, and they tend to fatigue faster than the larger muscles of the back. This becomes especially noticeable during heavy pulling movements, where grip strength often gives out before the back muscles reach their limit. This is why powerlifters and bodybuilders frequently use hooks or straps to assist with gripping the bar during intense lifts.
Biceps
The biceps are the next smallest group of muscles engaged during the sled pull, and those "guns" aren't just for show—they play a crucial role in powering through this challenging movement.
Lats (or latissimus dorsi)
The lats are the powerhouse muscles when it comes to pulling the sled. While other back muscles, such as the erector spinae, contribute by providing stability, it’s the lats that shoulder the bulk of the workload and drive the movement.
Legs
When pulling a sled while walking backward, the quadriceps take on the majority of the workload, driving the movement and providing power with each step. Supporting muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, and calves, play essential roles in maintaining stability, balance, and overall propulsion.
Core
Yes, your engaging your core every time you pull the rope towards you.
How to pull the sled.
Now that we have a better understanding of the muscles involved in the sled pull, let's focus on improving your performance of this station. One common technique I see is the hand-over-hand method, where competitors pull the sled using their arms alone. While this might seem effective, it requires a tremendous amount of upper-body strength and will quickly fatigue your arms, making it an inefficient approach.
A much better technique is the walk-back method. With this approach, you can engage your larger muscle groups, such as the lats and legs, to generate more power and conserve energy. However, this method does come with its own challenges, such as the risk of stepping on the white line of the allotted box, which can lead to penalties.
To execute this technique efficiently, start by walking up to the rope and pulling it slightly toward you to take out some of the slack. Once the rope is taut, take 2–3 controlled steps backward, using your lats and legs to generate power. Then, walk forward, pick up the rope again, and repeat the process, ensuring the slack is removed each time. This method not only maximises your strength and endurance but also keeps you in better control throughout the movement, reducing the likelihood of errors or penalties.
"Building Strength for a Powerful Sled Pull"
Forearms: Improve your grip strength. Improving your forearm strength will help prevent fatigue and the rope slipping through your hands. If you can hang onto the rope you can use your bigger muscles, legs and lats to haul the sled in. Exercises to improve your grip. Dead Hangs, farmers walk with big handles and deadlifts.
Biceps: Any bicep exercise will help here but do some heavy low rep curls to improve your grip at the same time. I love doing under grip pull ups for biceps. You can also do this with a bar on a rack or in the “Smith Machine” with your feet on the floor.
Back: Lat pull downs, seated rows, pull ups, DB rows and reverse pulls ups. All these exercises will help with pulling the sled, but pull ups and reverse pull ups are probably my favourite.
Legs: Not much to say here. Hyrox is a killer on your legs. You should be working on them all the time. Step Ups, Reverse Lunges, Leg Press, Front Squats, Elevated Heel Squats, Leg Curls, Single Glute Bridge.
Core: Any core exercises will help with sled pulls but again, I like hanging leg raises as it trains your grip strength at the same time.
Sled Pull: If you don’t have a dedicated sled pull setup in your gym, using TRX straps is a great alternative for practicing sled pulls. Here’s how you can incorporate them into your training:
TRX Pulls
Attach the TRX straps securely to the sled and walk backward until the straps are taut. Lean forward slightly, engage your lats, and pull the sled toward you using your arms and legs for power. Focus on engaging your lower body without stepping backward. Once the sled reaches you, walk back a few steps, reset, and repeat the process.
Walking Backwards
For a more dynamic variation, hold the TRX handles and practice walking backward while pulling the sled. This mimics the sled pull motion during a race, helping to build strength and coordination in your legs, core, and lats.
These variations not only improve your sled pull technique but also help you build the strength and endurance required to improve this station.
Get after it 💪
Rod