Prowler sleds can be powerful workout tools but you do need to implement the right workouts for your training goals. The sequences below offer some inspiration about what this looks like.
Make sure you do the warm-ups included in the prowler sled workouts. Especially the ones with more weight and faster movements.
1. Prowler sled push power workout
Prowler sleds offer a variety of benefits. One of these is that good prowler workout sleds make a great fitness tool to train muscle power.
You want to use a weight where you can do about 5 repetitions per set to train this fitness component. For a prowler sled push, that means barely being able to do 5 steps per set.
If you know your one-rep maximum (1RM) sled push, how much weight you are able to push once, the 5RM is typically around 87% of that weight.
Additionally, you want to do the steps in a fast and explosive way. Contrary to barbells and dumbbells, you can’t drop a weighted sled on the ground by pushing it too explosively.
- 15 slow pace butt kicks to warm up
- 15 high knees to warm up
- 5 prowler sled push steps with each leg (so 10 steps in total) at a fast pace
- 2 minutes of active rest by walking around
- Repeat starting at the pushes for 2 to 6 sets
This workout is relatively straightforward but effective. If you want a bit more variety you could also switch between sled pushes and harness pulls. These engage similar muscles but the variety could make things more fun.
2. Prowler quad strength pull workout
The muscles worked with prowler sleds vary depending on how you move the sled.
For example, backward sled pulls will focus a lot more on your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and a lot less on your glute (butt) and hamstring (back thigh) muscles.
This is not necessarily better or worse for every person. Your training goals, personal preferences, and personal situation influence what the best choice is.
Depending on the design of the prowler sleds you have available, you may need a pulling rope or harness to avoid pulling the sled against your feet and being able to implement a bigger range of motion.
Additionally, this workout is focused on strength. That means you want to use a weight where you can barely do about 12 repetitions (24 steps in total) per set.
- 15 slow pace butt kicks to warm up
- 15 high knees to warm up
- 12 prowler sled pull steps with each leg (so 24 steps in total) at a controlled pace
- 2 minutes of active rest by walking around
- Repeat starting at the pulls for 2 to 6 sets
You really want to focus on going through a big range of motion with your quadriceps. This is generally beneficial for muscle growth and strength progress.
3. Prowler sled push HIIT workout
Another area where prowler sleds stand out is HIIT (high-intensity interval training). This is a type of workout where you switch between periods of intense cardiovascular-focused movements with resting periods.
Prowler sled HIIT workouts are great for things like improving your cardiovascular health and burning calories. As long as you don’t overdo it of course.
For this type of training, you want to load the sled with an amount of weight that feels challenging but you should still get out of breath faster than your muscles fatigue.
Additionally, pushing the sled or pulling it with a harness are the most suitable prowler sled exercises for HIIT.
- 15 slow pace butt kicks to warm up
- 15 high knees to warm up
- 30 seconds of as many prowler sled push repetitions as safely possible
- 90 seconds of active rest by walking around
- Repeat starting at the pushes 7 to 20 times
- 2 minutes of slow walking to cool down
The guidelines for cardiovascular workouts like HIIT are not as strict as the muscle growth and strength workouts. You can change up the intervals to something better for your fitness level.
For example, as you get fitter, you can consider gradually increasing the time of the high-intensity sessions up to 60 seconds and reducing the duration of the rest periods to 60 seconds.
Additionally, the total number of times you want to go through the sequence depends on things like your fitness level, how much time you have, your fitness goals, etc.
Keep in mind that not pushing yourself too hard is important for avoiding injuries. At the same time, pushing yourself hard enough is important to get the health benefits to the largest extent possible.
4. Outer thigh sled endurance workout
Another way to move prowler workout sleds is by pulling them while standing with one side towards them. This will require you to push sideways with your legs.
In turn, the movement focuses on your hip abductors (outer thigh muscles) and hip adductors (inner thigh muscles). Your oblique core muscles will also have to work harder.
Training the endurance in these muscles can be helpful for individuals like long-distance runners who will put these muscles under pressure for long periods at a time.
For sideways sled pulls you preferably have a pulling rope or harness.
Something else to note is that the muscles worked with this variation are a lot weaker than the muscles involved in pushes. You will need a lot less weight to make the exercise challenging.
Additionally, this is a muscle endurance workout where you want to be able to do up to 20 repetitions per set.
- 15 slow pace butt kicks to warm up
- 15 high knees to warm up
- 20 prowler sideways sled pull steps with each leg (so 24 steps in total) at a controlled pace
- 2 minutes of active rest by walking around
- 20 prowler sideways sled pull steps with each leg (so 24 steps in total) in the other direction at a controlled pace
- 2 minutes of active rest by walking around
- Repeat starting at the pulls in the first direction for 1 to 3 sets
5. Prowler muscle strength harness pull workout
Many people are also interested in training muscle strength in multiple leg muscles at a time. For these individuals, the next workout is likely a good choice.
Prowler sled harness pulls can be great for training the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and to some extent abs. The more you bend forward, the more you focus on your glutes and hamstrings.
If you don’t have a harness to pull, you can also do a sled push for a similar muscle engagement.
When it comes to how much weight you want to use, you want to be able to barely do 12 controlled steps with each leg per set. This weight will be about 70% of your one-rep max.
- 15 slow pace butt kicks to warm up
- 15 high knees to warm up
- 12 prowler sled harness pull steps with each leg (so 24 steps in total) at a controlled pace
- 2 minutes of active rest by walking around
- Repeat starting at the pulls for 2 to 6 sets
Sled workout weight loading guidelines
Knowing how many extra weight plates you should load on the sled can be challenging but there are some general guidelines that can push you in the right direction.
To train muscle power, you want to be barely able to do the prowler sled exercise of choice 5 repetitions per set which should be about 87% of your one-rep max. For a sled push that would mean 5 full steps with each leg. Additionally, you want to step relatively fast.
Individuals who want to train muscle strength want to use a weight where they can do up to 12 repetitions per set, about 70% of your 1RM. Similar to the power workouts, you want to take about 2-3 minutes rest in between each set.
Next, if you are interested in training muscle endurance for something like running, you want to use a weight where you can do up to 20 repetitions per set.
To train cardiovascular health with the prowler sled, you want to use a weight where you get out of breath faster than your muscles fatigue.
Lastly, keep in mind that prowler sled weights can vary a lot. This is mostly relevant when using different sleds.
Is the sled push a good workout?
The sled push and other prowler sled exercises can be a great workout for a variety of fitness goals. These include leg muscle power, leg muscle strength, leg muscle endurance, and cardiovascular health.
Make sure you use the weight, repetitions, and sets that align with these different training goals. Additionally, give your body enough nutrients and rest to repair and strength itself in between workouts.
