There’s no question that Westside Barbell has had a huge impact beyond the powerlifting community. Because of Westside Barbell’s influence, many of their techniques have become commonplace in most sports performance facilities and hardcore gyms. One of the most beneficial of these techniques is sled training. Many articles have been written regarding the use of sled training for the recovery and conditioning of athletes. However, one of the most overlooked aspects of sled training is its usefulness in training the every day person.
Let’s face it. As coaches, we would like to say that the majority of our clients are high level competing athletes. There’s definitely an ego stroke there. However, the truth is, most of us in the industry can more profoundly help the every day individual who would like to improve the quality of life. There are far more “regular” people in the world fighting health issues than elite athletes. Besides, a good coach is determined by how he or she helps an individual, not by the flashiness of his or her clients.
So without further ranting, let’s discuss sled training for the masses. There are many benefits, some of which go beyond simply recovery and regeneration.
General conditioning: Let’s face it. People are often just out of shape. Even if you do get an individual who participates in other physical activities, his or her anaerobic tolerance is probably pretty low or almost nothing. Since most of our activities and even health measures revolve primarily around anaerobic standards, bringing this up is absolutely essential for general population clients. Also, there’s a large amount of research demonstrating that anaerobic training is superior to aerobic training for fat loss.
Muscle balance: Besides being out of shape, most people also have huge muscle imbalance issues. This is especially true of all the “non-mirror” muscles (all of those on the back of the body). Sled training offers a simple tool to address hamstring and glute weakness along with many upper body pulling variations that can help all those desk workers with poor posture.
“Functional” training: I had to slap myself a little for using the term “functional,” but sled training really does fit the mold. The sled allows for training in multiple movement patterns without any great change to the equipment itself. One could easily implement forward lunging, side stepping, and backward dragging without even changing the load on the sled. This would target all the muscles in the hip and thighs in the same manner in which they work in most sporting and every day activities.
Easy to learn: Often, a coach decides which technique to use based on what Dan John calls “the idiot factor.” Some coaches don’t use Olympic lifts, kettlebells, or even squatting for this reason. Most times I blame it on bad coaching, but with the general population, the “idiot factor” may just be to blame.
Perhaps the client isn’t gifted in movement or maybe he or she focuses poorly on the task at hand. Or maybe the client is intimidated by the implement or technique being used. However, never underestimate the “idiot factor.” Having said this, I have yet to see sled training get hit by the “idiot factor.” It’s very hard to do the drills incorrectly, and even if you do, the chance of injury is very low. More likely the sled just won’t go anywhere. This means that your 60-year-old client can use it just like your 16-year-old athlete.
Easy to implement: It’s amazing but the average person who comes in for fitness training is more banged up than an elite athlete. Sure, the reasons may be completely different. But I’ve seen people with multiple surgeries who have barely ever gotten off the couch!
The problem this causes is apprehension with many movements. The more surgeries and pain people have, the more hesitant they are to perform strength training. People have to trust you as a coach before they will blindly follow your suggestions. While they come to you because of a referral or advertising, this doesn’t mean that they inherently and fully trust you. Trust and results build lifetime clients.
Um, ok, how does this relate to sled training? Sleds are perfect for beginners or those dealing with orthopedic issues because:
Lastly, sleds are phenomenal for group training. The industry appears to be leaning toward more team, boot camp, and small group training. Sleds are perfect for anyone interested in getting involved in more group-based settings. They can be used as a specific training station, for team challenges, or for many unique/effective training methods.
I wish I received a percentage off sled sales for writing this article (ten percent would be nice), but my hope is that coaches will expand the great work they do beyond their elite athletes. We’re all athletes in one form or another because life is a very dynamic sport. As such, we should train everyone to deal with the demands of the sport. Sleds happen to be one of the perfect tools to help a coach and client reach their goals.
Josh Henkin is the owner of Innovative Fitness Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona. For the past ten years, he has created effective training programs for a wide array of clients. A graduate of Arizona State University, he received his bachelors of science in exercise science/physical education. While at Arizona State, he was also a member of the men’s basketball team. Josh is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified club coach with USA weightlifting, a certified Russian kettlebell instructor, and a certified corrective high performance exercise kinesiologist.
Josh has dedicated himself to providing cutting edge, easy to apply
training information to the masses. He has created the Ultimate Sandbag
for those who wish to get the immense benefits of odd object lifting at home or
in their gym as well as the very popular High Octane Sandbag Training DVD.
He has also recently released SMASH: Total Conditioning with Sledgehammers.
These programs have become so popular because they are effective and fun! Check
out Josh’s sites at www.ifsstrength.com
and
www.sandbagexercises.com.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.
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