The Exercise That Tones Your Butt And Thighs

Weighted sled training is having its moment in the spotlight — and it’s about time, fitness pros say. (Photo: Instagram/North_Coast_Strength)

An exercise tool once used predominantly by professional athletes has made its way into the mainstream. The weighted sled — a metal sled that you load with weights and push or pull across the floor — strengthens your thighs, calves, and butt muscles all while giving you a great cardio workout, experts say. Plus: It’s easier on the joints than many alternatives.

“With the popularity of CrossFit in recent years, weighted sled training is indeed becoming more popular. I see sleds at more and more gyms, including Equinox and Golds,” says Neghar Fonooni, a fitness and lifestyle coach based in Santa Monica, California, and the creator of the Lean and Lovely training program.

Boutique studios and group fitness classes, such as Soho Strength Lab and Exceed Physical Culture in New York City, have also started to incorporate weighted sleds into workouts.

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So what’s the appeal? “Weighted sled training is by far one of my favorite ways to work my lower body, burn fat, and develop stellar conditioning and athleticism,” Fonooni tells Yahoo Health. The weighted sled works your thigh muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps), butt muscles (glutes), and your core, all with one tool. Fonooni considers it “one of the best bang-for-your-buck exercises out there.”

In fact, a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that pushing the weighted sled is roughly as effective as a traditional back squat for training the legs, butt, and core.

With the rising popularity of sled training, the study’s authors wanted to see how the exercise compared to the king of leg exercises, the barbell back squat. The Canadian research team recruited 10 young men with strength-training experience and instructed them in proper squat and sled push form.

The subjects were randomly assigned to do either a 10-rep-max back squat or 20-step-max weighted sled push. After two to five days, the groups switched, so that everyone completed the two trials. As the subjects were doing the exercises, researchers measured their muscle activity using electrodes that detect the electrical impulses sent to the muscle (which is, put simply, a way to measure how hard a muscle is working).

The results: The exercises were equally effective at working the core and quads. The only major difference was that the sled push worked the calves about 60 percent more than the squat.

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Another benefit to weighted sled training, Fonooni says, is that it’s friendly on the joints. This makes it a good option for people who have achy knees or problematic hips (assuming their doctor has given the OK to exercise).

To try it, start with the sled by itself without adding any weight, Fonooni recommends. Lean forward and drive your feet into the ground to propel the sled forward. “When pushing, be sure to focus on fully extending the hip with each stride, and keep the torso at an incline with a neutral spine,” she says. As you get used to the exercise, you can start adding weight to make it harder.

Watch Joe Hashey, CSCS, owner of Synergy Athletics, demonstrate how to use the weighted sled with proper form:

The weighted sled push can make you a faster runner, experts say. (Video: Joe Hashey/Synergy Athletics)

Ready to give it a shot? Try this quick 15-minute workout from Fonooni: Push the sled for 10 to 20 yards (this should take about 20 seconds); rest 30 seconds. Perform 20 kettlebell swings, rest 30 seconds. That’s one round. Do five rounds total. 

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