Plyometric and ballistic exercise
Heavy Sled Push
Build horizontal driving force in a position close to scrum and maul work.
- Equipment
- Sled
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
A prowler or sled loaded heavily, on turf or a suitable surface, over 15 to 20m.
How to do it
- Start in a four-point position with your hands and feet on the ground, then drive forward with your lower body.
- Expect shorter steps, longer ground contact and a more horizontal trunk than sprinting - that is the point, not a fault.
- Do 4 to 8 efforts over 15 to 20m with full recovery.
- Load is easy to adjust, so a whole squad can work together.
Coaching cues
- Four-point start, hands and feet down
- Drive with the lower body
- Shorter steps and a flatter trunk are correct here
Common mistakes
- Loading it so light it becomes a sprint rather than a drive
- Standing too tall, which loses the drive angle
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Heavy | 4 to 8 | 15 to 20m | 2.5 min |
Related exercises
- Box JumpExpress concentric jumping power with a low landing cost.
- Countermovement JumpTrain and test elastic jumping power.
- Broad JumpDevelop horizontal force production, which is what acceleration is made of.
- Trap Bar JumpGet a loaded triple-extension stimulus with a fraction of the coaching cost of a clean.
- Loaded Jump SquatExpress lower-body power under light external load.
- Depth JumpBuild top-end reactive strength through a fast stretch-shortening cycle.