Pulling a sled, backwards.

[Bubble Boy]

Ever done it?
I've done it with a 150 lb sled, grabbing rope handles with my hands, pulling backwards up a steep hill. I have to say that this was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. My legs were cooked within about 50 ft, to the point where I couldn't even feel them, and had to stop, take a breather, and continue.

I really think if you haven't tried this you should give it a shot.

Sleds are relatively simple to make, and just piling big rocks on will be suitable for weight for most of us. It wouldn't be too hard to go up in weight, and steepness of hills to make things more difficult.

The impression I've taken away from this exercise is that the muscles used to pull a sled, backwards, up a hill, never get used in real life. The two guys I did it with said the same thing: "I didn't even know I had those muscles..."

Anybody else done this? Again, I think it's the toughest most painful strength and conditioning thing I've ever done.

 

[finnegan]

Ever done it?
I've done it with a 150 lb sled, grabbing rope handles with my hands, pulling backwards up a steep hill. I have to say that this was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. My legs were cooked within about 50 ft, to the point where I couldn't even feel them, and had to stop, take a breather, and continue.

I really think if you haven't tried this you should give it a shot.

Sleds are relatively simple to make, and just piling big rocks on will be suitable for weight for most of us. It wouldn't be too hard to go up in weight, and steepness of hills to make things more difficult.

The impression I've taken away from this exercise is that the muscles used to pull a sled, backwards, up a hill, never get used in real life. The two guys I did it with said the same thing: "I didn't even know I had those muscles..."

Anybody else done this? Again, I think it's the toughest most painful strength and conditioning thing I've ever done.

I've dragged heavy logs up and down hills before using a rope harness. I think I can sympathize.

 

[Mickey's]

Yep, done that for hockey. It sucks very much.

 

[feezy]

Here's an honest question: How much is stuff like this strength, and how much of it is conditioning?

 

[rEmY]

Here's an honest question: How much is stuff like this strength, and how much of it is conditioning?

Depends on how heavy the sled is, and how far you pull it.

 

[El Greco]

Going Backwards is accutally alot easier then going foward. When your going backwards its easy to sit back and just use your legs. When your going foward you have to keep it going constantly and use your body more as a unit

 

[Standard]

Yeah dragging the sled backwards is absolutely brutal, same thing with car pushes with your back to the car, legs just wear out fast.

 

[niagareven]

Going Backwards is accutally alot easier then going foward. When your going backwards its easy to sit back and just use your legs. When your going foward you have to keep it going constantly and use your body more as a unit

I am better at dragging foward. Everyone is different.

 

[Bubble Boy]

Going Backwards is accutally alot easier then going foward. When your going backwards its easy to sit back and just use your legs. When your going foward you have to keep it going constantly and use your body more as a unit

This hasn't been my experience at all but everybody's different. Are you pulling backwards up a hill?

 

[MiMiC]

I haven't done the sled yet but I've been doing the tractor tire flipping and truck pushing and that can put some work on your legs

 

[muerteverde]

Very cool. Backwards sounds like it would be more thighs and less calves, and easier on my achilles tendon. What does your sled look like?

 

[Bubble Boy]

Here's an honest question: How much is stuff like this strength, and how much of it is conditioning?

Like remy said, I think it depends on how much resistance you have loaded on the thing, the steepness of the hill, the surface friction, etc.

Is pulling ones body weight backwards up a hill strong? I guess it's relative. Does a 30 second backwards tug up a hill condition you? Probably. Hard to say really.

I think it can be made into anything along the spectrum you like: on one end is pure conditioning and the other end is pure strength.

When I used to be a fire fighter we did the body drag routine once a year as part of our fitness test. It was a 175 lb dummy (my body weight), and we'd grab it under the arm pits and drag it backwards for 75 yards. It was a timed event. This was the single event that had everybody puking. Pretty bad.

My personal training probably falls more on the conditioning side.

 

[Bubble Boy]

Very cool. Backwards sounds like it would be more thighs and less calves, and easier on my achilles tendon. What does your sled look like?

At the recommendation of some of the guys here I went and got a saucer style plastic sled from the local big box store. I attached two ropes with hand loops on the ends for each hand.
When I work out I load a big marble slab and some sandbags on the thing.
Eventually a hole formed in the sled so I had now also throw some lids of plastic tubs down between the sled and marble slab.
I've seen some pretty incredible steel sleds...mines nothing like that...:redface:

 

[Standard]

Not too incredible but here is mine and Brandon's sled, there are alot cheaper and more simple ideas out there, but this works for what we have planned for it.

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?p=15011842#post15011842

 

[muerteverde]

At the recommendation of some of the guys here I went and got a saucer style plastic sled from the local big box store. I attached two ropes with hand loops on the ends for each hand.
When I work out I load a big marble slab and some sandbags on the thing.
Eventually a hole formed in the sled so I had now also throw some lids of plastic tubs down between the sled and marble slab.
I've seen some pretty incredible steel sleds...mines nothing like that...:redface:

Now that is a good idea! I am not about to buy wleding equipment and learn to weld just to make a sled, but I think we have some of those old plastic sleds lying around here somewhere...

 

[PussInBoots]

Not too incredible but here is mine and Brandon's sled, there are alot cheaper and more simple ideas out there, but this works for what we have planned for it.

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?p=15011842#post15011842

nice looking sled, man.

 

[Brando]

nice looking sled, man.

Yes, Sleddie Murphy is quite handsome. A harsh mistress, though

 

[Art Vandelay]

Does sled work destroy your back yards? I've seen Ross Enamait's sledding video, and his yard looks like pitcher to home at a Diamondbacks game. I'm just wondering if this is routine.

 

[Standard]

I do my sledding at the park, my sled isn't too easy on the grass (the odd tear) but i'm sure a saucer style sled woudn't do very much damage at all

 

[Bubble Boy]

This is very nice:

"Sled Bundy?"