Sled Drag She

Purpose of the exercise

Strength exercise for the hip abductors, glutes (especially gluteus medius and minimus), inner thighs (adductors), quadriceps and core stabilisers. Improves lateral strength, hip stability and multidirectional movement control. Also effective for developing sport-specific agility for sports with lots of lateral movements and for improving anti-rotational core stability.

Supplies

• Weight sledge with weight discs
• Rope or harness
• Flat, suitable towing ground
• Sufficient width space to move sideways (minimum 15-30 metres)

Starting position

1. Load the sled with weight
2. Attach rope to harness around your waist/hips or holds
3. Stand sideways in relation to the sled
4. Make sure the sled is to the side of you (not behind or in front)
5. Go into athletic, low stance (knees bent)
6. Feet shoulder-width apart
7. Keep your torso upright and stable
8. Tighten your core to the max
9. Arms in athletic position or on hips

Implementation

Shuffle variant:

1. Take a step sideways away from the sled
2. Bring your other foot to (shuffle movement)
3. Stay low in athletic stance
4. Keep your hips square (do not twist)
5. Move steadily sideways
6. Change direction after desired distance

Crossover variant:

7. Cross your leg over your other leg (crossover step)

8. Alternate between open and crossover steps

9. Stay low and explosive

Points of interest

• ✓ Stay low in athletic stance throughout movement
• ✓ Keep your hips and shoulders square (frontal)
• ✓ Make powerful, controlled moves
• ✓ Constantly tighten your core for stability
• ✓ Move laterally without forward or backward motion
• ✓ Keep constant tension on the sled
• ✗ Avoid twisting your torso
• ✗ Don't stand too upright (stay low)
• ✗ Don't let the sled stop between steps
• ✗ Don't let your knees fall inwards
• ✗ Don't make too big a deal (lose control)
• ✗ Don't lean too much towards the direction of movement

When this exercise?

This exercise is suitable for athletes in sports with many lateral movements such as basketball, tennis, hockey, football and American football. Ideal for developing lateral explosive power and agility. Highly effective for prevention of knee injuries by strengthening hip stabilisers. Perfect as accessory work after main leg training. Also valuable for conditioning and sport-specific strength. Suitable in late rehabilitation phase after knee or ankle injuries to restore multidirectional strength (in consultation with physiotherapist). Start with light weight and focus on technique and stability.