The Wonders of Sled Work

The Wonders of Sled Work

Low-tech. High-impact. Built for every athlete.

At Verity Movement, we believe in training that’s simple, powerful, and rooted in how your body actually works. The sled is one of the most underrated tools in strength and conditioning—but also one of the most physiologically and hormonally intelligent.

Whether you’re a basketball player building speed and power or someone trying to get strong without breaking down, sled work delivers.

What Is Sled Work?

Sled training involves pushing, pulling, or dragging a weighted sled over turf or ground. Unlike traditional weightlifting, sleds emphasize horizontal force production and concentric effort—with minimal eccentric strain (no heavy lowering).

That makes sled work ideal for:

  • Building strength and muscle

  • Improving speed and conditioning

  • Reducing injury risk and joint wear

  • Stimulating healthy hormone responses

Physiological Benefits of Sled Training

1. Functional Muscle Growth

Sled work builds “real-world” strength—muscles that move, support, and stabilize:

  • Engages the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core

  • Promotes hypertrophy through volume and metabolic stress

  • Minimizes soreness by avoiding eccentric breakdown

2. Improved Mitochondrial Density

Repeated sled pushes (especially 20–40 yard bouts) help expand your mitochondrial efficiency in fast-twitch fibers:

  • Higher anaerobic output

  • More energy per contraction

  • Better endurance in short, intense bursts

3. Joint Health and Resilience

Especially with backward sled drags, you get:

  • Enhanced synovial fluid circulation

  • Increased blood flow to knees, ankles, and hips

  • Load tolerance in connective tissue (tendons & ligaments)

4. Neuromuscular & Performance Gains

  • Acceleration mechanics with forward sled sprints

  • Deceleration control with backward drags

  • Change-of-direction improvements through angled sled patterns

  • Jump and landing prep via tendon strengthening

Hormonal Benefits of Sled Work

1. Increases Growth Hormone (GH) & IGF-1

Sled work performed with high effort and short rest can stimulate natural spikes in growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1):

  • Muscle growth

  • Fat metabolism

  • Cellular repair

2. Enhances Testosterone Response

While sled work may produce smaller testosterone spikes than heavy squats, it still supports testosterone regulation:

  • Full-body activation

  • Neuromuscular drive

  • High-volume, low-stress loading

3. Supports Cortisol Balance

Because sled work avoids heavy eccentric strain and central nervous fatigue, it helps prevent chronic cortisol elevation:

  • Less burnout

  • Better recovery

  • Balanced mood and energy

How We Use the Sled at Verity Movement

We use sleds across all training phases:

  • Warmups: backward drags to prep knees & activate quads

  • Power: 10–20 yard sled sprints

  • Strength: heavy slow pushes or marches

  • Conditioning: short intervals that don’t beat up the joints

Final Word

Sled work isn’t flashy—it’s honest. It meets the athlete where they are and moves them forward: stronger, faster, and more resilient.

Build muscle. Protect joints. Balance hormones. Boost performance.

If you’re looking for that edge—and a method that respects your physiology while developing your power—sled up.

Previous
Previous

Plant. Water. Grow.

Next
Next

The Ancestral Fuel Method