How to Choose Athletic Power Development Equipment: A Buyer's Guide to Training Sleds

Athletic power is the ability to move weight fast, not just lifting heavy. To develop athletic power is to grow the amount of weight you can move while improving the speed at which you do it.

Sled training is an integral part of developing athletic power. If you’re looking to improve your own athletic power - sled training should be a part of it. Don’t know where to start in looking for a sled? This blog has you covered. Welcome to the official Sled Training Buyer’s Guide.

Why is a Training Sled Important to Athletic Power Development?

Sled training allows athletes to work under resistance while still performing traditional athletic movement patterns. Unlike generic workout equipment, sled training focuses on the weight as well as the movement.

Sled training can support several different power building facets:

• Strength
• Power
• Acceleration
• Quickness
• Conditioning
• Muscular Endurance

To get the most out of your sled training, you’ll want one that can acclimate you to move in a push and pull motion, so you can fully build your directional movement. Sleds shouldn’t fully replace your traditional workout equipment, but they should definitely be included if you’re serious about developing your athletic power.

What Should You Look for When Buying a Training Sled?

The most important thing is multi-usage. In other words you should be looking for a hybrid sled. Some key things to consider are that it can be pushed, pulled, dragged, involved in competition, and supports both power and conditioning. The more training applications, the more athletic power you’ll develop. Look for that all-in-one training sled with low impact, high reward movements.

Another integral facet you should consider when buying a training sled is the ability to use progressive overload to build athletic power over time. You should find a sled that can be stripped barren to start, as well as being able to add sufficient weight to build up your strength over time.

A couple other things that matter are the durability and portability. If you’re investing a decent amount of money into a sled for your training, you obviously will want one that is going to last a long time, if not forever. You’ll also want to get a sled that can be easily transported, as many of them cannot.

Don’t just look at the sticker price. Look at how many uses you’re getting, if you can load it with weight, and if it’s durable and portable. It’s not about the total price - look at cost per training function as well.

Training Sleds vs. Other Power Development Equipment

Traditional Sleds:

• Best for pushing and pulling
• Simple and proven to be effective strength builders
• Downside is that they can be relatively single-purpose with no variety

Weight Sled:

• Good for resistance training and allow for progressive overload
• Only offers specific movement options, can be limited in this way

Resistance Bands/Plyometric Equipment:

• Deliver development in speed and explosiveness
• Usually very portable
• Not a wide variety of weight options

Weight Machines:

• Best way to build concrete isolated body strength
• Can use progressive overload
• Less movement specific, don’t develop athletic power

All-in-One Sled:

• Allows for unlimited athletic power development
• Helps to develop strength, power, speed, and conditioning

FAQs

What exercises can I do with an Athletic Training Sled?

For Strength: heavy sled pushes and pulls, backwards drags, any kind of resisted movement.
For Power: explosive sled pushes, resisted sprints, high force movements
For Acceleration: resisted forward movements, short distance pushes, progressive weight load
For Conditioning: interval sled circuits, work/rest intervals

How much resistance/weight should I use with a Training Sled?

There isn’t one universal resistance recommendation, it truly depends on your strength level and training goals. Keep it light if you’re looking to work on speed and power. Go a little higher to start building that acceleration. Heavy resistance should be used if you’re working on full-body strength training. Make sure that no matter the resistance, you’re keeping your technique correct and intentional.

Who should use Athletic Power Development Equipment

Players of all sports (especially football), people looking for general athletic development, sports performance facilities, gym/fitness centers, high school and college programs, private training facilities, and more.

How The FlipSled is an All-in-One Solution for Athletic Power Development

One sled, multiple training applications. It’s a product that was built to develop athletic power, by focusing on every aspect of training from strength to power, plus acceleration and conditioning.

The FlipSled is built around multiplanar, compound movement, helping athletes develop force, velocity, coordination, and physical toughness through natural athletic positions. From controlled sled pushes and pulls to explosive flips and high-output power movements, every rep reinforces the angles, mechanics, and intent needed to build a stronger, faster, more resilient athlete.

It’s also extremely durable, easy to use (and teach), easy to store and transport, as well as being able to train multiple athletes at once. Based on our buyer’s guide criteria, The FlipSled is the athletic power development equipment that fits what you need if you’re serious about sled training.

Learn more about FlipSled at https://www.theflipsled.com/.