The Prowler Sled Is a Brutal Yet Effective Piece of Kit
Recover Faster and Train Harder
You know what? It’s about time I finally did an article on the Prowler sled because this piece of gym equipment right here is seriously underrated.
So here’s what I’m going to do for you:
First I’ll explain what the Prowler sled actually is, then I’ll give you 5 really good reasons as too why you should be using it…
I’m pretty sure that if you read the article in full, next time you hit the gym, you’ll probably want to use the Prowler.
Understanding the Prowler Sled
The easiest way to describe the Prowler sled is that it’s basically a piece of gym equipment designed for you to push, pull, and drag.
It’s also built to work on different surfaces—think astroturf, grass, or gym flooring—so it’s super versatile in that sense.
If you look at a picture of a Prowler sled, (see above) you’ll notice the handles. Those handles are there so you can get a solid grip and push it.
There are also attachment points where you can hook up a rope, strap, or harness, allowing you to pull or drag it.
Another big benefit worth mentioning is that it lets you train the body in different planes of motion.
You don’t have to just push or pull forward and backward—you can drag it sideways to target different muscle groups.
Like I said at the start, this piece of equipment is super underrated.
So let’s dive into the benefits in a lot more detail.
#1 The Prowler Sled Can Be Used by Both Beginners and Advanced Trainees Alike
This is probably the No. 1 benefit of the Prowler sled—right here and that is its flexibility and versatility.
Anybody can use it, from complete newbies to advanced lifters.
One of the reasons it’s so suitable for complete beginners is the learning curve: it’s extremely small. The main reason for that is it relies on instinctive movement patterns.
What that means is that, generally speaking, people tend to pick it up very quickly—which, from a confidence perspective, is obviously a great thing.
And advanced lifters also get huge benefits from training with a Prowler sled.
Which I’ll go into in more detail now.
#2 The Prowler Sled Builds Strength, Power, and Speed
The Prowler Sled is really a jack-of-all-trades—you could even call it an all-in-one piece of equipment.
It can be used to build strength, power, and speed simply by adjusting the weight and the movement tempo.
For example:
If you want to build strength, load it heavy—add plenty of weight but move it more slowly.
If you’re looking to develop explosive power, push and pull the sled explosively. This trains your ability to generate force quickly, which as you can imagine, transfers to sports such as rugby, boxing, American football, or any activity that demands quick, powerful movements.
If you want to develop speed, use lighter weights but move the sled as fast as possible.
Do you see how versatile this piece of equipment is?
It can basically be adapted to suit almost any training goal.
#3 The Prowler Sled Has Virtually No Eccentric Loading
For those who don’t know, when you use the Prowler sled, there’s hardly any eccentric loading—it’s predominantly concentric.
In layman’s terms, this basically means it’s a lot easier on your body compared to most other forms of strength training.
So if you’re someone who wants to train in the gym quite often, the Prowler sled is probably your No. 1 choice.
I’ve heard of people using it six days a week. While I personally wouldn’t go too that extreme, the point I want to make is this:
If you want to avoid the pitfalls of overtraining while still training frequently, it’s actually pretty hard to beat the Prowler sled.
#4 The Prowler Sled Can Be Used for Rehabilitation Purposes
Not only can the Prowler sled make you more athletic—stronger, faster, and more powerful but it can also be used for rehab purposes.
The reason is its low-impact nature. As I mentioned previously, it’s predominantly concentric, so it doesn’t beat up your body nearly as much as traditional exercises.
Another key benefit is that the Prowler sled excels at strengthening the tendons and ligaments in your lower body.
For those who don’t know, your ankles and feet form the foundation of the human body. Pushing and pulling a Prowler sled strengthens both your ankles and feet effectively.
It’s also worth mentioning that pulling the Prowler sled backward can be really helpful for those dealing with knee pain.
It drives blood flow to the area, promoting recovery whilst at the same time strengthening the surrounding muscles and joints without excessive stress.
#5 The Prowler Sled Is Great for Cardio Purposes
Let’s just have it real:
You don’t want to be the guy who looks good but struggles to walk or even run—up a flight of stairs.
You also want to be fit. You want to be healthy. You want a strong heart and good lungs.
And this is where the Prowler shines, because it can train both your aerobic and anaerobic systems.
So let’s break it down in more detail.
If you want to use the Prowler sled to work your aerobic system, load it with light to moderate weight, push it for longer distances, and keep your rest periods short (think under a minute).
To target your anaerobic system, load it heavy, push for shorter distances, and take longer rest periods (think 2–3 minutes).
The Prowler sled is incredibly versatile in that sense—it lets you train both energy systems effectively.
And if you’re someone looking to seriously improve your cardiovascular fitness, I highly recommend checking out this article right here.
In it, I explain exactly which exercises you should be doing and the tools you need to use.