I can’t believe I have never used a “Fitt Friday” to talk about how much I absolutely love using the sled in my weekly workouts! The Weighted Sled has been a popular training tool with competitive athletes for years. Now fitness enthusiasts are jumping on the band wagon because it is the perfect piece of fitness equipment to boost your speed and strength all at the same time. It is such a versatile workout that benefits both beginners and veterans alike, and its users can see fantastic fat loss in a short amount of time.
High intensity workouts are the best way to decrease body fat, especially visceral belly fat, and the weighted sled could be your secret weapon. “A 2011 study showed that participants who performed a 6-week sprinting program with the sled lost an impressive 12.4 percent body fat and an average of 1-2 pounds of fat mass. In contrast, a training group that used steady state running as their cardio lost only about a ¼ pound of fat.”
The weighted sled is so great because it targets fat loss by combining cardio and strength training for a huge metabolic burst. It can elevate your metabolism post-workout for up to 24 hours after training. The key to losing fat while sled training is to keep the intensity and work volume high. As conditioning improves, one must continue to challenge the their body by adding more volume and intensity.
Not only can sled training be used as a huge fat burner, but is can be used for rehab, recovery, conditioning, speed development and strength training as well. This is one piece of equipment every fitness enthusiast should use! If you are lucky enough to train in a facility that has one of these deceptively simple tools, take advantage of it! Working with sleds is one of the most effective ways to round out your training. Click HERE for some great weighted sled workouts.
Live Fitt!…Be Fitt!