Exercise guide
Power Sled Pull
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Lower legs
- Shoulders
- Upper legs
The Power Sled Pull is a high-intensity, full-body compound movement that develops explosive pulling strength, grip endurance, and posterior chain power. It utilizes a hand-over-hand rope technique to engage the lats, traps, and core while the lower body provides a stable, powerful anchor.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Attach a heavy-duty rope to the sled and load the desired weight plates.
- Extend the rope fully and stand at the end, facing the sled with feet wider than shoulder-width.
- Hinge at the hips and slightly bend the knees to lower your center of gravity into an athletic stance.
- Grip the rope firmly with both hands, one positioned slightly in front of the other.
How to do it
- Exhale forcefully and pull the rope toward your hip using an alternating hand-over-hand motion.
- Reach as far forward as possible with each stroke to maximize the pull distance and lat engagement.
- Maintain a fast, rhythmic tempo to keep the sled's momentum moving, inhaling steadily throughout the set.
- Continue the alternating pull until the sled reaches your feet, then reset the rope for the next round.
Form checklist
- Keep your back flat and core braced to prevent spinal rounding during heavy pulls.
- Drive your heels into the ground to create a stable base and prevent being pulled forward.
- Ensure your elbows drive back past your torso to fully engage the lats and traps.
- Keep your head in a neutral position, looking toward the sled rather than at your feet.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'rowing' the rope to your hip rather than just using your biceps; this shifts the load to the larger muscles of the back.
- Squeeze your glutes and obliques with every pull to transfer power from the ground through your torso to the rope.
Make it harder
- Perform the pull from a seated position on the floor to remove leg assistance and isolate the upper body and core.
- Increase the thickness of the rope to significantly challenge grip strength and forearm endurance.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the power sled pull work?
- The power sled pull primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the obliques and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the power sled pull?
- The power sled pull uses rope.
- Is the power sled pull good for beginners?
- The power sled pull is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
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- Butt Kick With RowIntermediate · glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Kettlebell Sumo High PullIntermediate · adductors, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius