As a soccer player and now coach, there’s a turn of phrase that separates the serious from the recreational: Train The Way You Play. It’s a simple principle that’s often forgotten, especially when you let shortcuts through the door.  

When it comes to Hyrox, a sport that’s currently redefining functional fitness around the world, there’s no room for compromise. Especially not on one of its most defining and brutal challenges: The Sled Push. Don't worry, we'll touch on it's second cousin, the sled pulls later too!

Don’t Let The Wheels Fall Off Of Your Prep

Sleds don’t roll, they grind. They're pushed across turf, creating genuine resistance that taxes your legs, lungs and willpower to live, all at the same time. It’s where races are won or lost and it's the moment your training shows its true colours.

So ask yourself: Are you truly training for the challenge ahead, or just going through the motions?

Growing up, I was in awe of my Uncle David Mitchell, a professional footballer who played for clubs like Chelsea, Millwall, Swindon Town, Glasgow Rangers, Feyenoord, Eintracht Frankfurt, and represented Australia with the Socceroos. During a chat about my training I once told him, “Well, practice makes perfect,”. He smiled and replied, “Ah, close, perfect practice makes perfect".

That stuck with me, because in a one sentence reply it highlighted a lesson in doing things properly, with purpose and precision. When it comes to performance, whether on the pitch or on the Hyrox floor, shortcuts don’t build champions.

Real Resistance Builds Real Athletes

Don’t get me wrong, sleds with wheels are a great innovation for gyms that can’t afford the space for a long sled track, but can afford the price tag. When it comes to training they don’t replicate the unique friction and full body demand of pushing or pulling weight across turf, potentially giving you a false sense of preparedness.

Anyone can push a sled 50 metres fresh. What about after 2km’s on the pavement and 1km on the ski erg? That’s when it stops being fitness and starts being a fight.

Why Turf + Friction Matters

What makes sled work in Hyrox so punishing is the combination of heavy load and friction. The turf resists every inch of movement. You feel it in your quads, glutes, core, shoulders and even your grip.

Replicating that resistance in training isn’t just ideal, it’s essential.

• Neuromuscular Adaptation: Your muscles need to learn how to move under real friction, not roll across surfaces.
  
• Cardiovascular Readiness: Your heart and lungs respond differently to maximal effort under friction.
• Mental Grit: Pushing against resistance that doesn’t give in teaches the psychological resilience needed to perform on race day.

If the sled push is the brute force challenge of Hyrox, the sled pull is its gritty, grip testing cousin. As with many things in fitness, It’s not just about brute strength, it’s about technique, timing, and total-body coordination under fatigue.

Dragging a weighted sled backwards across turf demands far more than upper body strength. Your hamstrings, core, upper back and forearms are all hit hard. And just like the push, it’s done on turf, not rubber, grass or a smooth surface designed for comfort.

Just like the sled push, training for the sled pull on the wrong surface or with the wrong resistance can give you a false sense of readiness.

Sled pulls require:

• Friction-based resistance to simulate race conditions.
• Functional grip strength under duress.
• Stamina and precision, especially when your heart rate is already redlining.

Hyrox isn’t a fitness trend, it’s a proving ground. The Hyrox athletes who rise to the top aren’t the ones chasing convenience; they’re the ones who prepare with purpose.

At Xpeed, we create quality and trusted products for your everyday performance. Its gear that helps you replicate the realities of competition. Train the way you play, so you don’t get surprised by gaps on race day.