Two-Person Sled Push | Friends

Quick Intro

In the Two-Person Sled Push both partners push the same sled side by side. Each takes one upright pole of the sled with both hands, or one half of a wide push bar, and the pair drive it an agreed distance together. Two people can move a load that would stop either of them, so the sled can be loaded heavier than for a solo push.

How to push a sled well, with a long body line and short driving steps, is taught at Sled Push. This guide covers sharing it: where each person stands, how to start and stop on one call and how to keep two people driving in a straight line.

What You’ll Need

A sled with two upright poles or a push bar wide enough for two pairs of hands.
Weight plates to load it.
A flat, clear lane wide enough for two people side by side, usually 15 to 25 metres long. Turf or a sled track is ideal.

How It Works

Load the sled for the pair. A good start is the weight the weaker partner would push alone for the distance, plus about half again.
Each partner stands behind their own upright, just outside it, so the two bodies have room. On a bar sled, each takes the half in front of them.
Grip with both hands, arms long or slightly bent, and lean in so the body forms a straight line from head to heels.
One partner calls “ready, go”. Both take the first step on “go”.
Drive with short, quick steps on the balls of the feet. Try to step with the same foot at the same time.
At the finish, the caller says “stop”. Both stop driving together and stand up.

For Each Partner

Push straight ahead. Each person drives through their own upright. If one partner pushes harder than the other, the sled turns toward the weaker side. If it starts to drift, the person on the outside of the turn eases off slightly and the other drives on.

Match the cadence. You do not have to be in perfect step, but a similar rhythm keeps the push smooth. Some pairs count steps under their breath for the first few metres.

Talk. “Slower”, “drifting left” and “stop” are short enough to say while pushing.

What the Partner Changes

Alone, a heavy sled is limited by one person’s leg drive. Together, the pair can move much more weight, and each person feels a heavier sled than they would push solo. That is real strength work. It also brings in steering. The sled goes straight only when both push evenly, so each person has to sense the other’s effort through the sled itself.

This is a shared push, with nobody winning. Sled races and relays, such as the Sled Push Race, set partners against each other or split the distance into legs.

How Far

Four to six pushes of 15 to 25 metres, with one or two minutes of rest between them. If the last metres turn into a crawl, the load is too heavy for the distance.

Making It Easier or Harder

Easier: less weight, a shorter lane or high handles with straight arms, which is easier on the legs.
Harder: more weight, a longer lane or low handles, which makes the body lean further and the legs drive harder.

Staying Safe

Open, flat floor wide enough for both partners side by side, with nothing in the lane.
Start and stop together on a call. Stopping alone leaves the other partner pushing the whole sled and can twist the sled into them.
Stop if either partner’s lower back aches.

Common Mistakes

Uneven pushing. The sled turns. Push straight through your own side.
Long strides. They lose contact with the ground. Keep steps short.
Standing too close. Elbows and feet clash. Stand just outside your upright.
Overloading. A sled the pair can only inch forward teaches grinding, not driving.

Fitting It Into a Session

Use it after the main lifts in a strength session, or as the finishing block of a conditioning session. It suits a team day where several pairs share a track and take turns.

Sled Push is the solo version.
Partner-Resisted Sled Push has one partner resist from the front while the other pushes.
Sled Push Race turns the sled into a contest.
Partner Tyre Flip is another shared heavy implement.

FAQ

Our sled has one narrow handle. Can we still do this?

Only if both partners can grip it without crowding. A narrow handle with four hands on it tends to twist. A sled with two uprights or a wide bar works better.

Do we need to be the same strength?

No. The weaker partner still pushes their hardest. The sled may drift toward their side, and the stronger partner then eases off a little to keep it straight.

How is the load chosen?

By what both can drive at a steady pace for the whole distance. Start lighter than you think.