al roker sled workout
Al Roker is no stranger to early morning workouts. He often shares the strength-training routines he completes in the early hours before he heads to work as co-anchor and weatherman at TODAY.
But this morning, the Chief Motivation Officer of Start TODAY took things up a notch by tackling a seriously impressive exercise: weighted sled pushes.
“Whew! Tough #sledding this morning with my trainer, @rjose07 but got the workout box checked off! @starttoday_ and remember: #somethingisbetterthannothing” Al captioned the video.
“The sled is a weighted training tool that you either push or pull across turf. Plates are loaded onto it to create resistance and athletes drive it forward using their legs, shoulders and core,” explains James McMillian, Start TODAY trainer and President of Tone House, who often incorporates sled work into workouts for clients. “It’s a very effective piece of equipment. The great thing is there is no momentum or cheating involved — the harder you push, the more work your body has to do.”
By utilizing the tool, Al is packing a more efficient workout into less time, as it serves as both a cardio and strength exercise.
“Sled training builds lower-body strength, power and conditioning all at once. It directly targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and core, but the entire body is involved because you’re stabilizing and driving forward,” says McMillian. “It’s also a great tool for cardio as it can spike your heart rate fast.”
And by mixing it up with both a push and pull method, Al is targeting both the front and back of the body. “When you push the sled, you’re leaning forward and driving through the ground, which intentionally targets the quads, glutes and core,” says McMillian. “When you pull the sled, especially with a TRX or straps, it shifts slightly and can light up the hamstrings, glutes and upper back, depending on the setup. Backward sled drags are great for strengthening the knees and building quad endurance without the joint stress of traditional lifts.”
Al prefers low-impact exercise and has been vocal about his goal to strengthen his knees. He even has an Indoor Walk and Knee-Strengthening Workout in the Start TODAY app.
While the sled may look intimidating, McMillian assures that it’s a tool that can be beneficial for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. “One of the reasons sleds are so valuable is that they are fully scalable. You can add heavy weight for elite athletes or keep it light and focus on controlled movement for beginners,” he says. “It’s also low impact on the joints because there’s no eccentric loading like in squats or jumps. That makes it great for older life athletes, rehab work or anyone who wants strength and condition without beating up their body too much. You get what you give with the sled!”
After some intense sled action, Al’s workout was just getting started. In the video, he moves on to a kettlebell farmer’s carry, a move that requires both core and grip strength, and one that provides a similar full-body workout to the sled, says McMillian.
He finishing the morning workout with a circuit focused on improving balance and core strength, including assisted steps ups, low-impact skaters with a foot hover, calf raises, wall leans with a toe raise, and a bent-leg boat pose.
Al’s motto may be “something is better than nothing,” but today he left everything on the mat!
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
