Sled Push · Elbow Extension at Brace

Why this matters

The arms on a sled push are struts, not engines. Their only job is to transmit the force the legs generate into the sled poles without losing any of it. A straight arm is a rigid rod — it passes 100% of the drive through. A bent arm is a spring — it absorbs force into the elbow flexors and bleeds the leg drive before it ever reaches the sled.

This is why the elbow should be locked at the brace and stay locked through the push.

What good looks like

• Arms essentially straight, elbows locked.
• Force path runs in one unbroken line: ground → leg → hip → trunk → straight arm → sled.
• No visible elbow flexion as the push begins.

Common faults

Bent Arms (< 160°)

The arms act as shock absorbers. The leg drive gets soaked up in the elbow flexors instead of moving the sled, and the biceps fatigue quickly under a load they were never meant to carry.

Causes: grip set too high so the athlete has to bend to reach it, or an instinct to "pull" the sled rather than drive through it.

Effect: wasted leg drive, premature arm fatigue.

Soft Lockout (160–170°)

Almost rigid. Small leak through the elbow — a minor refinement rather than a real fault.

Coaching cues

• "Lock the elbows" — the direct geometric cue.
• "Arms are steel rods" — names the strut mental model.
• "Set the grip so straight arms reach it" — fixes the root cause when the grip is too high.

How to draw

1. Same braced frame as the Trunk Angle.
2. First line: acromion → lateral epicondyle (upper arm).
3. Second line: lateral epicondyle → ulnar styloid (forearm).
4. Interior angle at the elbow is the reading.

Related measurements

• Trunk Angle at Brace — same frame; the force vector the straight arm transmits.