Anyone who has trained with a prowler would have no doubt of the benefit of this mode of training, on empirical observation alone. Examining the literature however reveals more to the observer than the contents of the victim’s stomach.
Prowler pushes are highly concentric (similar in recuitment type to front squat recoveries etc.), meaning the muscles generate force primarily through shortening. Conversely, eccentric exercise can lead to micro-tears, which have been hypothesised to lead to gross muscle damage. During such a contraction, some sarcomeres are stretched beyond myofilament overlap, leading eventually to muscle fibre dennervation.
In many cases, eccentric training is not only useful, but vital (read Improving Strength Through Eccentric Training). However, because of the muscle activity, prowler pushing and related sled work has been found to have a rapid recovery of peak power output. Research indicating return to baseline levels of power production by three hours post training. Constrast this to the extended periods of fatigue and impairment experienced following eccentric/concentric barbell based training, and it becomes apparent that resisted locomotion work is an efficient way of eliciting a training stimulus without impacting subsequent training. Interestingly, neuromuscular function returns to a baseline level three hours after training, supporting the similar recovery rate of power production.
Regardless of this relatively rapid recovery, research indicates testosterone levels remain elevated for at least 24 hours following a session on the prowler. Effectively, the negative effects of some strength training methods have been minimised, while favourable hormonal changes are maximised, allowing maximal physical gains.
Prowler work facilitates higher volume and increased frequency training, without the need for as much recovery as comparable training methods (learn more about responsibly maximising volume and frequency of training by reading A Programming Template to Increase Training Volume While Minimising Overtraining).
Tips for training with the prowler:
- Keep sessions to under 15 minutes. This was the time when blood cortisol levels were found to increase most rapidly.
- If you’re looking to emulate squat biomechanics (more anterior chain dominant), push with high handles. To replicate deadlift biomechanics (more posterior chain dominant), push with low handles. To be well rounded, use both.
Tips for maximising prowler performance (in competition etc.):
Once you start, don’t stop! To get the prowler moving, you have to overcome the coefficient of friction. This value represents the force between two surfaces and the forces pushing these surfaces together. Newton’s first law tells us that the greatest application of force will be required to initiate movement. Once movement has been achieved, the force required to sustain that movement will be reduced (less static inertia).
The advice to ‘not stop’ becomes more important with different materials, as these materials have higher coefficients of friction. Stopping forward momentum when pushing a prowler on concrete is much more forgiving than stopping forward momentum when pushing a prowler on rubber flooring.
A 20 second push with a 10 second rest will leave you less fatigued than two 10 second pushes with five second breaks.
References:
- The metabolic, hormonal, biochemical and neuromuscular function responses to a backward sled drag training session.
- Lower limb moments differ when towing a weighted sled with different attachment points.
- Implement Training for Concentric-Based Muscle Actions.
- Metabolic Demands of “Junkyard” Training: Pushing and Pulling A Motor Vehicle.
- Photos courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
