The backward sled drag — the "reverse sled" — is walking backward while dragging a loaded sled. It trains the quads and promotes knee blood flow with near-zero impact and soreness, which is why it shows up in essentially every ATG (knees over toes) session. Here's how to do it, the muscles it works, the mistakes to avoid, and how to program it.
The backward sled drag is a concentric-only conditioning movement that primarily works the quads, with the calves and the muscles around the knees assisting. You face the sled holding straps, walk backward with slightly bent knees while driving the knees forward over the toes, and cover distance for time or steps. Because there's no braking or landing, it builds quad work and knee-friendly blood flow with almost no soreness — a staple recovery and conditioning tool. It's used in essentially every session of the ATG / knees over toes method popularized by Ben Patrick.
The backward sled drag is a conditioning movement built around the quads. Driving the knees forward over the toes loads the front of the thigh, while the calves and lower-leg muscles help move you and the sled.
| Role | Muscles | What they do in the movement |
|---|---|---|
| Primary mover | Quadriceps | Extend the knees as you drive them forward over the toes |
| Assisting | Calves, tibialis anterior | Push off and control the lower leg with each step |
| Stabilizers | Core, upper back | Keep you upright and holding tension on the straps |
Step-by-step form for the reverse sled. No sled? A backward uphill walk trains a similar pattern.
If you want to train the same pattern with different equipment or emphasis, these are the common swaps:
Pair it with related ATG lower-body work like the tibialis raise and the ATG squat.
The backward sled drag works as a warm-up, a finisher, or standalone knee-friendly conditioning. General starting points:
| Goal | Sets × distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 2–3 × short trips | Lighter load to prime the knees and quads before training |
| Conditioning | 4–8 × trips | Moderate load, steady pace, keep the knees driving forward |
| Frequency | 2–5× / week | Low soreness means it can be done often; build volume gradually |
The ATG approach leans on the reverse sled as near-daily knee-friendly volume — treat any distance or load targets as ATG's own benchmark, a coach goal rather than a universal rule. For the bigger picture, read the knees over toes pillar.
Log every trip — load, distance, or time — in LiftHero, and it charts your progressive overload and flags personal records so you can see your conditioning building over the weeks. You can add warm-up sets, supersets and rest-timer holds, then drop the sled drag into a saved routine so it's ready the next time you train. LiftHero records what you log; it doesn't diagnose your form.
It primarily works the quads, with the calves and the muscles around the knees assisting. Because you drive the knees forward over the toes, it emphasizes the front of the thigh in a low-impact way.
It's concentric-only — there's no hard braking or landing — so it trains the quads and promotes blood flow around the knee with near-zero impact and very little soreness. That's why it appears in essentially every ATG (knees over toes) session as the "reverse sled".
A sled with straps or a harness is ideal, but you can get a similar effect by pushing a sled backward, dragging a plate on a towel on turf, or even doing steady backward walking uphill when no sled is available.
Many people work in sets of distance, steps, or time rather than reps. Because soreness is low, it can handle a fair amount of volume — build up gradually and keep the knees tracking forward over the toes.
Because it's concentric-only and low-soreness, many lifters use it on recovery days or as knee-friendly conditioning volume between harder sessions. Keep the load manageable so it stays restorative rather than fatiguing.
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This guide is educational and not medical advice. Consult a qualified coach or medical professional before starting or changing a training program, especially if you're new to lifting or returning from injury. LiftHero is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ben Patrick, ATG, or Athletic Truth Group; names are used descriptively for identification only.
By Meitar Lazimi, founder of LiftHero · Last updated July 9, 2026.