Guys,
any of you used this prowler?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ieOBgyq88E
Looks like a great exercise, any of you had success with it?
You use it to strengthen your muscles. But do you sprint with the arms in that positon?
->A sled is used to strengthen your muscles. But you almost sprint with this posture.
So why we need a prowler?
Gee, that looks just dandy for sprinting. nothing like crawling around like a sled dog for speed work. Who needs Achilles tendons anyway?
A great exercise if you compete in the prowler olympics.
This exercise would infinitely damage the Achilles tendon and Soleus. “Looks like a great exercise” have you lost the plot? No wonder why your hips are tight.
Great for a sprinter’s hip power too (NOTE SARCASM)
I’m pretty sure it isn’t designed for sprinting. It or a very similar product is used here by rugby players as part of their training. Why a sprinter would use it is beyond me.
it is not for speed development but more for conditioning and a form of strength development.
yeah, thats right. Im gonna use it for strength work. Joe Defranco seems to think its doing wonders for his athletes
People will fall for any gimmick out there as long as a so-called expert promotes it.
Why not get a job pushing wheelbarrows or become one of those human engine taxi’s in whatever country has them. Then at least you’ll get payed for screwing your body mechanics up, rather then forking out thousands on crap. If you want to use a sled…then pull it-whilst you are sprinting!
Why do you need to do anything that can damage you just to get fit? With a load like that, it’s neither fish nor fowl. Stair runs with a vest can build you up while sparing your achilles. Sled runs with 10% time decreement can help with mechanics.
Gentlemen, having used one, albeit a homemade version, and I can speak from experience in stating that the achilles does not endure beating what so ever.
This is not to state that when used inefficiently a disaster couldn’t happen; but we all know this rule applies to almost any exercise.
When used properly, meaning when the hips are at the optimal height relative to the hand position on the poles it is actually a very good apparatus to generally condition down linemen for drive blocking or anyone else just looking for an alternative means of exercise.
Unlike a tackling sled, that allows the athlete to move it even with the hips out of position, the prowler requires that the athletes hips remain low in order to move the load; similarly to how one might instruct someone to ‘properly’ push a car.
I have ran, albeit no faster than if somewhere were jogging beside me, and walked with the device and at no time did I fee the least bit of stress in the achilles.
Regarding the video that was posted: this athlete is simply demonstrating mechanical breakdown due to what appears to be fatigue.
Likewise we could all easily go down the entertaining road of viewing C&J and snatch distaster videos that are certainly not reflective of the positive attributes of the exercises when performed efficiently.
Very well said, thanks Coach Smith.
The Achilles tendon has the tensile strength of steel. It can take enormous forces before rupturing. Usually in cases of AT ruptured pre-existing problems were apparent. I would say that your injury free experience with this exercise may be due to luck. However with repeated loading and continual training it can be assured that micro trauma will occur in the tendon. Then one day, out of the blue, the AT may snap. This is so often the case with athletes. They do certain high risk exercises & experience no immediate effects until something serious happens later.
you also can blow a hammy doing 60 and 80’s, and host of other problems when doing power cleans and other ol’s injuries can happen with any training activity.
I don’t like the idea of using it for speed development, but how is it anymore dangerous than speed work (top speed and hills) or plyos for the achilles?
thats the point i was trying to make above, i wouldnt use it with a sprinter for speed dev but for team sports and maybe throwers for conditioning i think it would work - something like 10x20-30.
i think it is dangerous as shown. At least on grass the traction would go away if the resistance got high enough
Joe defranco uses it as a ‘finisher’ exercise. I was thinking of using it with a light resistance to finish off my leg workout