We train a lot with picking heavy stuff up and putting it down. This is the core of what external resistance training relies on. What is missing here is the functional accessory work that comes from pushing or pulling a weight across a plane.

This is where a weight sled comes in. Put a stack of 45s on a weight sled and you now have yourself a good time.

Unfortunately this is a tool that a lot of gyms don’t have. In order to get a decent one, you will likely fork out $250 or more. So, we decided to create a way to cheaply build a sled you can use without breaking the bank. The following build cost $92, all materials bought new. You could probably bring that cost down to around $50 but cutting a few items out, which will be highlighted in the instructions.

Materials Needed to Build a Weight Sled

• One 4x4, 8 feet in length
• One 2x10, pictured is a 10 foot board but you really only need 4 feet total
• One 2x4, pictured is a 8 foot board but you only need about 5 feet
• Two 1 inch iron pipes, 36 inches with threading*
• One 1 inch iron pipe, 18-24 inches with threading*
• Three 1 inch iron pipe flanges*
• One ring hook to attach a pulling rope or tow strap
• Box of 2-1/2 inch deck screws
• Box of 1-1/4 inch deck screws

Note on iron pipes: You can save some money by buying an 8-10 foot iron pipe and having your store cut to length and add threading. This built used the pre-cut and threaded pipes available because the employee that was certified on the pipe cutting machine wasn’t available. Also, you can save some money on flanges by only buying one for the center pipe and drilling 1-1/4 inch holes to slide the push handles into.

Building Your Weight Sled - Wood Cutting