The Ethos Power Sled is a force to be reconned with.
I’m a home gym storage freak so its folding and storage ability is what drew me to it.
It’s made of 75 lbs of solid steel and works for both pulling and pushing workouts.
In The Box
The box for this was massive because it’s a big sled and weighs 75 lbs.
The weight sled comes with two nylon straps, a center post, a low push handle bar, and a harness.
Specs
- Dimensions: 41″ L x 24″ W x 21.5″ H
- Weight: 75 lbs
- Uprights: 36″ long
- Low push handlebar: Adjustable from 12″ to 19″
Ethos Power Sled
The Ethos power sled takes up very little space when folded.
It sits 5.5″ off the floor to be exact.
Which is amazing for such a bulky piece of gym equipment.
Folding Uprights
The folding uprights sit on top of the sled skis when not in use.
They are anchored down at one end of the sled by bolts.
One set of bolts acts as a pivot point.
The other set of bolts slides down a groove to stand up the uprights.
Here’s what the uprights look like when they are in the up position and ready to use.
Center Post
The center post sits right in the middle of the X frame.
You set it down and it’s held in place by the weight plates.
The center post also has a round wire pin to hold the stack of weights down if the pile gets too high.
Underside
The underside of the power sled is made of a PVC like material and it’s screwed on to the steel frame.
Here’s a closer look at the tough plastic material and how it conforms to the bottom of the sled.
Even though the Ethos Power Sled is meant for indoor use, I use mine as a grass sled.
As you can see, there’s scratches on it from rocks scraping it.
Besides the scratches, there’s no structural damage to the underside from the grass.
I wouldn’t try it on concrete cause that would probably chew right through the plastic and annoy your neighbors.
Push Sled Workouts
For push workouts on the Ethos sled you can use the folding uprights or the low push handlebar.
Uprights
The folding uprights on the Ethos sled let you play around with different heights to push from.
Low Push Handlebar
The low push handlebar fits on one end of the power sled.
You can adjust the height of the handles by pulling on the red pull pin.
The height of the handles ranges from 12″ to 19″.
With the low push handlebar being shorter than the uprights, you’re forced to get lower and use a more narrow grip.
Pull Sled Workouts
For pull workouts you use the straps and harness.
Harness
The harness comes with padded shoulder straps and can be used in front or behind your torso.
This way you can hit both the front and back of the legs.
At the bottom of the harness there is a metal loop to attach the straps from the sled.
Here’s what the harness looks like buckled at the front.
This is what the back looks like with the straps connected.
Pulling with the straps connected to the back of the harness will target your posterior chain muscles.
You can also wear it with the buckle in the back so that you’re facing the weight sled.
Straps connected to the front of the harness will target your quad muscles.
The straps are made of tough nylon material and have a carabiner at each end.
Strap Anchor Points
The power sled has 2 anchor points at each end where the straps attach.
You insert a carabiner into each hole and you’re ready to go.
Once I get to a stopping point, I just unclip the carabiners and clip them on to the other end of the sled.
A cool feature I’ve used on other sleds (Mr Infinity multi purpose sled and the Freak Athlete Wheelbarrow Sled) is a wrap around rail.
Wrap around rails eliminate the unclipping of the straps so it makes it effortless to switch from one side of the sled to the other.
Pulling with your back to the sled works your posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, calves)
Pulling while facing the weight sled works your quad muscles.
Reverse sled pulls are prescribed frequently with the Knees Over Toes Guy program to built quad strength and decrease knee pain.
Frame Construction
The frame is constructed in an X pattern.
This makes easy to lift the bottom weight plate off the sled.
Weight Plate Compatibility
The Ethos Power Sled is compatible with Olympic sized plates (2″) only.
Doesn’t matter whether you use iron plates or bumper plates, the pizza weight plate above is made of iron.
Storing the Ethos Power Sled
I like to use my walls for gym equipment storage as much as possible.
To hang a 75 lbs beast like the Ethos sled I need something sturdy that will keep it from falling off my wall.
So I found these tire hangers that have a weight capacity of 120 lbs each.
You can see them holding up the sled at the top corner above the X frame.
And of course, hanging it is not necessary, just something I prefer to save floor space.
Power Sled Pros and Cons
Pros
- Storage: Folding uprights allow for easy storage
- Push and pull: Comes with the accessories for push and pull workouts
- Frame: X pattern frame makes it easy to take weight plates off
- Multiple bars: You can use the uprights or low pushing handle during your workouts
Cons
- Indoor use: The Ethos sled is recommended for indoor use only but I’ve used it on grass without a problem.
- Olympic plates only: Standard 1″ weight plates will not fit the center post.
Ethos Speed Sled
Ethos also sells the Speed Sled.
The speed sled is just for pulling workouts so it does not have any uprights or push bars.
It includes a harness and straps.
Weighing in at 32.5 lbs, it is much smaller in size than the Power Sled.
The center post folds for easy storage and is compatible with Olympic sized weight plates.
Ethos Power Sled Review
I really like getting beat up by the Ethos Power Sled.
And I take it out on the grass even though it’s meant to be an indoor sled.
You can do both push and pull workouts with the included accessories (harness and low push handlebar).
And it folds up to 5.5″ for easy storage.
Weighing in at 75 lbs of solid steel, this tank is gonna last for many years to come.
Check Out The Ethos Power Sled
Ethos Power Sled
Garage gym athlete, gym hacks, DIY gym projects, and garage gym equipment reviews
How can I use a push/pull sled in my garage gym. One side is rubber floor and one side concrete, but the length is too short, and I don’t want to damage the driveway (paver stones) or go in the street. Backyard? Roll out turf from garage to driveway?
That’s hard to answer cause you need some space to use a sled. Unless you can find a way to add some pvc or other form of plastic on the bottom so you can slide easily on concrete without causing damage.
Very nice. I just bought one and going to put some wood or pvc pipe from department store to run across the asphalt. This really seems like the most bang for buck since push and pull with accessories. Thanks for taking the time to create this review.
Yeah it brings everything and the fold away feature is a huge space saver.
Excellent tutorial! What is the weight capacity limit of the sled?
I’m not sure but it’s solid steel. I’d imagine you can fill the weight horn to the top and it can withstand the weight. By itself it weighs 75 lbs.