The STACK Exercise of the Week will help you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility. This week we highlight the Explosive Sled Row, an exercise that builds full-body strength and power.

Who’s Doing It

• Adrian Gonzalez, LA Dodgers 1B

Muscular Benefits

• Increases full-body strength with a focus on the back
• Improves core stability

Sports Performance Benefits

The Explosive Sled Row develops your entire body by using your legs, core and back to perform a heavy row. The exercise doesn’t necessarily improve a specific sports skill, but instead makes you an overall better athlete by increasing strength and power. It will prepare you to battle opponents and will add power to virtually any skill, like swinging a bat or making a tackle.

Explosive Sled Row How To

• Assume an athletic stance with your arms extended and your hands on handles
• Lower into a squat position
• Drive up to a standing position while squeezing your shoulder blades together and driving your arms back to explosively pull the sled toward you
• Step back to create tension in the strap and repeat for prescribed distance

Sets/Distance: 3-4×20 yards with full recovery between sets

Coaching Points

• Keep chest up and abs tight
• Flex back during pull