Watch Lizzo Do a Sled Workout Ahead of Her VMAs Performance

Plus, personal trainers explain why sled pushes and pulls belong in your gym routine.

Ahead of the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), Lizzo, the acclaimed "About Damn Time" artist, demonstrated her impressive physical prowess. The star, who not only performed at Sunday's ceremony but also won the Video for Good award, posted a TikTok video of her workout routine just days before the high-profile event. Set against the backdrop of her track "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)", the video shows Lizzo rapidly striding while pushing and pulling a sled. She accomplishes this feat in an all-white ensemble from Yitty, her own brand, consisting of a mesh top and cropped leggings. Despite making the exercise seem effortless, her caption reveals a contrasting reality - "Hope ur day is better than mine," it reads, "I feel like shit." It's a sentiment many can relate to during strenuous workouts.

If you've observed Lizzo hitting the gym with a sled workout before her electrifying VMAs performance of "About Damn Time" and "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)," you might be intrigued by the benefits. According to Sloane Davis, a certified personal trainer and founder of Pancakes and Pushups, using a sled in your workout can engage your entire body, enhancing strength, power, and conditioning. Specifically, it targets your quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, calves, chest, triceps, shoulders, and hip flexors. Moreover, sled exercises can bolster unilateral lower body strength as each leg independently pushes or pulls the sled, Davis elaborates. Tempo Fitness coach and NASM personal trainer Clarence Hairston agrees, emphasizing that the exercise primarily focuses on the legs, glutes, core, and upper body. Sled workouts can act as a powerful finisher at the end of your routine, says Alex Higa, another Tempo Fitness coach and certified personal trainer. This approach is particularly popular among athletes looking to enhance speed, power, and endurance. In addition to these benefits, sled workouts also offer a cardio boost. They elevate your heart rate, enabling you to burn calories while building muscle mass, explains Davis. Plus, they are a viable option for individuals with lower back pain due to the lack of spinal compression involved. Consequently, you can add plenty of weight without strain, ensuring an effective workout. Lastly, sled exercises cater to all fitness levels. Whether you're a novice or a veteran, you can adjust the weight according to your capacity, advises Davis. However, it's critical to consult your doctor or personal trainer before incorporating new elements into your fitness regimen. Judging from Lizzo's dynamic VMAs performances, adding sled pushes and pulls to your workout routine could be a brilliant move. (Next up: Lizzo Did the Viral TikTok Treadmill Workout Set to Her Own Music)