obstacle specific training

RACE DAY DOMINATION:
OBSTACLE SPECIFIC
TRAINING
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The Race Course; Obstacle Specific Preparation
Baseline fitness will carry you to an obstacle, but it’s the race-specific skills that will take you over, around, or
through them. Training specific movement patterns and athletic skills that are tested as part of an obstacle
race will transfer to successful execution of challenges encountered on the course.
Here is a look at some of the obstacles you can expect to see on race day and the types of exercises you can
do to prepare:
Obstacles
Barrier Wall Quarter Pipe Cargo Net
Rope Climb Monkey Bars
What to Expect:
Standing in your way will be a vertical or curved wall, a rope you must ascend, or rope wall to traverse. There might
be a rope or wooden slats that could be used to help you up and over the wall or you might have to get a boost from
a fellow competitor to get started.
How to Dominate:
Upper body strength and a strong grip are required to get you through. Incorporate these exercises into your workouts to develop the necessary skills. Exercises are listed in order of progressive difficultly.
• Inverted Row
• Kettlebell Swing
• Chin-up
• Flexband or assisted pull-up
• Pull-up
• Towel pull-ups: loop a towel over a pull-up bar and perform pull-ups gripping the towel.
The same method can be used with a rope.
• Rope Climb
Obstacles
Fire Walk
Tire Run
What to Expect:
Jumping through flames or running through tires. You will need to have quick feet and high knees to keep
from falling flat on your face.
How to Dominate:
To train dynamic and athletic movements, go for plyometric exercises that require jumping and landing.
• Jumping, hopping, or bounding for distance and height
• Box jumps and step-ups
• Jump squats and jump lunges
• Jump rope
• Agility latter drills; high knees, single leg hops
• Set up your own tire course to practice
Obstacles
Balance Beam
Tilting or Rotating Platform
What to Expect:
Cross a balance beam over a mud pit or stay on your feet while a platform tilts like a seesaw. You can
attempt to sprint across the beam or turn sideways and shuffle. The platform offers a different challenge,
but requires the same skills; a strong core and single-leg or unilateral strength will be most helpful.
How to Dominate:
Train for balance by strengthening the glutes, hips, core, and low back. Include single leg and lateral movements.
• Lateral step-ups and box jumps
• Single leg squats and split squats
• Lunges and lateral lunges
• Kettlebell Swings
Obstacles
Sandbag
Weight Carry
What to Expect:
At some point during the race you may be required to transport a heavy or awkward load. This could be a sandbag, hay bale,
log, rock; who really knows. What I do know is that you will have to practice performing this task so it won’t slow you down.
How to Dominate:
Build functional strength that is nearly impossible to train through traditional weight training techniques. Go outside, get dirty
and take your training to the next level.
• Tire flip: Take a large heavy equipment tire and flip it end over end
• Sled pulling or pushing: Move a heavy object by pulling/pushing/dragging for a specific distance or time
• Sandbag, keg, or stone loading and carrying: Pick up a heavy object and put it on a raised platform, lift it overhead,
or carry for a designated time/distance
• Farmers walk: Gripping a dumbbell, kettlebell, or plate in each hand, retract your shoulders back and down, then
walk in a straight line or zigzag pattern for 25-50 yards. You will feel the burn in your hands, but you will also be
training anaerobic capacity, upper back, traps and oblique strength.
Obstacles
Over/Under Logs
Low Crawl/Barbed Wire
What to Expect:
Hit the deck and army crawl through the mud or snake your body over and under logs, pipes or rope.
How to Dominate:
Core and shoulder strength will help maneuver the barbed wire or logs that you find in your path. The ability to crawl, roll,
and get from flat on your stomach to your feet are also going to be required.
• Plank
• Push-up
• Mountain climber
• Bear crawl
• Burpee
• Dive-bomb push-up
• Dumbbell crawl