Get Obstacle Race Ready With These Exercises

Obstacle Race Preparation

If you want to do a fitness activity that challenges your physical limits, tests your spirit and places you in situations to make quick decisions, look no further than an Obstacle Race.

This is an outdoor race where contestants not only have to overcome the different obstacles but they also have to contend with the challenges of the terrain.

Obstacle Race puts your body in unfamiliar conditions.

It features events that require you to climb cargo nets, crawl through pipes or scale up walls.

The ground could be slippery or you could find yourself wading through water.

You cannot train specifically for the events of an Obstacle Run because most gyms do not have these obstacles in their facility.

Another thing to remember is that an Obstacle Run is never event-specific.

The obstacles can change and you may not have the time to train for it.

Thus, in order to prepare for an obstacle race, we have to focus on the qualities needed for these events.

These are as follows:

  • Pulling Strength
  • Grip Strength
  • Core Stability
  • Mobility
  • Endurance

Here is a sample program you can use 6 weeks out from an Obstacle Race:

Weeks 1 to 3:

Monday:
1. Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
2. Deadlift – 3 sets  x 5 reps
3. Power Cleans – 3 sets  x 5 reps
4. Plank x 2 minutes

Tuesday:
1. Spider Crawl – 5 sets x 1 minute
2. Push Ups – 2 sets x 10 reps
3. Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
4. Sled Push – 5 sets x 25 meters

Wednesday: Easy 60 Minute Run

Thursday:
1. Wide Grip Pull Ups – 5 sets x 10 reps
2. Dead Hang x Maximum Time
3. Power Cleans – 4 sets x 8 reps
4. Bulgarian Split Squat – 2 sets x 20 reps

Friday: Easy 45 Minute Run

Saturday:
1. Side Crawl – 5 sets x 1 minute
2. Bodyweight Dips – 3 sets x 10 reps
3. Kettlebell Get Ups –  3 sets x 1 minute
4. Wind Sprints – 5 sets x 50 meters

Sunday: Easy 30 Minute Run

Weeks 4 to 5

Monday:
1. Front Squat – 4 sets x 6 reps
2. Power Clean – 4 sets x 6 reps
3. Kettlebell Swings – 3 sets x 20 reps
4. Plank – 2 sets x 2 minutes

Tuesday:
1. Spider Crawl x 5 minutes
2. Medicine Ball Push Ups – 2 sets x 10 reps
3. Bench Press – 4 sets x 6 reps
4. Sled Push – 5 sets x 30 meters

Wednesday: 60 minutes run; 30 easy, 15 hard, 15 easy

Thursday:
1. Rope Pull Ups – 5 sets x 10 reps
2. Dead Hang x Maximum Time
3. Power Cleans – 4 sets x 8 reps
4. Bulgarian Split Squats – 2 sets x 20 reps

Friday: Easy 60 Minutes Run

Saturday:
1.Side Crawl x 5 minutes
2.Bodyweight Dips – 4 sets x 8 reps
3.Kettlebell Bent Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
4.Wind Sprints – 2 sets x 200 meters, 2 sets x 100 meters, 2 sets x 50 meters

Sunday: 120 minutes run; 60 minutes easy, 30 minutes moderate, 30 minutes easy

Week 6:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday:
1.Power Cleans – 2 sets x 15 reps
2.Plank x 2 minutes
3.Run – 15 minutes easy

Wednesday:
1.Wide Grip Pull Ups – 2 sets x 10 reps
2.Push Ups – 2 sets x 10 reps

Thursday: Easy 20 Minutes Run

Friday and Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Obstacle Race

Make sure that you are getting the right nutrition for your workouts. Get in enough complex carbohydrates such as wild organic rice or oats before training for long lasting energy.

After workouts, have simple carbohydrates from fruit sources and lean protein.

This 6 week training program is quite challenging but it will help you get ready in time to conquer the Obstacle Race.