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Obstacle Course Training Guide for All Levels


  • Obstacle course racing is for everyone. However, depending on your lifestyle, your workouts should suit your skill level for maximum benefits.
  • Your workout frequency and and exercises included in it should be tailored to improving your overall fitness without causing injury or sickness.
  • Aside from exercising, you can also prepare for an obstacle course racing event by cleaning up your diet, doing mental preparation, and investing in high-quality gear.

Why You Should Train According to Your Fitness Level

Obstacle course racing is a fun, challenging way of getting fit. Although not all obstacle course races require intense training, if you’re serious about OCR, you will want to show up well-prepared on race day. OCR coach and trainer, Sam Winkworth, begins training with his clients by doing a quick assessment to determine the specific areas of fitness they have to focus on for optimal performance improvement. Training experience is one of the most crucial parts of this assessment.

There are other factors to consider like mental strength, injury avoidance, diet,  sleep patterns, and training time. When you know what level you’re at, it becomes easy to plan for how you will achieve the next level. This includes honing your skills and building up stamina, as well as training within your limits to avoid getting hurt or falling ill.

Exercises for Endurance

When planning out the endurance portion of your training program, it's best to include both muscular endurance exercises and cardiovascular endurance exercises. 

Sit-ups

For your muscular endurance, sit-ups are a great starting point. With more muscles worked per repetition than most exercises, they are a highly efficient workout for your hip flexors, leg muscles, chest, abs, and core.

Cardiovascular endurance exercises get your blood pumping and play a big part in physical conditioning. Many OCR enthusiasts started out as runners and use that stamina to get from one obstacle to the next. Beginners can do short runs or light jogging then work their way up to long runs that take more time and effort.

Jumping Jacks

If you don't have the space to run regularly, you can opt for jumping jacks instead. Aim for 30 seconds to a minute of jumping jacks in between other cardio exercises like jumping rope. Jumping jacks are a high-impact exercise, so if you have health issues that concern your joints, you may want to minimize their part in your workout.



Exercises for Strength

Muscle strength is a necessity for pretty much every obstacle. One of the staples of strength training is pull-ups. According to Spartan pro David Magida, "You need to have the ability to pull your own bodyweight free of gravity. It’s going to help you with rope climbing, with basic things like grip on monkey bars, and with hoist obstacles."

Squats

Supplement your pull-ups with some squats to enhance leg strength. In order to get the full benefits of doing squats, make sure that you're pushing your hips back as you lower your body, and pushing your hips and your chest forward and out as you raise your body. This is safer and more effective than just moving up and down.

Medicine Ball Burpees

If you have a medicine ball, you can also try medicine ball burpees, a more advanced version of the classic burpee. Simply do a burpee like you usually would, but use a medicine ball instead of just your hands and legs. First, set the ball at your feet. Lower yourself down into the squat thrust-push-up part, then as you get back up, get ahold of the ball before exploding up to the jump. Lift the medicine ball overhead during this part. This is a workout for the upper body muscles, core muscles, and grip strength all at once.




Exercises for Mobility

Sprinting

To tackle all the obstacles between you and the finish line, you need to be able to move around freely. There are many exercises that can give you that ability. Sprinting, for example, is a fantastic way to get your blood pumping. To get the most out of your sprint, you should do eight to ten sprints per workout at around 20-40 yards each. However, don't run as fast as you can. Instead, make it slightly slower than the fastest speed you can go, just to stay safe from accidents and overexerting. Also, don't forget to rest in between sets.

Leg Swings

Leg swings are a great way to open up neglected muscles in your hips. They're also good for loosening up your hamstrings, quads, and calves. If you don't have a machine nearby, just find a space by a wall with enough room to move about. Hold onto the wall for balance, keep one of your legs stationary, and slowly swing the other leg forward and backward. Don't kick; just allow your leg to make a single smooth movement.

Side Planks

One deceptively intense mobility-focused exercise is side planks. Side planks strengthen your core, abs, legs, arms, and wrists, and even work out your concentration. If it's your first time doing side planks, yoga instructor Erin Duffin has a tip for maintaining your alignment: focus on engaging your core to keep your hips from dipping and messing up your alignment. You can also check your form in the mirror: your body should be one long, strong line.





Exercises for Flexibility

Side Reach and Stretch

OCR won't require you to bend your body every which way, but having some flexibility is definitely a plus. In Sod Sitting, Get Moving, Diana Moran and Muir Gray recommend the side reach and stretch to gain better flexibility in the shoulders and upper back. Either sitting down or standing, reach up over your head with your right hand. After five counts, lower it down and do the same with the left.

Instep Hamstring Stretch

If you're up for a more challenging stretch, the instep hamstring stretch might be right for you. Step back into a lunge with your right foot and put your right hand on the floor. Place your left elbow inside of your left foot. Hold the pose for up to 30 seconds, then put your left hand back on the floor and straighten the front leg. Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds, then move to the next one: left leg bent, chest twisted toward your left knee, and stretch your left hand upwards. After that, get back into the starting position and repeat the process with the opposite side.

Pigeon Stretch

For even more variety, try the pigeon stretch, also known as the King of Hip Openers. Get down on all fours with your back straight. Pull your right leg forward and low your body so the outside of your leg touches the floor. Shift your weight there and extend your left leg outward. After 30 seconds, move your right foot back underneath you and start over with your left leg.


Exercises for Speed

Relaxed Speed Training

Relaxed speed training is a good place to start on your journey to improve your speed. Jog for a mile or two, then stop to do five to ten minutes of dynamic drills. Then run for five intervals or a thousand meters each. Give yourself two or three minutes to rest in between intervals, and cool down for about two miles when you're done.

Depth and Broad Jumps

Increase the intensity by incorporating different kinds of jumps. Using either a plyo box or some other sturdy, elevated surface, do some depth jumps to improve explosive power. Alternatively, you can do broad jumps instead. The goal is to jump forward covering as much ground as you can. It will help to land in a squat position so that you don't stumble forward. Jumps are good for your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as your lower back and calves.

Obstacle Course Race Training - Beginner Workout

Warm Up

Start your workout with some cardiovascular endurance exercises. Do 30 seconds each of seal jacks, high knees, and jumping jacks. If you’ve had joint pains before, you may want to pass on the jumping jacks. Consider replacing them with a quick run for about 50-70 meters, or jog in place.

Workout

After warming up, ease into some dynamic stretching. Bear crawls are a great way to improve your flexibility and balance. Start on the floor with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back straight and stretch out your limbs. Then put your left hand and right foot forward at the same time. Plant them firmly on the ground, then do the same with your left hand and right foot. Continue forward, keeping your butt in the air the whole time.

From bear crawls, stand back up and start your circuit training. Do ten reps each of push-ups and squats. If you’re training at a gym, you can also do TRX rows. They’re good for your shoulders, core, and hand grip, and especially for your upper back muscles.

Practicing for the obstacles will give you a chance to strategize how you’ll attack them when face-to-face with the real thing. Do a few trial runs of the Olympus wall, 6-foot wall, Hercules hoist, over-under-through wall, and three-foot hurdle if you’re training at a facility that offers them.

Cool Down

Don’t forget to cool down and do another round of stretching when you finish your workou


Obstacle Course Race Training - Intermediate Workout

Warm Up

Start your workout on a high note with a 200-meter run. Follow that up with more endurance exercises like butt kicks and A skips. A skips are often used by runners to improve their form. To do A skips, skip like you normally would but make an effort to bring one knee up high enough that there is a 90-degree angle in your hip. Extend your back leg as far out as you can. As your foot hits the ground, make a “pawing” motion, like you’re trying to pull the ground forward. This will give you a stronger and longer stride. Keep skipping, swinging your arms in rhythm.

Next, do some dynamic stretching. This could include, for example, some inchworms, crab walks, and walking lunges. To do inchworms, stand with your feet hip-width apart, then bend forward, reaching for your toes. When you touch them (or at least the ground near them), flatten your hands and walk your body into a plank. Once you’re in plank position, drop your hips and look up. Take a breath, then walk your hands back to your feet and go back into standing position. This is a great stretch for loosening up your muscles after long bus or plane rides.

The crab walk begins on the floor. Sit with your knees bent and your hands slightly behind your hips. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Putting the weight on your hands and feet, raise your glutes a few inches up. Lift your hips and your right arm at the same time. Stretch your arm behind you. Get back into starting position and do the same thing on the opposite side.

Workout

Now you can get to the meat of the workout. Strengthen your forearms and your hand grip with a 40-second dead hang. Then transition into a set of 15 squat jumps. Squat jumps increase your heart rate and allow you to burn more calories than normal squats. It also allows for extra development of strength and muscle density. Follow the squat jumps with 20 push-ups, then wrap things up with 15-30 sit-ups.

Aside from the practice exercises suggested in the beginners workout, you can also incorporate some more challenging obstacles. Put your grip strength to test with rope climbs and gymnast rings. You can save yourself some time and a few burpees by practicing your Atlas carry. Because you only carry the stone within a short distance, some participants rely on force and rush through it. This might get the job done, but it also puts you at risk of injury.

Even for an obstacle that only lasts a few seconds, technique is important. Don’t squat down and try to scoop up the stone in your arms. Instead, bend from your hips as you reach for it and put your hands as far under the stone as you can. Keep your arms straight and spread out your fingers. Use your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back - not your arms and shoulders. Squeeze tightly and brace your back as you lift. Once the stone is above your knees, get into half squat position and rest it on one of your thighs. Quickly rearrange your hands to get a more secure hold on it, then you can stand up and carry it the distance that the race requires.

Cool Down

Complete your workout with a cooldown and some more stretching.

Obstacle Course Race Training - Advanced Workout

If you’re at this level of training, you already have a good idea of what works for you. Still, it’s good to go back to workouts designed specifically for OCR, like the Interval Sprint Bodyweight Workout.

Warm Up

Start with a ten-minute warm-up that combines stretching and moderate cardio, then do this circuit two or three times: First, run about 400 meters. Then switch to walking lunges. Do 40 of them, then 30 push-ups. Run another 400 meters, this time slightly faster

After your second run, do 40 bodyweight squats. Next, get down on the floor and hold a plank for a minute and a half, or two full minutes if your arms can take it. Run again for 400 meters, then perform 30 burpees and 40 mountain climbers. Take one more run, this time pushing hard and going as fast as you can. After you hit the 400 meter mark, slow down to a jog. Keep going for another ten minutes then stop to rest for a short while before doing it all again.

Workout

This style of workout prepares your body for the kind of conditions it will be under when you’re doing the real thing on race day. Obstacle course racing is dynamic and requires you to keep going, so working out like this will help you get used to that feeling. If the Interval Sprint Bodyweight Workout isn’t for you, go for the Tempo Obstacles Simulation Workout instead.

This workout calls for a lot of practice on a ten-foot wall. Find the closest possible thing you can safely practice on, keeping in mind that it has to be stable as you climb up and over, or head to a gym that has one.

Make sure you’re properly warmed up before beginning. Stretch and do a little cardio to prep. The first part of the workout is a one-mile run at a tempo pace. After this, climb the ten-foot wall seven times. Do another one-mile run at a tempo pace. Then brace yourself for five ten-foot wall climbs. Go back to your one-mile run at the same pace for the last time before doing three more ten-foot wall climbs. Run again, but this time, at your fastest pace. Finally, climb the ten-foot wall seven more times. Cool down and rehydrate when you’re done.

Another option is the Long Runs workout. This routine got its name from the 10- to 15-minute runs in between sets of exercises. Begin with a run then do 25 lunge steps. Go back to running, then stop to do 25 push-ups. Run again, then do 25 air squats. After you’ve had enough, run for another 10-15 minutes. Lastly, drop and do 25 burpees. This is good practice for the penalty in case you can’t pass an obstacle. When you’re done, run again and start from the beginning.

Cool Down

After your workout, cool down properly and do some stretches to help your muscles relax. There’s no sugarcoating it — these three workouts are exhausting. They will give you a fairly accurate idea of how your body will feel after an obstacle course race. If you tucker out before you can finish the workout, don’t feel bad. Instead, use your experience as a yardstick for what parts of your training you need to tweak so that you will be more prepared next time. If all goes well, you’ll master the aspects you initially struggled with, and race day will go smoothly for you.


What to Remember For Your Training Diet

Hydrate

According to sports dietician and exercise psychologist Bob Seebohar, whether you’re in the middle of training, at school or work, or even just lying in bed, it’s ideal to have a glass or bottle of water within your reach at any given time. During training and the race itself, you’re especially prone to losing large amounts of water due to sweating. Your lungs will be working hard in these times, too, which can make your mouth and throat feel uncomfortably dry.

As a general rule of thumb, you should be drinking 500ml of water for each hour of strenuous exercise, plus a standard two liters per day. You may need to drink even more depending on your bodyweight.

Come race day, you should up the amount of water you’re drinking to prepare for the exertion required for obstacle course racing. In the last few days before the race, you should be drinking enough water that you have to use the bathroom at least every two or three hours. Keep that going until the morning of the race. When you’re on the course, take a drink every few obstacles to rehydrate and to avoid getting muscle cramps. After crossing the finish line, drink the same amount you usually would after working out.

Eat blood-building food

Blood-building foods are called such because they are the best foods for increasing your red blood cell count. Some blood-building foods you can stock up on while you train are beats, beans, legumes, and leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale. Many blood-building foods are rich in vitamin B-12. Some popular ones among athletes and fitness buffs on strict diets are fish, eggs, and dairy products like milk and cheese.

You can make a lot of plant-based meals like salads from blood-building foods. If you want to include some protein in your diet, that’s good, too. A serving or two of beef or any other red meat per week can help your body recover from heavy workout sessions. If you prefer, you can substitute beef with organ meat like kidney or liver. You can also include egg yolks, or dried fruits like prunes and raisins for a little sweetness. Whatever combination of foods you decide to have, make sure you steer clear of anything that contains high amounts of sugar or preservatives.

Eat healthy snacks

Being on an OCR training diet doesn’t mean that you have to give up snacking. It’s just a matter of choosing snacks that will fuel you instead of slowing you down. Your diet will be much more enjoyable if you take some extra time to be creative with your snacks. Avocado toast has been trending for a while now, and for good reason. It’s simple, delicious, and full of healthy fats. Get fancy by adding tomatoes and sea salt, and wash it down with green tea.

Chris Varano, the Hilton Head Health fitness specialist, prefers plain oatmeal with berries. He says, “This snack gives me energy, is easy to digest, and contains no dairy. Have it about 30 to 45 minutes before a workout.” It’s a safe choice for OCR buffs with sensitive stomachs.

While many healthy snacks use all raw ingredients, it’s not a hard and fast rule that they have to. Fitness instructor Aimee Nicotera likes to fry an egg and put it on top of a salad of spinach and cherry tomatoes or tomato slices, then drizzle some balsamic over the whole dish. You’ll get some protein from the egg and antioxidants from the spinach and tomatoes.

Fabian Lindner is a long-time OCR enthusiast who has healthy snacking down pat. One of his favorite things to snack on after a workout is a bowl of cherry tomatoes, grapes, and baby carrots. He also recommends nuts or trail mix for busy days when you don’t have much prep time.

Prepare Yourself Mentally

Positive self-talk

Training for obstacle course racing is as much psychological and it is physical. It's important to self-motivate and keep a positive mindset to get yourself through the most tiring parts of the course. Get your mind into the state of "flow" by doing regular positive self-talk. This means reminding yourself that you're well-equipped to make it to the finish line.

Selective attention

Another good mental practice is selective attention. Block out all distractions, from other teams to weather to random noises around you, and even your own doubtful thoughts. This will help you focus completely on the task at hand.

Mental rehearsal

Once you know what specific obstacles you're up against, you can do mental rehearsals. Neuroscience researcher and author Andréa Morris says that the "secret sauce" of mental rehearsal is motor preparation. First, imagine yourself calmly approaching the challenge. Then create a clear mental image of yourself taking on the obstacles, with specific techniques that you'll put to use. Doing this creates "mental pathways" which makes you associate the obstacles with positive feelings instead of anxiety or fear.

Recommended Gear for Obstacle Course Race Training

Gloves

Gloves serve as a layer of protection between your hands and everything they come in contact with as you take on the obstacles. They also give you a little more gripping power, which is really helpful on obstacles that require you to lift or climb. Your grip tends to falter when your hand muscles start getting tired, so a good pair of gloves could make the difference in whether or not you’re able to overcome certain obstacles.

Break in your gloves while you train so that you have a clearer idea of how they work best for you. Giving them a test run will also clue you in as to how durable they are, and whether they’ll hold up in both wet and dry conditions. If you’re looking to make an investment, try the Fit Four OCR Slit Grip Gloves. They have excellent grip on rough, wet, and muddy surfaces, and they’re even designed so that you don’t have to take off your watch while racing.

Shoes

Some OCR newbies think that it’s okay to wear your oldest, rattiest pair of running shoes since they’re just going to get muddy anyway. This is actually a bad idea. You need a pair of shoes that can survive the wear and tear of obstacle course racing, and protect your feet from cuts, bruises, blisters, and other injuries. You also have to keep in mind that if you are expecting to run and crawl through mud, it’s going to get into your shoes at some point. A pair of shoes with good drainage won’t hold on to mud. Your shoes should be able to take you from concrete to mud to sand in the span of one event. They should be tough but at the same time comfortable, since you’re going to be spending a lot of time in them.

Whether you’ve just been introduced to obstacle course racing or you’ve been at it for years, there are always new ways to enjoy the sport and up your game. If you want proper guidance in tackling obstacles, book a class at Pretty Huge Obstacles. To help you get ready, download the obstacle course training guide for athletes of all levels to learn more.