Obstacle course race training doesn’t just provide physical benefits like weight loss, improved balance, coordination, mobility, functional strength, and cardiovascular endurance, however. Training for an obstacle course race will ideally include a combination of the following 10 training modalities and practices.
1. Strength
2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
3. Core and Lower Back
4. Plyometrics
5. Full-Body Endurance
6. Running
7. Grip Strength
8. Pulling/Flexing
9. Active Recovery
10. Rest
Signing up for an obstacle course race can boost your motivation by giving you a date on the calendar for which to train.
Barbell and/or dumbbell deadlifts prepare your lower back for the strain it will encounter during this unforgiving obstacle, and machine back extensions and barbell good-mornings are also great moves to prepare your spinal erectors for this core-centric obstacle.
Inverted rows on a Smith Machine or TRX system help build your back up for this challenging obstacle, and you can simulate climbing a mud-slicked rope by looping a towel over a pull-up bar and hanging for as long as you can.
Practicing the monkey bars at your local park or walking your hands side-to-side while hanging from a pull-up bar can help you prepare for any unknown rigs at your next obstacle course race.
Practicing army and bear crawls at the gym will prepare you to move quickly and efficiently while low to the ground.
If you’re ready to train for an obstacle course race, follow this training plan to cross the finish line in eight weeks.