Preparing for Obstacle Races

A fun new fitness craze thats taking the world by storm is Obstacle Races. These events such as "Survival of the Fittest, Spartan Race, Tough Mudder" etc they are just growing by the masses. Although you have a timing chip on your shoe its more about surviving each obstacle and attacking it in style (usually a penalty is offered to those who can't complete the obstacle such as push ups or burpees).

Its so rewarding to prepare for an event like this and its great to get a team together in case you face tricky patches on the course its better to face it with a little team work, good in the build up in terms of training preparation/ motivation and most importantly fun!

The Spartan Race Team super stoked!

So to prepare for an event what can you expect?

The organisers will try an hit you with every angle so you need to be a well oiled machine, preparation needs to include basically all realms of gym and fitness training.

I love preparing for events like this as you'll never get bored with your training!

Ok so what you expect!

1. Hills:

You can expect to have plenty of up hill sections in an obstacle race, even if there isn't its great preparation for any kind of event, your cadence, strength, speed and mechanics will improve with hill sprints...

Hill sprints in prep work is a must!

2. Reptilian Crawling..

Reptilian Crawl prep work!

Hulya demonstrating a great reptilian crawl!

In the black pool above you either got low in the ice tub avoiding electricity, or you did 30x burpees!

Ok sounds silly but have we forgotten how to crawl?

 I was stuck in this same tunnel as the one above (Hulya coming out of) behind a guy trying to squiggle his way through like a worm, he was huffing and puffing whilst I glided through at hardly any effort?? You can expect various obstacles requiring a functional crawl. The bonus is it has many great benefits such as hip mobilty, core strength (babies actually strengthen their spinal segments and body in preparation for the walking gate through crawling so if you've experienced postural back pain these patterns can be a good exercise to get the spinal segments operating again in a functional manner, will actually get the heart rate up in your circuits also!

3. Rope Training

Obstacle at Spartan Race

TRX Power Rows

Grip strength is a must at these events as we got faced with a vertical rope climb, rope ladders and often  walls ropes are present like the caption above. The surface can be very slippery and so too the rope itself, so plenty of TRX work, Sled pulls, chin ups and battle ropes will help to master these obstacles!

If you live near an indoor rock-climbing wall, why not do a few sessions to enhance your climbing mechanics!

Sled pull from squat position

Battle Ropes

Other than that there will be plenty of surprise obstacles you may be faced with such as military presses with logs, throwing spears at a target, balance beams and sometimes bouncy castles. So challenge your body with variety and limited rest periods. Heres an example Program for your prep work!

1. 30 WALKING LUNGES 

2. 2 MINS REPTILIAN CRAWLS

3. TRX POWER ROWS 15 EACH SIDE (No TRX? Do 15 chin ups)

4. Barbell DEADLIFT 15 REPS (60kg)

5. 20 JUMP SQUATS

6. 20 PUSH UPS

7. Battle Rope Whips 30 seconds

8. 3MINS INCLINE TREADMILL RUN (can do hill sprints or stairs)

Repeat every exercise no rest during the circuit. Once circuit complete rest 1:30minute and repeat 3 times!

Good Luck!

Release Your Boundaries- TRX!

The TRX class is relatively new to the fitness industry, the TRX suspension training kit has been around for a few years as a piece of kit that you may see hanging in the corner of the gym but no-one really knew how to use it. You might have seen the odd guy doing a few body rows and thats about it.

TRX Class at MOVE THREE SIXTY personal training studio.

When I got my first TRX I was rebuilding my body from a knee reconstruction I had about 6months prior. I had got through some of my rehabilitation in New Zealand and was heading to the UK. The problem was I needed something that was portable, could train the whole body and something that was progressive for the lower body so I could start at a basic level with assistance and build up to a point where I was fully functional and could perform my sports and hobbies such as Tennis, snowboarding, rugby, running (marathon) etc So you can imagine I needed a very solid rehabilitation program to cater for the demands I was planning to put my recovering knee through. It did all that and more!

The Sogn Fjord in Norway only hours before my friends wedding!

So I had this piece of kit that I started to take everywhere with me on holidays, parks, clients houses for jogs, you name it, it was pretty much an extension to my body... 

The exercises that you can achieve with the TRX can cater the novice untrained body to the elite athlete.
In a health club I used to work at I was hanging in the TRX one day when Daniel Craig (James Bond) started asking me what it was and what it was useful for. He happened to be sporting a sling on his shoulder due to some accident and needed to restore stability, strength and mobility as well as maintaining his rock solid abs.. next minute he was hooked and borrowing my TRX each time he came to the gym (shame he already had a trainer).

I had an amazing client who was told she'd never walk again by health professionals. She did although have a great attitude, fairly strong upper body and legs (although not cooperating fully with her nervous system). I could see potential to achieve the impossible. The machine based exercises in the gym were great for her as she built some much needed strength and it allowed her to focus on isolated movements at the beginning of her programming but then she needed the next step, the phase of building stability to the point where she could stand on her own two feet and move one foot in front of the other. The TRX offered a great deal towards reaching that level of stability it was something other practitioners hadn't tried before, even though every realm of the training including her amazing "never give up attitude" played a huge role, the TRX certainly helped bridge the gap towards her ability to walk. After only 6months of training she could walk unassisted across the gym.

Semi private TRX (train with a partner).

So apart from amazing rehabilitative programs for people with back pain, shoulders, knees, hips etc I use it in performance situations such as elite tennis athlete, figure contestant, rugby players and generally people who want a strong stomach, toned butt, thighs and arms. With hundreds of exercises and stretches so you'll never get bored. 

Performing some mountain climbers!

The TRX class itself is a hour long session which I break up into a dynamic warm up, Upper (anterior and posterior chain) /lower/core/cardio/power segments followed some unique stretches. Its usually 4 rounds of intense exercise but if you're a complete beginner you'll be offered options to descend exercises to suit your current level. The mountain climber above is one of the many core exercises you'll experience in the class.

TRX TRICEPS (great for the core also).

I've heard people say "but you can't overload to build muscle like weights" well this is coming from people who have never tried it or been taught properly by an expert. Just because you see a dumbbell with a numerical figure on the side and you feed your ego by the amount of weight you can throw around the gym it doesn't mean you're training the right patterns of muscles to do the job correctly. The TRX initiates important stabilisers with every movement and you add more resistance by changing the angle of your body meaning you're almost taking on your whole bodyweight. I supplement many other forms of training with the TRX and use it for super sets and maintenance also. So if you choose to do the bench press and have plateaued try super-setting with some TRX atomic push ups- you won't regret it!

Atomic Push up!

Many thanks for reading I'm off to set up the next class :)

If you're in West London area and wish to get involved contact me on luke.d.marshall@gmail.com