how to succeed in obstacle course racing

How do I get better at obstacle courses?

What is the hardest obstacle course race?

What is the easiest obstacle race?

How do you get into obstacle course racing?

What's harder Spartan or Tough Mudder?

What is the toughest race on earth?

Can beginners do Spartan Race?

What should I bring to an obstacle course?

How do you train for a mud run?

How long does it take to train for a mud run?

What should I eat before OCR?

How long do you need to train for a Spartan Race?

What is the objective of obstacle races?

A lot of people agree that the primary objective of obstacle races is to actually overcome the obstacles. What this means for you is that you don't need to stress yourself out with running. Walking in between the obstacles is acceptable if that gives you enough energy to get over them.

Do you need brute strength to run an obstacle course?

An obstacle course doesn't require brute strength alone. Always remember that while it helps you a lot, you need a lot of other things to ensure that you get through it without straining or injuring yourself. It requires you to hone your agility, balance, and the understanding of what momentum is.

Do you need to make overcomplicated regimens for obstacle course training?

You don't need to make overcomplicated regimens for your obstacle course race training needs . Follow these tips and you'll have a great time preparing for your upcoming race, regardless of whether you're alone or with your friends. Remember, it's the experience and enjoyment that counts the most.

Is running good for weight loss?

Running is a great way to lose weight, especially to the 41% of Americans that make New Year's resolutions that focus on exercise as well as eating healthier food. But if you're used to long, steady-state runs, it's time to change that up since doing intervals is the best way to achieve your cardio needs.

How many miles are there in an obstacle course?

Ranging from roughly three miles up to 10, obstacle course races, or OCRs, are non-traditional competition events consisting of plenty of muddy water and military-style obstacles designed to test the racer’s resolve to the breaking point.

How many obstacles are there in Spartan Race?

So regardless of your fitness level, there is always an obstacle course distance that will fit your current fitness level. Here are the main distances on the Spartan Race series: A three-mile sprint with 15 obstacles. The Super Spartan, an 8-miler featuring 20 obstacles. A 12-mile Spartan beast with 25 obstacles.

How far can you go in OCR?

The Distance and Obstacles. OCR distance tend to vary from one event to the next. In fact, they can range from three to 25 miles (or even more), with 10 to 40 death-defying obstacles. Some of the obstacles include: Wall climbs, Greasy monkey bars, Cargo nets climbs, Rope climbs,

What is an OCR race?

Most OCRs mix elements of adventure racing, trail running, and gut-throbbing military-inspired obstacles—all of which can offer you a one-of-a-kind fitness experience. Unlike training for a traditional race, the ideal OCR plan touches on every aspect of functional movement.

How to make it to the finish line of an OCR event?

To make it to the finish line of an OCR event, you are going to have to develop a broad range of fitness skills. For starters, you’d need massive amounts of endurance —most OCR events are running based after all. Not only that, as a racer, you’d also need to increase total body strength.

How to get ready for OCR?

To get ready for the OCR, you need to do plenty of speed work and hill reps to develop the explosive power needed to go through the whole course unscathed.

What is an interval run?

Interval Run Workout. Obstacle race tends to take place in in full-out-efforts or intervals, typically alternating between running and the obstacles. In other words, they are like fartlek training on steroids. Build your explosive power and stamina for the OCR by doing plenty of interval running workouts.

What is the second most important training factor?

Grip strength is second most important training factor. Anything from hanging on a bar, pull-ups, or holding yourself up on a bar with your arms in an L position will make you stronger for those climbing or pulling obstacles. “I always train pull-ups with a standard grip or neutral grip,” Stryde says.

What is the benefit of OCR?

One benefit of OCR is it gives you a chance to break up the monotony. Rarely is any one course exactly the same from the other, so each race you sign up for is a completely different challenge compared to the local 5K you do every year.

How many people participated in OCR in 2017?

Obstacle course racing (OCR) and mud runs have been popular since 2012—nearly 500,000 people participated in 2017 according to a recent industry report. Odds are if you are a runner, many of your friends or coworkers have tried one.

Who is Brakken Kraker?

Brakken Kraker is one of the original members of the Spartan Race Pro Team and runs LeaderboardFit, a coaching program geared toward obstacle racing athletes who want to gain endurance, speed, and strength. He also has experience working many runners who were once new to OCR.

What are the best exercises to conquer obstacles?

These are the 10 best exercises for traversing any obstacle you encounter. 1. Medicine Ball Burpees.

How to get well rounded in exercise?

Use different grips, and grab onto different types of materials/objects to become well-rounded in the exercise. Even if you can do pullups, consider adding dead hangs for time on bars, rings, and ropes. Take advantage of sturdy door frames with a short lip – just big enough to get your finger tips on.

What is the most love hated exercise in OCR?

Burpees are the most love-hated exercise in OCR. Medicine Ball Burpees are a little more advanced and make regular burpees look like a walk in the park. The medicine ball burpee exercise is exactly like a regular burpee, except you do it with a medicine ball. This way, you build upper body strength, core strength, ...

How to do a sled exercise?

You can do these seated or standing. Extend the rope in a straight line all the way out from the sled then pull, hand-over-hand, until the sled is at your feet. Walk or run the rope back out, and repeat. 5.

How to exercise posterior hips?

You’re not supposed to lift the weight with your arms, they are just there to hold the weight. To perform the exercise correctly, grab each end of the kettlebell’s handle, keep it out in front of you, squat down, then explode up while pushing your hips forward, let the momentum generated from your legs transfer into the kettlebell and send it upwards .

What are some exercises to help with OCR?

6. Push Ups and Dips. Pushing exercises are here to help balance out all the pulling. After all, OCR requires all muscle groups. After the back muscles pull your shoulders up just over the top of the wall, the chest and triceps push the rest of the body up to create leverage in bringing the legs up and over.

What is the best exercise for back strength?

2. Deadlift and Deadlift Variations. The deadlift exercise is the best back strengthening exercise available to athletes. It works not only the back muscles, but the arms, core, hands, and legs. Regularly departing from the typical barbell deadlift is what will set the OCR athlete apart from the typical gym bros.

How to prepare for an obstacle course race?

1. Determine Race Length. If you’ve yet to sign up for the event, you’ll want to start by considering what distance you want to race.

How many people participated in obstacle course races in 2017?

Obstacle course racing is an increasingly popular international sport. In the US, about seven million people participated in an obstacle course race (OCR) in 2017, the majority signing up for one of the “big three” race companies–Spartan, Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash. Before we get any further, an OCR is not equivalent to a “mud run.”.

How many miles is an OCR?

If you’ve yet to sign up for the event, you’ll want to start by considering what distance you want to race. Now, an OCR that is 5K (3.1 miles) is different than just running a regular 5K because the obstacles take time to complete.

How long is a 5k?

Let’s say your OCR has 20 obstacles in three miles. Your Best Road 5K Time = 30 minutes. 2 minutes per obstacle x 20 obstacles = 40 minutes.

How to train for a marathon?

Bodybuilders often do long bouts of aerobic exercise such as walking on a treadmill or using a Stairmaster for 40-60 minutes in an effort to stay lean.

What do OCR athletes do?

OCR athletes do long cardio sessions too but they also break up their cardio with bodyweight, kettlebell, sandbag, and dumbbell exercises. The reason for this is a physiological one. An OCR uses every energy system: the phosphagen, glycolytic, and oxidative system. YouTube.

How to get stronger with pull ups?

How to do it: Hold onto a pullup bar using an overhand grip with hands shoulder width apart. Pinch your shoulder blades together and engage your upper back muscles. Start with a 15-second hold, working your way up to 2 minutes as you get stronger.