Obstacle Course: How to Prepare for an Obstacle Course
Obstacle races, those races where we push our bodies to their limits. We've all heard of races like Tough Mudder , Spartan Race , Rugged Maniac , and many others. These races are becoming increasingly popular.
In collaboration with Jean-François Grégoire, kinesiologist and personal trainer, we present a preparation plan for your first obstacle course race. Jean-François presents this plan to us with one of his clients, Rémi.
How to Prepare for an Obstacle Course
Throughout my 10 years of experience, I've received a lot of requests from new and existing clients who wanted to try an obstacle course. There are several reasons why they sign up: to push themselves, take on a new challenge, or simply to support work colleagues or friends/family. Signing up is one thing, but preparing to perform well is quite another.
In this article, I'm taking a topic that was sedentary not so long ago, so that most beginner readers can find their comparison. The goal is to do an obstacle course race for the first time, at their own pace and that at the end of the race, this person is proud and will want to relive the experience or move on to the next level. By knowing the strengths, weaknesses and injuries of my client, I am better able to prepare them for the race and have good progress. This is where personalized follow-ups become interesting, which can be every week or more spaced out if necessary. Regardless of the caliber of the client, it is walking/running uphill and burpees that we will work on the most. For the rest, with good varied and structured training, we will seek out the other assets necessary to overcome obstacles and improve endurance. There are several obstacles that are not always feasible depending on where my client trains. However, more and more parks have outdoor training facilities that have similarities with certain events during the race. This is why for my client specified in this article, we meet once a week to do an outdoor training in one of these parks. I see this same person once more per week virtually for a varied training. This virtual training is just as important because it allows us to add an hour of supervised training where the client can stay at home, without traveling. I also ask this client to add 2 or 3 outdoor hill running/walking outings, to remain as specific as possible to the preparation for the obstacle course.
Rémi is my client, the inspiration for writing these lines. Before he hired my services in February 2017, he was sedentary. Since he doesn't live in my area, the workouts were done virtually via an app designed for trainers who offer this service. At a rate of once a week, I was able to follow him as he began to get fit. All this was accompanied by a training plan that he could do alone between our sessions. Subsequently, Rémi decided to see me twice a week. His motivation and determination were there. His physical condition had greatly improved. He was ready to take on a new challenge: signing up for an obstacle course race that would take place two months later. His first challenge was behind him: to be considered an active person, to maintain 2 to 4 workouts per week diligently, and to eat better. Remi is a typical person with a busy schedule and a child. So if he found a way to accomplish all this, you all can!
To prepare for the race, I modified a bit what we had been doing for over a year, although these workouts were always different from each other. As mentioned before, I wanted him to practice running and walking with a pronounced incline, knowing that during the race, he would have to do it often. In addition, I wanted him to learn to "love" burpees!
For the race, he does it alone, near his home, ideally 2 to 3 times 20 to 30 minutes. I don't give him anything specific for speed, duration and intensity. I just want him to do it for fun while seeking a good intensity. During a second race in the future, I will be more specific according to the weaknesses that I will have detected during his first obstacle course.
As for outdoor workouts, other than practicing burpees, we work on improving grip strength for hanging obstacles, developing shoulder endurance for obstacles where you have to carry heavy loads and the ability to have better propulsion for obstacles where it is necessary to make a jump. All this is accompanied by various cardiovascular exercises to ensure that we have an hour-long workout where the heart rate never drops to rest. Of course, I always want Rémi to respect his limits and find a pleasure in accomplishment after each workout. I don't want him to dread the next workout and try not to show up because of discouragement and demotivation.
Each workout is different
Here is a typical example of outdoor training, 8 weeks before the race:
Warm-up of approximately 5 minutes with various exercises: running, jumping jack, caterpillar, step, etc.
Rest 30 seconds
15 full burpees
Rest 60 seconds
Incline push-up + low bar chin-up + squat jack 3x45 secs with as little rest as possible
Rest 60 seconds
Run (and walk if necessary) 5 minutes
Rest 60 seconds
15 burpees
Rest 60 seconds
Box jump + cross parallel bar + arm rotation 3x45secs with as little rest as possible
Rest 60 seconds
Run (and walk if necessary) 5 minutes
Rest 60 seconds
15 burpees
Rest 60 seconds
Hanging knee raises from a horizontal bar + plank + high knee run 3x45secs with as little rest as possible
Rest 60 seconds
Various stretches for 10 minutes, holding each position for 40 seconds.
Rémi has no injuries or health issues. Please note that these exercises should not be performed if you have any disabilities. More tips and training ideas will be provided in a future article.
Training Update
The first month has passed, there is only one month left until the day of the obstacle course.
Rémi responds very well to this type of training and is ready to increase the pace. So we increase the duration of the workouts to 90 minutes and move to 30 burpees instead of the 15 he is used to doing. No matter how long it takes him, he has to get used to it. The goal is for him to be comfortable doing 3 to 4 blocks of 30 repetitions in case he is not able to do some obstacles during the run. I also increase the running frequency during outdoor training sessions, interspersed with varied exercises, similar to the first month. To improve his heavy lifting, I bring 70-pound dumbbells. I have him carry these dumbbells very often during training sessions so that he is used to them during the run.
Additionally, I continue to see him once a week for a 60-minute virtual workout and I want him to continue doing those 2-3 hill runs, without specific speed, increasing the duration of the runs by 5-10 minutes, compared to the first month.
As the weeks go by, Rémi is more and more eager to finally try out for real what he has been practicing so assiduously.
The training sessions are running out... Will he be ready for the big day?!!!
Jean-François Grégoire holds a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology from the University of Montreal. Jean-François Grégoire specializes in training delivered in the comfort of your home. His primary goal: to achieve health and well-being!
In addition to his 10 years of experience in private home training and as a consultant for several companies, he has been a columnist and model for various projects. Jean-François is also a member of the KILO SOLUTION team at the Isabelle Huot Nutrition Clinic.
Visit his website: KineToGo.com
See our products designed for obstacle courses, men and women .