Obstacle Race Training-6/18/13

Hotel workout:

Cool swag 

Our hotel is in a suburban area and has room to run. Hopefully you'll have the same luxury. Just be cautious that traffic may have differing patterns than your hometown. Be safe.

Warm up:
20 push-ups
20 sit-ups
Walk down 5 flights of stairs
Stretch

Main set:
Run between 2 and 3 miles.

Walk up and down 5 flights of stairs
Swim laps for 20 minutes. Concentrate on different muscle groups.
Walk up 5 flights of stairs

50 sit ups
30 flutter kicks
20 bicycles

Plank for 2 minutes
Side plank for 1 minute
Side plank for 1 minute

50 sit ups
30 flutter kicks
20 bicycles

Cool down:
Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-4/15/13

This is my quad chart....
Get your obstacle race swag

I could not run today as I rolled my ankle last week. Tested the ankle with an upper body and leg workout.

• 51 Pull-ups 
• 30 Leg lifts
• 100 burpee with Push-ups
• 50 Air squats
• 10 Jumping Lunges forward
• 10 Jumping Lunges Lateral
• 20 Box Jumps
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/5/13

Monkey Bars as Demonstrated in the book,
Army Physical Readiness Training

Warm up:

Stretch

Main set:

• Move to a track or obstacle course for a three mile run with obstacles
• Run .5 miles at an easy pace
• Run .5 miles at a faster pace with sprints

For the last 1.5 miles

• Work in two obstacles per lap as follows sprinting on the straight ways and jogging on the curves:(If you are too tired or not able to work an obstacle or don’t have an obstacle course substitute each obstacle with 10 burpees (with pushups))

• Eight foot tall ladder obstacle to climb over
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• Tire trot
• Rings (monkey bars)
• Five foot wall
• Rings
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• 20 burpees with push-ups
• Incline rings
• Parallel bars
• Rope climb
• 20 burpees with push-ups
• Monkey bars
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• Run .25 miles
• 10 burpees
• Run .25 miles
• 10 burpees
• 12 pull-ups
• Rest
• 20 pull-ups (break up into sets as necessary)

Cool down:

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-02/03/13

I only intended to do a small workout, but was soon overcome by good feelings. So I kept it up and added more to it. I worked out the chest and shoulder muscles for those monkey bar and wall climb events, the abs for endurance and a very hilly sprint laden 3-

4 mile run for that extra boost when needed.

Stretch

Chin-ups to muscle failure

Rest

Pull-ups to muscle failure

Rest

Alternate grip chin-ups to muscle failure

Rest

30 body weight knee bends

Rest

20 body weight knee bends

Rest

Push-ups to muscle failure (close hand)

Rest

Push-ups to muscle failure

Rest

30 leg lifts from chin-up bar (work it in with chin-ups if you can)

Rest

40 crunches

Rest

15 leg lifts with hip elevation (supine)

Rest

15 leg lifts with hip elevation (supine)

Rest

30 scissors kicks

Rest

30 scissors kicks

Rest

20 supine bicycles with alternate knee to elbow touch

Rest

20 supine bicycles with alternate knee to elbow touch

Rest

20 crunches with straight leg lifts

Rest

20 crunches and bring knees to chest

Rest

20 scissors kicks

Rest

40 crunches

Rest

20 leg spreaders

Rest

20 dips on coffee table

Rest

20 dips on coffee table

Run 3-4 miles (if you can, work some hills in there)

Stretch

Obstacle Course Training-01/07/13

The gym may be full of resolutionaries, but the streets and fields are wide open. So, forget the free weights, go outside and do a great workout. Here’s a good one:

• Run 4 miles
• Every half mile do 10 burpees with pushups (total of 80)
• Last half mile-sprint 10 seconds run 30 seconds until finished
• Pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Chin-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Alternate grip pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Chin-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Alternate grip pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure

Run off the beaten path, leave the road, even if it means running through neighbors’ yards. Be sure to run AROUND mailboxes and fences. People will take notice of your burpees, but who knows, you might inspire them.

Motivational Obstacles courtesy of Army Physical Readiness book.

Obstacle Run Training-01/01/13

Happy New Year!

You’ve probably made some wonderful resolutions and we hope Run in Mud exercises are part of that goal to complete obstacle races.

Here is today’s exercise:

• 10 push-ups
• 10 sit-ups
• Stretch
• Backpack with around 1/3 of body weight for two miles
• 11 pull-ups with leg lifts
• 11 chin-ups with leg lifts
• 11 alternate grip pull-ups with leg lifts
• Rest
• 20 wide hand push-ups
• 20 leg lifts (while laying on the ground)
• 20 close hand push-ups
• 20 4 count scissors kicks
• 20 push-ups with upper torso elevated (bed, table, rail, etc.)
• 40 crunches

Rest and enjoy the rest of the day 

Obstacle Run Training-12/25/12

Merry Christmas everyone. I’m happy to celebrate the birth of the Savior with my family and friends. You are part of that family and I’m grateful for you.

Here’s a good holiday workout, just what the doctor ordered to get the sleepiness out (especially if you got up early from Santa loving kids). Maybe you’ve eaten already or you’re about to feast on Christmas meals and snacks, this’ll help justify…

• Stretch
• Run three miles on a trail (run on grass if possible. I had to run on the grass strips between the street and sidewalk). Three miles is a dash, so run faster than you would with longer distance runs and add some sprints.
• Rest for 30 seconds
• 5 pull-ups with leg lifts
• Rest 5 seconds
• 5 pull-ups with leg lifts
• Rest 5 seconds
• Grab a basketball and do 30 push-ups as follows:
• 10 push-ups (both hands on basketball)
• Rest 10 seconds
• 10 push-ups (Left hand on basketball, right hand on ground)
• Rest 10 seconds
• 10 push-ups (Right hand on basketball, Left hand on ground)
• Rest 10 seconds
• 5 chin-ups with leg lifts
• Rest 5 seconds
• 5 chin-ups with leg lifts
• Rest 5 seconds
• 10 push-ups (both hands on basketball)
• Rest 10 seconds
• 10 push-ups (Left hand on basketball, right hand on ground)
• Rest 10 seconds
• 10 push-ups (Right hand on basketball, Left hand on ground)
• 5 chin-ups with leg lifts
• Rest 5 seconds
• 5 chin-ups with leg lifts

This provides a good cardio and endurance run as well as strengthening exercises that don’t put too much pressure on overworked burpee and long distance run muscles. Great for the Spartan race, tough mudder, warrior dash, and other obstacle races you might be preparing for….

Chin ups from Army Physical Readiness Training book

Obstacle Race Training-12/23/12

It’s almost Christmas, so give yourself a present. Rest and relax for a few days and if your neighborhood is festooned with Christmas lights and displays, take advantage and enjoy an excellent backdrop to a nighttime holiday workout.

Try this festive fitness folly to get your jolly heart pumping while enjoying the beauty of your neighbor’s handiwork. Tis the season…

Grab that pre-packed back pack and briskly ruck for a few miles. Wait until dark, don some safety clothing and flashlights and take a brisk walk with a third of your body weight, or at least 30 pounds. Be sure to throw some jogs in there to keep it interesting.

When you get back, you might be a little chilly. So warm up with:

• 3 sets of 5 chin-ups with leg lifts
• 2 sets of 15 push-ups
• 2 sets of 10 triceps dips

Hiking with a Backpack helps improve your core strength.  You never know which obstacles you might encounter so stay tough...Huah!

Obstacle Run Training-12/20/12

Today’s workout is 20 minutes on the elliptical. Be sure to set the resistance level to at least half the maximum to get a work out. The goal is to be able to make at least two miles in the 20 minute time limit.

Keep focus so that you don’t waste time going through the motions. I  like to keep focus by switching my hand grip (my elliptical machine has adjustable grip positions) ever 5 minutes. This facilitates working different arm muscle groups (triceps and biceps) depending on grip.

Once complete move outside for the following workout (modified Spartan Race WOD):

20 burpees with push-ups

20 lunges

20 jumping jacks

20 push-ups

5 pull-ups

5 pull-ups

20 squat jumps

20 yards of single dumbbell farmer carry (left arm)

20 yards of single dumbbell farmer carry (right arm)

Sit-ups for 1 minute

5 chin-ups

That should do it. If you have time and the equipment, try these old school Army physical training obstacles. Huah!

For more Army obstacles see Army Physical Readiness Training