Two weeks to Tough Mudder: These tricks will change your whole race…

Tip 1: Get A Grip

Having strength in your grip is key when it comes to tackling so many of the obstacles in Tough Mudder. You’ll be required to be able to hold your own weight off the ground and even if you’re strong enough, there’s still a chance your hands will let you down. Be it the famous Funky Monkey Bars, Balls to the Wall or the Berlin Wall obstacles, you need to have your grip game on point.

It might seem like an obvious and simple exercise but hanging off a pull up bar is the trick here. Literally grip on to a pull-up bar or pull-up grips and hang for as long as possible. Try 5 - 10 sets to failure and alternate days in which you do this exercise, making sure you have a rest day in-between. If you want to be good at something, you need to keep doing it. Come race day…you’ll be hanging around like a pro.

Tip 2: Hot To Trot

Although we’ve left the long hot summer months behind you’ll still need to acclimatise. Temperatures are above 30 degrees during the day and may feel even hotter when you’re out in the desert sun and sand. If you’re training all-year-round in an air-conditioned gym without so much as doing one training session outside, then come Tough Mudder day, you may well come unstuck... 

To keep it simple, if you’re not used to training outside, just use this time and beautiful weather for your running sessions, or running portion of your sessions. Start by doing your longer runs outside in the morning or evenings and then if you have the chance, try some shorter runs during a hotter part of the day…as close to the sort of time you’re likely to be outside for Tough Mudder.

Tip 3: Jump Into Action

Explosive power is super important during the Tough Mudder obstacle course, you’ll need to be able to jump with some height on many of the obstacles, including: The  Reach Around, Skid Mark or Everest 2.0. This type of training is often missed in a program on the lead up to obstacle races and it’s one that is crucial to you having a successful race.

Again, trying to keep it simple let’s just work on one exercise for this: box jumps. This is best carried out in a gym or on a grassy area, where you’ll have different levels to jump onto, for example: steps, benches or walls. If you have access to a gym, then try jumping on some different height plyo boxes in a padded area, so you can really push yourself. Start with a height you’re happy with and work your way up, trying to increase in height every other day, if you can. Make sure you jump from a standing still position with feet shoulders width apart. 

Need some help with your training? Fit Squad DXB have an array of personal trainers who can get you race ready. Call +971 55 542 7231 or email info@fitsquaddxb.com to set up your free consultation.