5 Strength Exercises to Get You Ready for any Obstacle Race

Whether it’s Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Savage Race or any other obstacle course race, strength is a prerequisite for completing obstacles. Carrying jerry cans/logs/sandbags, climbing over and under walls, climbing ropes, and of course hilly terrain are examples of some of the tough obstacles you’ll find on at an OCR. Here are five moves that are sure to prime your body for action.  
By: CJ Wagner, NASM-CPT

THE WORKOUT

KETTLEBELL SUPERSET

Directions: Complete 5 rounds with 60-90 rest between rounds.
1A) KB GOBLET SQUATS (photo above) 
Weight: Beginner 16kg; Intermediate 20kg; Advance 24 kg
Reps: 12
CJ Says: Hold onto a kettlebell by either the horns or belly. Keep weight off of your body along with your arms, this will force your arms and core to engage more during the exercise. With your back straight, squat down, keeping your core engaged, to the height of a chair or 90 degrees. Fire yourself back up into a complete stand up engaging your hips at the top of your rep.

Russian KB Swing

 1B) RUSSIAN KB SWINGS
Reps: 12-16
CJ Says: Stand with feet facing forward about shoulder width apart, back straight, hinged over at your hip. Begin by grabbing the bell from the ground in front of you, passing it between your legs, engaging hips and firing them forward at the same time squeeze your glutes to propel the weight forward. Your arms should be relaxed throughout the whole movement. The kettlebell should reach the height of your eyes every rep.

BACK AND CORE SUPERSET

Directions: Complete 4 rounds rest 60-90 between rounds
2A) BARBELL PENDLAY ROWS
Reps: 8, with a 3 second hold at the top of the movement.
CJ Says: Find a weight you are comfortable doing 12 reps with. Start with the weight on the ground, back is parallel to the ground, legs are bent and butt is back to help keep the back straight throughout. Start by squeezing your shoulder blades together to begin the motion, once the motion has begun bring your elbows back to raise the bar to the bottom of your chest. Once the weight is there hold it for a 3 second count, and lower the weight all the way to the ground under control

Hanging Ab Raise

2B) HANGING AB RAISES
Reps: 8-12
CJ Says: Grab onto a pull up bar with an overhand grip. Start with your legs straight or as straight as you can without touching the ground. With back engaged, start the rep by squeezing your abs and bending your knees to your chest. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

PUSHUP FINISHER

DIRECTIONS: complete 4 rounds with as many reps as you can complete per round. Rest 60-120 seconds between rounds. Optional: Hold the pushup position at the bottom after each round.

3) PUSHUP

Pushup

DIRECTIONS: complete 4 rounds with as many reps as you can complete per round. Rest 60-120 seconds between rounds. Optional: Hold the pushup position at the bottom after each round.
Reps: AMRAP, with hold at bottom and top of rep.
CJ Says: Start the push up with your core, and glutes engaged. Lower yourself while shooting your elbows back, until your chest is touching the ground or you can no longer lower yourself. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Push yourself back up, hold yourself at top with your arms straight for 3 seconds. That’s one rep. Once you drop or can’t continue the set at this tempo, rest and perform a new set.