FITNESS
Train Like an Obstacle Course Racer
Even if you never plan to hit the start line, elements of OCR training will help you be a stronger athlete BY ANDREA BOWDEN COURTESY OF SPARTAN RACE Freelance writer from Arizona, USA, medal-winning OCR athlete and the first collegiate OCR Coach in the US, taking home several podium wins.
E
ven if you never run an obstacle course race (OCR), training like one could get you in the best shape of your life. Training like an obstacle course racer is possibly the most comprehensive training program out there. In an OCR you could be running, pulling, pushing, traversing, flipping, crawling, dragging, hoisting, climbing, carrying, balancing, bounding and throwing. Imagine the training that goes into accomplishing all that. There are a few must-haves to include in your OCR training program, whether you’re planning to hit a race, or just want to train like you are.
RESISTANCE Of course the key to success in any athletic endeavor is resistance training. The most important thing to remember is the “why” for the “what.” For example, in an OCR you are rarely using two arms or two legs at a time. Think monkey bars, rope climb or running. This means your training needs to be unilateral. You need to prioritize one-arm or alternate-arm lat pulls and rows, not two-arm seated, for example. You need to prioritize one-leg squats
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and deadlifts, not bilateral squats and deadlifts. Imagine the physiological adaptations you can get for managing anything life throws at you when you train this way.
ENDURANCE This is probably the most important element. You’ll be running for endurance as well as gripping, holding heavy objects, or hanging. Think of the mental toughness you’ll gain when you don’t give in to a quarter-mile bucket carry, even when your mind is screaming at you to drop it.
PLYOMETRICS Remember the science around safely training for athleticism: strength before power; stable before unstable; and recovery. Work up to plyometric training with some excellent-form strength training first. You need plyometrics for landing off walls and hurdles. Upper body plyometrics are useful for crawls, throws and burpees. Plyometric training will make you a stronger uphill runner. Incorporate your agility training here. Any recreational sport you enjoy will benefit from plyometric training.
