spartan race tips

[BigMike15J]

Hey I'm big mike I'm training for a spartan sprint in may any tips on exercise to do for it and any tips on how to dominate the field

[xedmike]

how about losing some weight first....

[wisdommaster1]

Spartan Spring is the 5k one right? So basically work up to running a 5k (couchto5k program is decent if you are new) other than being in good shape cardio wise most of the obstacles aren't tough. Some upper body strength will help such as being able to do multiple pull-ups.

[dirtdiver00]

how about losing some weight first....

Instead of being an a$$ to someone wanting advice on how to get in shape for something like this, how bout either give some constructive advice or keep your 6' lanky a$$ out of the conversation? Also - from your profile pic, a 6-pack on a skinny guy doesn't count.

Mike -

Which Spartan Sprint are you planning to do; how much time do you have? Like wisdommaster said; the couch-to-5k program is great for beginners. You want to be able to run at least 5-6 miles straight (even though it's a 5k). Do tons of pull-ups/chin-ups, push-ups, and especially burpees. If you need advice on how to progressively do more pull-ups, check out YouTube. The running you do as training will take care of cardio & stamina, but you're still going to want to throw in basic lifts often - squat, deadlift, clean & press, etc. (and variations of them).

Training for the race is only as hard as you make it. If you're just getting into this, keep it simple. Run, do bodyweight exercises, repeat every day. Hope this helps.

[BigMike15J]

Instead of being an a$$ to someone wanting advice on how to get in shape for something like this, how bout either give some constructive advice or keep your 6' lanky a$$ out of the conversation? Also - from your profile pic, a 6-pack on a skinny guy doesn't count.

Mike -

Which Spartan Sprint are you planning to do; how much time do you have? Like wisdommaster said; the couch-to-5k program is great for beginners. You want to be able to run at least 5-6 miles straight (even though it's a 5k). Do tons of pull-ups/chin-ups, push-ups, and especially burpees. If you need advice on how to progressively do more pull-ups, check out YouTube. The running you do as training will take care of cardio & stamina, but you're still going to want to throw in basic lifts often - squat, deadlift, clean & press, etc. (and variations of them).

Training for the race is only as hard as you make it. If you're just getting into this, keep it simple. Run, do bodyweight exercises, repeat every day. Hope this helps.

I'm doing the Texas spartan race on May 19 & 20 i don't know when i want to do the trifecta ( sprint , super and beast ) by the end of high school i am freshman wrestler by the wa.y i cannot do many push ups but that's better than in the summer i couldn't do 10 on my knees so I'm getting good gains and losing weight fyi dirtdiver and I'm getting stronger every day

[burkemat]

I'm doing the Texas spartan race on May 19 & 20 i don't know when i want to do the trifecta ( sprint , super and beast ) by the end of high school i am freshman wrestler by the wa.y i cannot do many push ups but that's better than in the summer i couldn't do 10 on my knees so I'm getting good gains and losing weight fyi dirtdiver and I'm getting stronger every day

Hey Mike,

I've been training for my first Spartan Super for the past 2-3 months. The race is this Sunday, and I am SUPER pumped for it.

I've been following the WOD's from the Spartan Race website. Before I began training for this race, I was doing the standard weightlifting/cardio thing in the gym, but since I began training, almost all of my workouts have been done exclusively outdoors. In my experience, the things I needed to work up the most were the following:

1) Burpees. Do them right, with the pushup at the bottom. The Spartan race uses burpees as punishment for not completing an obstacle, so you'll need to be able to knock them out quickly and effectively.

2) Transitions from running into full-body exercises: This has been, in my opinion, the toughest part of the conditioning. I've always been a runner, and I've achieved some decent strength gains in the past, but I've never had to mix those two things until I started training for this race. Getting your heart used to transitioning quickly from running to obstacle work takes a good deal of training. The best way to accomplish this is by running relatively short distances (e.g. 1/4 mile) and punctuating those runs with body weight exercises. For example, you could run 1/4 mile, do 10 pushups, run 1/4 mile, do 10 bodyweight squats, run 1/4 mile, do 10 burpess, run 1/4 mile, do 10 jumping lunges, then repeat that whole series 3-5 times. Many of the WODs are structured this way.

3) Get confident in your basics. Pullups, pushups, squats, lunges, dips. Go into the race knowing you can handle your own body.

4) Work on your groundwork. Bear Crawls forward, backward, and side to side, crab walks, & superman/tiger walks. Your wrists are going to be weak, and these exercises will strengthen them up along with your core.

5) Grip strength. You're going to be facing a rope climb, cargo nets, monkey bars, etc. that will tax your grip. The stronger your grip, the less your other muscles will have to compensate.

If you get yourself in a position where you're confident in all of the above aspects, you'll kill the Spartan Sprint.

Good luck brother!

-Matt

[dirtdiver00]

I'm doing the Texas spartan race on May 19 & 20 i don't know when i want to do the trifecta ( sprint , super and beast ) by the end of high school i am freshman wrestler by the wa.y i cannot do many push ups but that's better than in the summer i couldn't do 10 on my knees so I'm getting good gains and losing weight fyi dirtdiver and I'm getting stronger every day

In addition to the advice above, you can also subscribe to the Spartan WOD. You've got a lot of time to train for this, so that's good. Here's the link:
spartanrace.com/wod

Since you're in HS and on the wrestling team, I'm assuming you have year-round access to the weight room. Definitely use it to your advantage; I knew a lot of HS athletes who slacked off in their off-season. Keep at it, and you'll see results. Also, you may want to check out CrossFit.com and SEALfit.com. Both of those sites have demo videos to their workouts if you don't know how to do them. They'll talk a lot about powerlifting exercises such as the clean, clean & jerk, snatch, etc. My best advice for this is to watch a TON of tutorial videos on how to do these correctly with proper form, and get someone well versed in these lifts to watch your form. You can seriously mess yourself up by doing them with too much weight too soon, or even doing them incorrectly.

[BigMike15J]

I just got a copy of insanity will that help

[dirtdiver00]

I just got a copy of insanity will that help

Insanity - from what I've heard from a couple of sources - sounds like a good program for doing races like the Spartan Race. One of my friends who does OCRs (Obstacle Course Races) does Insanity & Insanity Asylum as his main workout program. He's a former Marine, and for September did a strict USMC workout routine. October he switched back to Insanity, and said that he was actually having a hard time making it through the first week of Insanity.

[Evie000]

Cardio endurance and interval training really helped me. My goal wasn't to be the fastest but to just complete it. The obstacles are for the most part achievable. Do pull ups, push ups, and burpees as part of your training regimen. Find some hills to train on since it will help you a lot. Don't overthink it. Sprint is just a bit over 3 miles which is over before you know it. Plus, Spartans help each other out so don't feel like you are alone out there. It's a great community.

[illgrillchill]

All great advise.

I did my first Spartan Race in June and it was great! Since everyone already said most of the things I was thinking here's one more piece: Try researching the obstacles to sort of practice them: ie: Monkey Bars, Holding Something and Running up a Hill, etc.

Good luck!

[dailybargainsho]

Firstly lose some weight, take proper diet & do exercise daily.

[xMiiDNIGHT]

I am doing my first sprint in August, looking forward to it. When it gets warmer outside I am gonna venture to the beach and practice sprinting up hills, running on sand, etc. I also had the idea of running from kids park to kids park and navigating around the playground equipment.

[ISkipLegDay]

http://bit.ly/XsJ5HC

[jagguar]

I just ran the 8 mile Super Spartan two days ago and it was ruthless, but awesome. It was by far the hardest physical challenge I've ever faced, and I handled it like a champ. I have to say that the advice already given here is pretty good. Basically the WODs from the Spartan site are a great way to train. But based on your profile pic, I'd say it would help you out a lot to lose some weight. And in my opinion, Insanity is the absolute best way to do that, and it preps you perfectly for the Spartan Race. Once I started doing Insanity every day, I woke up feeling pumped and motivated to hit it every morning and I lost 25 lbs in just a couple months. You'll be amazed at the results and you'll build strength at the same time. Once you get through that program and you're feeling really good about yourself, you can focus more on improving pushups and pullups, which are important for the Spartan Race. You'll have to scale walls, drag heavy items up hills, climb ropes, and the like.

Basically, long story short, do Insanity. When you finish it, do it again. It's awesome.

[rhammer727]

Hey! I've done a few obstacle course races (ok- 8 so far, with more to come...). The Spartan series is my favorite. Be sure to practice burpees- there are 30 for each failed obstacle and at the Fenway race, there was a station dedicated solely to burpees. Youtube how to properly do one if you don't know how. They require the basic 4 point burpee, rather than the one with the added push up (however, its super BA if you add a few of the pushup ones.)

Definitely be able to run more than a basic 5k. And practice trail running. There's usually a long stretch with no obstacles that is full of mud and up a decent incline. Also, carry heavy things. Spartan is famous for sandbag carries and such.

For race day, bring baby wipes, a change of clothes and shoes, and a towel. I also brought my own permanent marker for writing my bib number on my body.

As far as the racing part- make sure you have fun, don't stress the obstacles (I surprised myself by what I could do) and make friends. People are super helpful

Good luck!

[mcconnelljh]

I can't offer any training/dietary advice that I haven't seen above already, but if you don't already have a pair get a pair of trail running shoes. They are an absolute MUST for this race. If you go out there in your regular pavement pounding Nikes you will get crushed, it's worth the $80-$90 for some Inov8's or New Balance minimalist

[fishnbrah]

I can't offer any training/dietary advice that I haven't seen above already, but if you don't already have a pair get a pair of trail running shoes. They are an absolute MUST for this race. If you go out there in your regular pavement pounding Nikes you will get crushed, it's worth the $80-$90 for some Inov8's or New Balance minimalist

over a 4 year member and this is your first post? strong lurker. we have the spartan race here this weekend. was considering doing it, today is the last day to sign up i think

[jagguar]

I can't offer any training/dietary advice that I haven't seen above already, but if you don't already have a pair get a pair of trail running shoes. They are an absolute MUST for this race. If you go out there in your regular pavement pounding Nikes you will get crushed, it's worth the $80-$90 for some Inov8's or New Balance minimalist

But also keep in mind that whatever shoes you wear are going to get destroyed. You're going to be crawling through mud and probably also swimming, then crawling through mud some more and running a couple more miles. That doesn't necessarily mean that you won't be able to wear them again. I wore some old running shoes that still fit comfortably. They required multiple washes afterward, but they're ready to go for my next mud run. Whatever shoes you wear for the Spartan Race, you can probably count on dedicating to mud runs. Don't just go buy expensive shoes the day before and expect amazing things. Make sure they're comfortable, and make sure you've broken them in before you race, or you're guaranteed to regret it.

[georgenesrallah]

Every race is different, but there are commnalities. I agree. get strong in the bodyweight exercises (i.e. pushups, pullups, etc...). Biggest piece of advice is make sure your shoes are nice and tight. Running through the mud pit my shoes came off and I wasted a ton of time having to look for them.

[K0HD33]

I run OCRs in NB minimus MT10V2 (easy cleaned and light)but any shoe will do (try 6pm(.)com)as long as it's not too heavy (you don't want mud boots + hills + 30lb sandbag to carry). Just don't run in brand new shoes, break'em in a little. If you know the race is going to be 3-4 miles, train for 4-5 so you'll be ready cardiowise. Unless you're running in the elite heats, relax a little! You're #1 goal should be to have Fun! With that said, and as others have already, do Burpees! Everyday! Do them after your workouts, too. Practice good form so you don't pull something, they get real hard when you are tired. Check out the spartan race youtube videos, spartan race has a ton. You'll get a feel of the obstacles (although not all races are the same). If you can, get friends to do it, too. Create a team (4+ people gets you 5$ back after the race, roughly 4-8 weeks after, haha).

[bransc1]

Alot of great input from everybody. I am also signed up for my first Spartan Sprint on May 11th in Montana. Can't wait to do it but with all this great advice I am going to switch up my routine a little bit to prepare for it. Good luck to anyone else doing the Spartan races. Hopefully I will see you out there someday!

[zachs]

Here's my complete beginner's guide to a Spartan Race. http://www.tripfitness.com/beginners...n-race-sprint/