Thu. March 27, 2014
By Michael Elder
1) Pull ups and chin ups. Both hanging and traveling (walking hands right and left) are recommended.
2) Corncob pull- ups (where you pull up to your left hand and then shift over to your right hand before lowering).
3) Chin ups using a rope, or a towel to simulate a rope. If you have a rope climbing machine in your gym, this also works great.
4) High incline treadmill walking and running, including high incline treadmill circuits coupled with body weight movements to help with the peripheral blood flow changes.
5) Plank crawls, straight arm leg drags, and farmer's walk (walking on various terrains while carrying heavy weights in each hand for grip strength, muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness.
I hope I have given you some insight into the Tough Mudder and other events like it. Make no mistake; it is not an easy event. You must have at least a baseline of strength to even consider registering for it. Once you do register, you need to spend significant time every week training for it. Following the exercise guidelines above can help you, but if possible, it is always beneficial to hire a trainer to help you train specifically. I myself am considering auditioning for American Ninja Warrior. If I make it through the auditions, I will have my work cut out for me to say the least. But hey, you only live once, right? So what are you waiting for? Get out there and get dirty!
Thanks for reading. Be healthy!
Michael Elder has been working as a fitness professional in Chicago for the last fifteen years. He comes from a background in gymnastics and is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). He can be contacted directly through his website, www.MichaelElder.com.
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