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| Obstacle Course Training |
Test your athletic
skills on an obstacle course!
 |
The obstacle course is
a great event whether you have competed in fitness, want to compete in fitness
or just wish to test your athletic skills somewhere new. I have competed in
obstacle events for 4 years and in 2002 took home a World Title. Although there
are other organizations that hold these events, I will help show you how to
train for the Women's Tri-Fitness
AKA WTF. Don't have an obstacle course to train on? No problems, train by
simulation and old fashioned endurance & strength conditioning.
The WTF consists of an Obstacle Course, Fitness Skills,
Routine and
Grace & Physique (G&P) Round. In this section
I will only cover the obstacle course and fitness skills topics. The great thing
about the WTF is you don't have to compete in every round unless you are
competing for the overall title. I think this is great because it gives you a
chance to compete even if you don't want to diet or stand in a swimsuit and if
you don't have a dance or gymnastics background for a routine. It is also a
great place to try out a routine if you have never done one because not as many
girls do them as they do in Fitness America. Each round is broken down by
age/height categories and lots of awards are given out at the end so almost
everyone takes home something. You may compete in the following events:
Dual Fitness: Obstacle & Fitness Skills
Dual Fitness Optional: Obstacle, Fitness Skills, G&P
Tri Fitness: All four events
Men Compete as well! They compete separate of women and of course only in the
Obstacle Course & Fitness Skills. Sorry ladies, no swim trunks.
THE OBSTACLE COURSE - 150 yds
UP: 10ft Wall, Rope Grids, Incline/Decline Monkey Bars, Balance Beam, 15ft Cargo
Net
BACK: Baton, 3 Hurdles, Steeple Jump, Under Bar, Over Bar, Sprint
FITNESS SKILLS
Box Jumps (20" box-jump 50x timed)
Bench Press (60% of bodyweight up to 50reps)
Shuttle Run (10 beanbags 20 ft apart-timed)
* The best strength exercise for the obstacle course is pull-ups. Many gyms have assisted pull-up machines, but if they do not, have a spotter help you by bending your knees and having them hold your ankles and shins for resistance. They can help lift, but it's better to push off their arms. Pull-ups with palms facing towards each other will help with the wall. Turn palms away from your body to help with the cargo net. Practice without gloves.
* Hanging Knee raises
help with every exercise because they strengthen your core, but they also help
strengthen your grip which will help with the "UP" events. The biggest problem
girls have on the monkey bars is they just can't hold on. Be a kid and visit the
playground where the kids climb like monkeys.
* Do all weights without grips or gloves to strengthen your hands. If you worry
about calluses, use a pumice stone on them. You can still have strong hands that
are soft!
* Practice Plyometric Training. You need to be able to jump to climb the wall
and cross the hurdles.
* Run Sprints! The last
1/2 of the course is all legs and lungs! Practice running 100yds on a track and
75 will be easier. Run intervals of sprints on a treadmill. I did that this year
and won the obstacle course with a time of 52.22.
* Practice agility skills; Quick Hands and Feet. Quick feet will push you
through the rope grids and quick hands will boost you through the M.Bars.
* Box Jumps: Practice Box Jumps on anything 20" high or more. Making a wooden
box is simple or you could use a bench or platform. When jumping, lift with your
thighs, use a wide stance and get a rhythm going. Stay close to the box, but
watch out for your shins. Don't bounce off your calves or you will get
unnecessary height. Start out at 10-15 and work up to 50. If you get tired you
can step up one foot at a time, but both feet must be on top of the box at the
same time.
* Shuttle Run: You can set up a Shuttle Run almost anywhere. You need 10 of
something (beanbags, tennis balls, scrunchies...) Set the objects side by side
in a line. Stand 20ft away in front of the line. Run and pick up 1 object at a
time and place it in a Step Riser or box. It must stay in the box or be placed
back in by the end. The best way to run is to face one direction and side/cross
step: 1,2,3 pick it up 1,2,3, place it in. Try to toss it in when you get near.
This is a lung burner!
* Bench Press: Practice with more weight than you will lift. This is the weakest
round for me. Practice with higher weight or lots of reps, whatever works best
for you! The bar must touch your chest and you can't take your hands off it. You
will have a 10sec rest period b/w reps, but usually this doesn't help much. Feet
may be on or off the bench and extra wide grips are not permitted.
* Stretch! You must be flexible to help prevent injury. The more flexible you
are, the easier the obstacles will be.
TIPS ON THE COURSE
* Count your steps to
the wall
* Jump up and toward the wall...don't wait until you are too close
*Reach as high as you can
* Don't waste time at the top; throw your leg over quickly and jump as Quick as
possible.
* Don't take a double step into the ropes, monkey bars or cargo net
* Lift with your thighs through the ropes; Don't jump off your calves or you
will be bouncy instead of quick.
* Work on grip strength for monkey bars by lifting without gloves and doing
hanging knee raises w/out grips or handles.
* Quick hands: One Bar/One Hand: Don't grab the bar with your whole hand when
possible. I actually only hold with my fingers and quickly release. On the way
down let it go and speed up.
* Keep your abs tight on the balance beam and look ahead not down!
* Climb the outer ends of the cargo net because they are tighter. Find out when
your feet will touch the required rope and drop from that point. Don't waste
time climbing down. I do a 1/2 turn when I drop so I'm already facing in the
right direction.
* Hip and hamstring flexibility will help with the hurdles. Switch legs if it
fits.
* Don't round your back on the Under Bar; Stay Low. While your body and back
legs turn to the side to go under, keep your leading leg facing forward.
* Try to cut out the double step on the high jump. It's hard but helps a little.
* Hurdle it if you can, but don't attempt it if you can't. It's a little high
for shorter girls...like me!
* When you land off the mat, land with your feet in a starters block position at
the base of the mat v/s flat footed. This will help push you into a sprint.
*RUN THROUGH the line. NEVER stop or slow down before it.
* Have someone chase you through the obstacles.
* Run the course full out at least once if you can or run each half. I don't
usually run it full out, but it would help. I skip my arm workouts and work each
arm event 10 times or I skip leg day and do the leg events 10 times. I may do 5
sets of 20 box jumps.
TIDBITS: I recommend NIKE receiver gloves. They are tacky and durable.
Most sporting goods store will carry them. The junior sizes are cheaper.
You may want to wear long pants your first time on a course to protect your legs
from scrapes
Wear Shoes that have a gripped bottom. Worn out shoes will be harder to climb
with on the wall.
MY TIMES: Obstacle Course (Outdoors) 52.22, Box Jumps 37 seconds, Bench Press 37, Shuttle Run 33.x