The Mud Running craze has hit big time! Americans will have over 500 mud running events to choose from this year, and together these events will host over three million. Avid fitness buffs and inexperienced couch potatoes sign up by the masses because mud runs provide a unique way to get fit and have fun. If you are just starting out or if you already have experience, the next step is to start developing the strength and stamina. But how do get in shape for such an event?
Mud runs involve running (or if you prefer, walking) a certain distance, while also doing obstacles that are spaced out across the course. So the goal of your training should be to develop the endurance to run the distance of the course and the strength to help you complete any obstacle you come across.
To design an effective exercise plan, try to incorporate both endurance-building workouts like jogging and muscle building workouts such as push-ups and pull-ups. Some athletes spend one day doing endurance exercise and then the next day doing a muscle building exercise. But if you are looking for a less time-consuming method, you can follow circuit-training principles. A sample circuit would look like this:
*2 Minutes of Stair-Climbing
*Push-Ups (as many as you can)
*Run For Two Minutes
*Chin-Ups
*Stair-Climbing for Two Minutes
*Squats (As many as you can)
*Two Minutes of Stair-Climbing
After completing the circuit you would then rest for a few minutes and then begin a new circuit or one with other exercises.
Whether you choose to combine strength training and endurance into one workout or whether you choose to separate them into distinct workouts, it is important to approach your strength-training with intensity. Your body will never be encouraged to build your muscles unless it thinks that the workout was a little bit more than you could handle comfortably. When your body experiences a workout like this, then it will go to work building up muscle so that the next time you do a workout like that, it will be easier.
A lot of beginners want to know how much they will have to train. The answer to that question depends the fitness base you currently have and whether or not you want to run the whole way. If you are just staring out, about two months of training should get you ready to run the whole way. But even if you are an advanced athlete, the more training you put in, the better you will do and the more you will reap from the mud run.
Mud runs involve running (or if you prefer, walking) a certain distance, while also doing obstacles that are spaced out across the course. So the goal of your training should be to develop the endurance to run the distance of the course and the strength to help you complete any obstacle you come across.
To design an effective exercise plan, try to incorporate both endurance-building workouts like jogging and muscle building workouts such as push-ups and pull-ups. Some athletes spend one day doing endurance exercise and then the next day doing a muscle building exercise. But if you are looking for a less time-consuming method, you can follow circuit-training principles. A sample circuit would look like this:
*2 Minutes of Stair-Climbing
*Push-Ups (as many as you can)
*Run For Two Minutes
*Chin-Ups
*Stair-Climbing for Two Minutes
*Squats (As many as you can)
*Two Minutes of Stair-Climbing
After completing the circuit you would then rest for a few minutes and then begin a new circuit or one with other exercises.
Whether you choose to combine strength training and endurance into one workout or whether you choose to separate them into distinct workouts, it is important to approach your strength-training with intensity. Your body will never be encouraged to build your muscles unless it thinks that the workout was a little bit more than you could handle comfortably. When your body experiences a workout like this, then it will go to work building up muscle so that the next time you do a workout like that, it will be easier.
A lot of beginners want to know how much they will have to train. The answer to that question depends the fitness base you currently have and whether or not you want to run the whole way. If you are just staring out, about two months of training should get you ready to run the whole way. But even if you are an advanced athlete, the more training you put in, the better you will do and the more you will reap from the mud run.
About the Author:
If you want to know more about how to set up a training routine, click here for more on Mud Run Training. If you just want a little more basic information about the sport, check out What is a Mud Run?
