Steeplechase has its origin in Great Britain, with a starting distance of between two and three kilometers. Over time, these competitions such as the Spartan Race, Farinato Race or Crazy Race have become popular and have acquired a great prominence among the groups of the collective classes of the gyms.
To successfully complete these races it is necessary that you hardly make mistakes, so it is necessary that you know three of the mistakes to avoid in order to overtake the peloton and leave marks of which you feel very proud.
1. Run as if it were not a race
Many people give 100% of their potential on obstacles and forget that they must quickly cover the distance between them. This, generally, supposes the distance of a half marathon, that is to say, 21 kilometers , which supposes an equal or greater challenge than the overcoming of the obstacles itself.
People who are not used to running and use these types of activities to leave the sofa behind should rethink it and try other activities that serve as a set-up before doing obstacle courses.
A good activity to improve before trying an obstacle course is to walk with light weights , so that we fatigue more easily and the effort we have to do is greater. We can do this outdoors or inside the gym, where we can also use the conventional treadmill, but increasing the incline level.
2. Being unable to bear loads
These types of tests involve moving fairly heavy objects from one place to another as if they were suitcases without wheels. If we want to prepare an obstacle course we have to keep in mind that it will not be easy. A large majority drop out at the point where the loads are to be transported. For many strongmen it can be easy, while for ordinary people it is very expensive.
To successfully transport loads, it is crucial to work the trapeze and legs. It will help us a lot to pass this test because they are the muscles with the greatest involvement, but exercising the whole body and making us stronger and more resistant in general will also be a clear advantage.
3. Have insufficient grip strength
Maybe we all think that we have a pretty good grip strength, but this can change after doing burpees , climbing ropes, carrying heavy loads, running long distances …
This is a critical aspect to carry out an obstacle course, if we want to optimize our grip strength we have to focus on two things:
- Improve pull exercises like chin- ups and deadlifts .
- Work out with kettlebells or kettlebells.
In addition, if we want to gain resistance, we should train with high repetition ranges, so that we focus on working the red or type II fibers of our muscles, which are responsible for enduring longer efforts.
Conclution
Obstacle races are not made for everyone and require very specific work and dedication. Endurance training should generally help us complete them in the shortest time possible, but thanks to the advice we have provided you will not only improve your endurance but also other skills necessary to complete these races successfully.
References
- Andrew Read, The 3 Keys to Obstacle Course Racing Success, for Breakingmuscle [Revised November 2015].
