Spartan Race Training: Week 3
How's your handshake? Rock solid or fish floppy? Let's hope for the former because if it's the latter, you have work to do.
The Spartan Race requires a strong grip.
Just like our run interval program, always start with the end goal in mind. What grip intensive activities are part of the race?
Top 5 exercises:
Climbing rope
Monkey bars
Water jug and sandbag carries
Weighted pulley
Side-to-side rock climbing wall.
These exercises break down into two categories:
Hanging/supporting your own bodyweight
Carrying objects
First, you establish the goal, and then you train to achieve it.
Let's start with the low hanging fruit (pun intended). Your first grip workout of the week is to ditch your car and carry your groceries home like a boss. At a minimum park in the farthest spot and do a short carry, will you?
Now, onto the fun stuff.
Hang, Carry, and Crawl
Repeat the following circuit 3x:
Max hang hold from pull-up bar
Pick weights up (this is your start line), 50 step farmer's walk, put weights down
Bear crawl to start line and back to weights
Pick weights up, 50 step farmer's walk to start line, put weights down
Max hang hold from pull-up bar
1:00 rest
Workout Rules:
Get creative if necessary. Almost every workout you see here is equipment free. Unfortunately simulating certain grip exercises requires props. If you do not have a pull-up bar at your disposal, seek out a supported ledge. If you do not have dumbbells or kettlebells for your farmer's walk, use heavy bags (groceries!) or water jugs.
Practice perfect posture. Adding weight to your frame makes posture even more important. (Watch Relentless Fitness's Pam Leary demonstrate the farmer's walk.)
Practice perfect grip. When hanging wrap your thumbs around the bar, keep your palms facing forward, and mentally focus on squeezing as tightly as possible.
Choose weight wisely. Farmer's walks should be heavy but manageable. The recommendation is 45lbs. (in each hand) for guys and 25lbs. (in each hand) for gals. Feel free to adjust depending on your ability and what you have available. Always pick your weights up and put them down using solid deadlift form.
Have fun! Tap into your primal side. Training for the Spartan Race shows you that you're capable of anything - hanging, carrying, crawling, and a whole lot more.
Onward and upward Team! Work on that iron handshake, and we'll see you here next week for step four.
Roger Dickerman is co-owner of Relentless Fitness.
Every Thursday leading up to the Spartan Race on November 14, Roger will be submitting exclusive posts to Philly.com specifically tailored to get you ready for the obstacle course at Citizen's Bank Park. If you'd like to become part of the team, or just want to help donate to the nonprofit they're supporting (Steve's Club), you can get more information here.
Our Team Relentless philosophy is simple: Think bigger on behalf of yourself and others. No matter what route you choose – whether it's solely using these Philly.com workouts to better your health, training and racing alongside Relentless, or funding a Steve's Club teenager – it's all good. Get involved, and stay relentless!
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.