In This Series
- How To Conquer Tough Mudder’s New Obstacles For 2019
- How To Conquer Tough Mudder’s Brand New Obstacles For 2018
- How To Tackle Tough Mudder’s Brand New Obstacles For 2017
Even if you’re a Tough Mudder veteran you can’t just turn up to a race assuming you can get by on hard-won experience alone. That’s because every year Tough Mudder brings in new challenges, and in 2019 this includes the tallest and longest obstacles ever seen on its courses.
The Mudderhorn, for instance, will be 25ft (7.6m) high and will require participants to work together to climb a cargo net over it, while the lengthy Gauntlet will challenge your full-body strength as you make your way through its multiple sections. Other new obstacles include Black Widow, a tangled web of tightropes that will test your core strength, balance and agility.
As well as the new obstacles, Tough Mudder has raised the stakes by adding five obstacles to every Classic course, meaning you’ll be taking on 25 in total over eight to ten miles (13-16km). The shorter 5K events have crammed in another three more than last year, meaning you’ll have to conquer 13 obstacles in all.
To help you get through the updated courses intact, we asked Born Barikor, Tough Mudder’s UK trainer, for his advice on the best exercises to train for the new obstacles.
Bodyweight Exercises
Obstacles like The Gauntlet (pictured) and Leap of Faith will require you to be comfortable holding your bodyweight and working against it is a great way to train. Try these exercises:
- Press-up
- Box jump
- Depth jump
- Walking lunge
- Jump squat
See related
- Tough Mudder Training Plan
- Prep For Your Obstacle Course Race With This Spartan Workout
- The UK’s Best Obstacle Course Races And Mud Runs Of 2021
Grip Strength
Good grip strength is always an asset, especially on obstacles like Mudderhorn (pictured) and Augustus Gloop 2.0. Develop yours with these exercises:
- Chin-up
- Fingertip press-up
- Hanging knee raise
- Negative pull-up
- Inverted row
Core Exercises
A strong core will help you keep your balance on obstacles like Spread Eagle (pictured) and Black Widow. Try these exercises:
- Leg raise
- V-sit
- Walking plank
- Side plank with elbow to knee crunch
- Back extension
Agility And Balance
Staying on your feet, keeping your balance and being able to twist your body are great assets for obstacles like Tight Squeeze and Hydrophobia. Improve your overall agility and balance by adding these exercises to your workout:
- Bear crawl
- Press-up to side kick
- Lateral high knees
- Lateral burpee
- Lateral box jump
Running And Stamina
Whether you’re taking on the 5K or the Classic event, being comfortable getting yourself around the course, while not crucial, is always a plus. Try working in bouts of interval training during any running sessions you are doing to help with your stamina. Give these running workouts a whirl:
- 60sec medium pace sprint, turn around and get back to the start point in under 60sec. Rest for 30sec and repeat five times.
- 10 x hill repetitions with slow walk down
- 20 x 30m sprint with walk back recovery
- 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m at 80%. Rest for 1min between efforts and repeat twice.
- 40min tempo run (60-70%) finishing with a light bodyweight circuit
