If your home gym or garage gym only has a straight bar (i.e. The Minicanes seem to really work your forearms as well. These require a strong grip, and your grip will typically fail before your arms do, so if you typically do sets of 10 pull ups you may only be able to get out 8 Minicane pull ups. As a second choice, we recommend the Minicane Pinch Grips. Some of our customers have stated they prefer doing pull ups with Ball Grips in hand as opposed to gripping a pull bar bar. We have found that pull ups with the Ball Grips, pronated grip, supinated grip, and neutral grip, are some of the best grip exercises for strength. You can contact Heather directly by emailing her at Recommended FitBar Obstacle Training ProductsįitBar products help mud runners develop a strong grip, and it can be a key part of your OCR training. Heather is a 5-time Ironman champion and Spartan SGX coach. Ready to hit the mud? Find a mud run near you.If you are looking to do your first obstacle course race, or if you are a seasoned athlete looking to shave time off your race time / eliminate burpees from your race, Heather Gollnick provides sport-specific coaching through her I ronEdge Coaching. Just remember you don’t want your clothes to become another obstacle. No one else is paying attention to what you’re wearing, so dress for comfort and performance. Remember that soon after you start the race you’ll be a muddy mess. Choose a shoe that has good tread, drainage, and support. Trail running shoes are a better bet to give you some grip. Shoes: Most mud runs will have extremely muddy sections where your regular running shoes won’t cut it. Good socks will also help pad your feet from mud and other debris that could creep its way into shoes. Socks: Choose socks that are wool or wicking material. They’ll also be the main thing giving you comfort during and after the course so dress them well.

Your feet will probably be the first thing to get wet and muddy. Again, avoid cotton, even in your underwear. Your once-comfortable cotton tee will quickly become loose and soggy, and interfere with your race-day performance.Ĭompression shorts or pants will help wick away moisture, keep everything in place on race day, and keep mud to a minimum in sensitive body areas. Cotton holds water and loses its form when wet. This helps keep you dry and is less likely to snag on wire or other elements in the course.

Wear a shirt or tank that is form-fitting and has wicking fabric. Headbands that stay put are a good choice for women and men who want to keep hair out of their face. Once something falls in the mud, it’s pretty difficult to recover. Some runs may have obstacles where you jump off a platform or swim through muddy waters. Putting in the hard work at Forma Gym with high-intensity classes and workouts have helped prep your mind and body for your mud run, but prepping your wardrobe will be a little different than hitting the gym.Īvoid wearing anything extra on your head like a hat or sunglasses. Getting dirty has never been so much fun! So, you decided to sign up for your first mud run? Mud runs and obstacle course races (OCR) are a great way to challenge yourself physically, while trekking (and playing) in the mud.

Obstacle course race gear